Identification of a female-produced sex pheromone of the western corn rootworm

P. L. Guss, James Homer Tumlinson, III, P. E. Sonnet, A. T. Proveaux

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

56 Scopus citations

Abstract

A sex pheromone has been isolated and identified from virgin females of the western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte. The synthesized compound, racemic 8-methyl-2-decanol propanoate, was equal in attraction to the natural pheromone when tested in the field as a trap bait against three taxa of Diabrotica known to respond to pheromone extracts from female WCR. Five taxa (D. virgifera virgifera; D. virgifera zeae Krysan and Smith, Mexican corn rootworm;D. longicornis barberi Smith and Lawrence, northern corn rootworm;D. longicornis longicornis (Say); and D. porracea Harold) were attracted to traps baited with 8-methyl-2-decanol propanoate. The response of male northern corn rootworms (NCR) in the field peaked at a relatively low concentration of 8-methyl-2-decanol propanoate and then was severely reduced at the higher concentrations tested. Conversely, the response of male WCR in the field continued to increase up to the highest dose tested.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)545-556
Number of pages12
JournalJournal of Chemical Ecology
Volume8
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 1 1982

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
  • Biochemistry

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