Composition, quantification, and periodicity of sex pheromone gland volatiles from individual Heliothis virescens females

Sex pheromone gland volatiles from individual Heliothis virescens (F.) females were collected and analyzed on an SP-2330 capillary gas-liquid chromatography column for identification and quantification of the compounds emitted. Only four of the seven compounds previously reported as pheromone components appeared consistently in the volatile collections: 14:Ald, Z9-14:Ald, 16:Ald, and Z11-16:Ald. The female glands did not emit the same amounts of these compounds throughout a 24-hr period; they emitted maximum quantities between 6 and 11 hr after the onset of scotophase with the remainder of the photoperiod having minimal emission rates. Although the absolute quantities fluctuated, the percent compositions of the compounds remained about the same throughout the 24-hr period.