Isolation, identification, and synthesis of sex pheromone components of female tea cluster caterpillar,Andraca bipunctata walker (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) in Taiwan.

Octadecanal (18:Ald), (E)-11-octadecenal (E11-18:Ald), (E)-14-octadecenal (E14-18:Ald) and (E,E)-11,14-octadecadienal (E11,E14-18:Ald) were isolated and identified as major components from the pheromone glands of the tea cluster caterpillar,Andraca bipunctata, in Taiwan by analyzing the mass spectra of gland components and their DMDS adducts. GC retention times and mass spectra of the components were in agreement with those of authentic synthetic compounds. The average amount of 18:Ald,E11-18:Ald,E14-18:Ald andE11,E14-18:Ald per female gland (1 to 3 days old) was 121±76, 50±20, 187±75, and 237±110 ng, respectively, in a ratio of 20:8:31:41. SyntheticE11,E14-18:Ald caught more males than each of the other three components or blank control in field trapping tests.E11,E14-18:Ald is reported as an insect sex pheromone for the first time. Male antenna responded toE11,E14-18:Ald strongly in an EAG analysis. Furthermore, 4 hr after the injection of PBAN (pheromone biosynthetic activating neuropeptide) into decapitated female moths (2 days old), the percentage of theE11,E14-C18 Ald in the gland extract increased from 0% to 75.5%, which was also significantly more than that of unligated and uninjected control at 55.1%. All these data indicated thatE11,E14-18:Ald is the sex pheromone of theAndraca bipunctata in Taiwan.