Sex pheromone of <i>Etiella behrii</i>, a pod borer of soybean in Indonesia: identification and field attraction

Abstract

Abstract Four EAG‐active components were detected in GC‐EAG analyses of hexane extracts from virgin Etiella behrii (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) females. These components were identified as dodecyl acetate (12:Ac), ( E )‐9‐dodecenyl acetate ( E 9‐12:Ac), either ( Z )‐9‐ or ( E )‐11‐tetradecenyl acetate (Z9‐ or E11‐14:Ac), and (Z)‐11‐tetradecenyl acetate (Z11‐14:Ac) by comparison of retention indices on both nonpolar and polar GC columns. The available extract was insufficient for further GC‐MS or other chemical analyses (&lt;0.2 ng/female). In field tests carried out in East Java, a 10:90 mixture of E9‐12:Ac and Z11‐14:Ac showed attractiveness to male moths and addition of 12:Ac and/or E11‐14:Ac significantly increased the trap catches while addition of Z9‐14:Ac showed no significant effect. Maximum attraction was obtained with 5.35 or 10.7 μg/rubber septum of a mixture of E9‐12:Ac, Z11‐14:Ac, 12:Ac and E11‐14:Ac at the ratio of 10:90:0.7:6.3, respectively. The role of pheromone blends in species discrimination between E. behrii and the related E. zinckenella (Treitschke) is discussed.