ISOLATION, IDENTIFICATION, AND SYNTHESIS OF A FEMALE SEX-PHEROMONE OF THE NAVEL ORANGEWORM, AMYELOIS-TRANSITELLA (LEPIDOPTERA, PYRALIDAE)

A sex pheromone of the navel orangeworm, A. transitella (Walker) [a pest of almonds] was obtained from ether rinses of the sex pheromone gland of calling females. The pheromone was isolated by means of liquid and gas chromatography and was identified as 1 of 4 possible geometrical isomers of 11,13-hexadecadienal by means of spectroscopic and microchemical methods. Synthesis and laboratory bioassay of all 4 isomers revealed that only the (Z,Z) isomer was biologically active. (Z,Z)-11,13-hexadecadienal elicited quantitatively similar activation and attraction responses by A. transitella males as did the natural product.