Components of female sex pheromone of spotted bollworm,Earias vittella F. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): Identification and field evaluation in Pakistan.

Ovipositor washings from virgin femaleEarias vittella (F.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) moths were examined by gas chromatography (GC) linked to electroantennography (EAG). Six components were detected by the male moth. These were identified by comparison of their retention times with those of a range of synthetic standards on fused silica capillary GC columns as hexadecanal, (Z)-11-hexadecenal, (E,E)-10,12-hexadecadienal, octadecanal, (Z)-11-octadecenal, and (E,E)-10,12-hexadecadien-1-ol in 1∶2∶10∶2∶4∶1 ratio. Field testing in Pakistan showed that a 2∶10∶2 mixture of (Z)-11-hexadecenal, (E,E)-10,12-hexadecadienal, and (Z)-11-octadecenal was as attractive to maleE. vittella moths as the six-component mixture and equal in attractiveness to a virgin female moth. Omitting (Z)-11-hexadecenal or (Z)-11-octadecenal greatly reduced this attractiveness. It was found that synthetic lures must be protected from sunlight to prevent loss of attractiveness caused by isomerization of the conjugated diene aldehyde, and addition of (E,Z)-10,12-hexadecadienal, one of the products of isomerization, was shown to reduce attractiveness significantly. During this work, a 10∶1 mixture of (E,E)-10, 12-hexadecadienal and (Z)-11-hexadecenal was shown to be as attractive toE. insulana (Boisd.) male moths as a virgin female moth, and the attractiveness of this mixture was further increased by addition of (E,Z)-10,12-hexadecadienal.