Site of sex pheromone biosynthesis in the female housefly,Musca domestica L.

Summary The primary site of sex pheromone biosynthesis in the female housefly is the abdominal integument tissue, whereas the contribution of the legs is relatively minor. A substantial portion of the sex pheromone components are, however, transferred from the abdomen to the legs, probably as a result of grooming.Acknowledgment. This work was supported by the Science and Education Administration of the U.S. Department of Agriculture under grant No. 7801064 from the Competitive Research Grants Office. Contribution of the Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station, Journal Series No 524. Housefly pupae were kindly supplied by Dr Ted Shapas, S.C. Johnson and Son, Inc., Racine, Wisconsin.Author for correspondence.     

Rhythmic extrusion of pheromone gland elevates pheromone release rate

Summary In two arctiid species,Holomelina lamae andH. aurantiaca, which rhythmically extrude and retract their abdominal tips during pheromone emission, pheromone glands contain up to three orders of magnitude more of the major component than in most Lepidoptera examined to date. Using an effluent collection technique, relatively high rates of pheromone emission were obtained from freely calling females. In contrast, volatilization rates from forcibly extruded glands were about 25 times lower for both species, suggesting that pulsation of the gland functions to increase the release rate.We thank R. Charlton, R. Collins, J. Tang and R. Webster for valuable discussions D. Smith for drawing of the figure, and Dr Robert W. Astheimer of Barnes Engineering for generously donating his time and an IR Microscope used in remote temperature measurements.     

Volatile sex pheromone in the female German cockroach

Virgin German cockroach adult females release an attractant that can be extracted with organic solvents and trapped from air blown over sexually receptive females. Behavioral assays with an olfactometer showed that the attractant was produced exclusively by adult females and it elicited behavioral responses in adult males, confirming its function as a female sex pheromone. Using behavioral and electrophysiological assays, we localized the site of pheromone production on the tenth abdominal tergite where an adult female-specific gland is found. Females whose glands were ablated were significantly less attractive to males than sham-operated control females.     

A sex pheromone from the mandibular glands in bumblebee queens

Summary In this paper it is shown that the mandibular glands of young bumblebee queens produce a species-specific sex pheromone. From our results it becomes obvious that the pheromone is a releaser for the mating attempts made by the conspecific males.Supported by The Netherlands Organisation for the advancement of Pure Research ZWO.     

G-banding patterns of the housefly,Musca domestica,autosomes and sex chromosomes

Summary G-banding patterns were found on the X-chromosomes of the housefly. This indicates the presence of major gene loci on these chromosomes, i.e. sex-linked genes. G-banding patterns were also found on the Y-chromosome of 2 preparations. The first polyploid cell (a tetraploid, 2n=24) forMusca domestica was observed in one of the banding preparations.     

Location of the sex pheromone in the American cockroach,Periplaneta americana (L.)

Zusammenfassung Das Vorkommen von Sexualpheromon wurde an dem Werbeverhalten von selektierten einzelnen Männchen getestet. Das Pheromon kommt in larvalen und adulten Insekten beiderlei Geschlechts vor, wird aber von geschlechtsreifen Weibchen in grösseren Mengen produziert. Es kommt hauptsächlich im Kopf vor und wird wahrscheinlich an Orten modifizierter Körperdecke abgesondert.     

Laboratory and field studies of the female sex pheromone of the olive moth,Prays oleae

Summary Analysis by GC-EAG indicates that abdominal tip extracts of femalePrays oleae contain a tetradecenal. Synthetic (Z)-7-tetradecenal elicits a strong EAG respones from maleP. oleae and field tests it to be comparable in attractancy with the virgin female moth. (Z)-9-Tetradecenal also produces a strong EAG response but it is not an attractant and, when added to (Z)-7-tetradecenal, markedly reduces trap catches.Acknowledgments. The authors are indebted to Mr N. Psylakis, Agricultural Research Centre, Chania, Crete, and to Dr D. Vassilopoulos, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, for providing facilities for this work. They thank the Commonwealth Institute of Entomology, London, for moth species confirmation.     

Studies on the chemical constitution and sex pheromone activity of volatile substances emitted byDacus oleae

Summary Volatile substances from the females ofDacus oleae have been submitted to GLC-MS analysis and several components identified. E-6-nonen-1-ol and p-cymene displayed attractive and aphrodisiac effects in both laboratory and field experiments.Part of this work has been presented at the 4th International Congress of Pesticide Chemistry (IUPAC), Zurich, July 1978-Comm. III, 230 and at the 11th International Symposium on the Chemistry of Natural Products (IUPAC) Varna, September 1978.This work has been supported by the CNR, special ad hoc program Fitofarmaci e Fitoregolatori subproject 2.     

Studies on the sex pheromone ofDacus oleae. Analysis of the substances contained in the rectal glands

Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences - 17 substances contained in the rectal glands ofDacus oleae have been, identified by GC-MS techniques. The synthesis of 3 isomeric spiroketals allows us...     

Diolefin analog of a sex pheromone component ofHeliothis zea active in disrupting mating communication

Summary A hydrocarbon (Z)-1, 12-heptadecadiene, was synthesized from the major sex pheromone of the corn earworm,Heliothis zea (Boddie). In field tests, significant disruption of the sexual behavior ofH. zea males was obtained, comparable to the pheromone (Z)-11-hexadecenal. This novel diolefin should be inexpensive, exhibit improved stability, and may lead to improved methods of control.Reprint requests to D.E. Weidhaas, P.O. Box 14565, Gainesville (FL 32604, USA).     

Spruce budworm: Effects of different blends of sex pheromone components on disruption of male attraction

Summary Disruption of attraction of maleChoristoneura fumiferana to the natural sex pheromone in an atmosphere permeated by blends of the 2 pheromone components is greatest with ratios of the 2 components close to the natural blend.The (E)- and (Z)-TDALs were obtained from ChemSampCo, Columbus, Ohio, and were further purified by argentation column chromatography on Hi-Flosil-Ag (20% AgNo₃), 60/200 mesh, eluting with 91 pentane: ether. Following formulation, (E)(Z) ratios in the PVC were determined by extracting PVC pellets for 6 h in hexane and analyzing the solvent by GLC. The chemical analyses and purifications were carried out by Ms Linda MacDonald of the Forest Pest Management Institute, Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., to whom I would like to express my thanks.Analyses of the data were done with the help of Dr J. Régnière of the Great Lakes Forest Research Centre, Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. whom I would also like to thank.     

The oak leaf roller (Archips semiferanus Walker) sex pheromone complex: Field and laboratory evaluation of requisite behavioral stimuli

Zusammenfassung Die früher als Bestandteile der von Abdominalextrakten des weiblichen Eichenblattrollers,Archips semiferanus Walker, festgestellten 21 Isomeren von Tetradecenyl-Acetat wurden mit der Elektroantennogram-(EAG) und der Fallenfang-Methode auf ihre Wirkung bei Männchen vonA. semiferanus geprüft. Während alle 21 Isomere sich als EAG-aktiv erwiesen, vermochten nur 17 Männchen anzulocken. Aktivitätsvergleiche der Isomeren haben gezeigt, dass zwischen den Resultaten der beiden Test-Methoden nur eine geringe Beziehung existiert.

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The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Entomology and Pesticide Research Laboratory, University Park, Penna 16802, USA.

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Note added in proof: For a possible explanation of these results seeL. B. Hendry, J. K. Wichmann, D. M. Hindenlang, R. O. Mumma andM. E. Anderson, Science188, 59 (1975).