Male sex pheromone from the wing glands of the indian meal moth,Plodia interpunctella (Hbn.) (Lepidoptera: Phycitidae)

1974 ◽  
Vol 30 (8) ◽  
pp. 917-918 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. G. Grant
1975 ◽  
Vol 53 (6) ◽  
pp. 827-832 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. G. Grant ◽  
E. B. Smithwick ◽  
U. E. Brady

Interspecific courtship was observed between the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella, and the almond moth, Cadra cautella. Successful cross-mating did not occur, however, because of the following isolation mechanisms: (1) incompatible courtship behavior, (2) male sex pheromone as a species recognition signal, (3) inhibition of males to female sex pheromone stimulation, and (4) mechanical or physiological barriers to insemination.Male Indian meal moths were strongly excited by calling almond moth females and courted them vigorously. However, because the courtship behavior of this combination was incompatible, copulation did not occur. Occasionally courtship continued to a later stage in the sequence but then the female rejected the male apparently because he releases an inappropriate aphrodisiac from his scent scales.In the reciprocal cross, fully two-thirds of the almond moth males failed to be sufficiently excited by Indian meal moth females to court them. Most of these males were inhibited, as indicated by their subsequent lack of response to pheromone extracts from their own female. Those males which were excited by Indian meal moth females courted them successfully and copulated, but insemination apparently did not occur. In a few cases the females rejected the males, as in the reverse cross.


2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 201-205
Author(s):  
Adriana-Maria Andreica ◽  
Lucia Gansca ◽  
Irina Ciotlaus ◽  
Ioan Oprean

New synthesis of (9Z,12E)-9,12-tetradecadien-1-yl acetate, the sex pheromone of the indian meal moth Plodia interpunctella (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae), were developed. The synthesis was based on a C8+C2=C10 and C10+C4=C14 coupling scheme. The route involves, as the key step, the use of the mercury derivative of the terminal-alkyne -functionalised as intermediate.The first coupling reaction took place between 1-tert-butoxy-8-bromo-octane and lithium acetylide-ethylendiamine complex obtaining 1-tert-butoxy-dec-9-yne, which is transformed in di[tert-butoxy-dec-9-yne]mercury.In the second coupling reaction, the mercury derivative was directly lithiated and then alkylated with (E)-1-bromo-2-butene obtaining 1-tert-butoxy-(9-yne,12E)-9,12-tetradecaenyne. After stereoselective reduction in the presence of NiP-2 catalyst and acetylation gave (9Z,12E)-9,12-tetradecadien-1-yl acetate with 82% isomeric purity.


1976 ◽  
Vol 108 (9) ◽  
pp. 975-979 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. G. Grant

AbstractThe receptivity of sexually mature Plodia interpunctella females during courtship was quantitatively analyzed. When males approached from the rear, two thirds of the females moved away from them on the first courtship encounter so that only 22% of these encounters led to copulation. In second encounters from the rear, however, 86% of the females turned and accepted the males, and 40% of them copulated. When the males approached head-on there was no observable difference in female receptiveness between first and second encounters; in each case over 90% of the females accepted the males and at least 55% of them copulated. Since the acceptance of the male by the female is dependent on her perception of a male sex pheromone released by scent glands on his forewings, she can probably identify the male immediately in head-on encounters but requires additional time or stimulation to do so in rear encounters.


Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
Md Munir Mostafiz ◽  
Errol Hassan ◽  
Rajendra Acharya ◽  
Jae-Kyoung Shim ◽  
Kyeong-Yeoll Lee

The Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is an insect pest that commonly affects stored and postharvest agricultural products. For the control of insect pests and mites, methyl benzoate (MBe) is lethal as a fumigant and also causes contact toxicity; although it has already been established as a food-safe natural product, the fumigation toxicity of MBe has yet to be demonstrated in P. interpunctella. Herein, we evaluated MBe as a potential fumigant for controlling adults of P. interpunctella in two bioassays. Compared to the monoterpenes examined under laboratory conditions, MBe demonstrated high fumigant activity using a 1-L glass bottle at 1 μL/L air within 4 h of exposure. The median lethal concentration (LC50) of MBe was 0.1 μL/L air; the median lethal time (LT50) of MBe at 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, and 1 μL/L air was 3.8, 3.3, 2.8, and 2.0 h, respectively. Compared with commercially available monoterpene compounds used in pest control, MBe showed the highest fumigant toxicity (toxicity order as follows): MBe > citronellal > linalool > 1,8 cineole > limonene. Moreover, in a larger space assay, MBe caused 100% mortality of P. interpunctella at 0.01 μL/cm3 of air after 24 h of exposure. Therefore, MBe can be recommended for use in food security programs as an ecofriendly alternative fumigant. Specifically, it provides another management tool for curtailing the loss of stored food commodities due to P. interpunctella infestation.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document