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Intrapopulational changes in sex pheromone composition during scotophase in oriental tobacco budworm,Helicoverpa assulta (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

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Abstract

Solvent extracts of individual pheromone glands were prepared from femaleHelicoverpa assulta (Guenée) at 2-hr intervals throughout the scotophase. The amounts of female sex pheromone components, (Z)-9-hexadecenal, (Z)-11-hexadecenal, (Z)-9-hexadecenyl acetate, and (Z)-11-hexadecenyl acetate, in the extracts were determined by gas chromatographic analysis. Although females called from early scotophase (2 hr) until late scotophase (6 hr) the quantity of extracted pheromone remained high at 8 hr, the end of the scotophase. More than 70% of the pheromone gland extracts contained sex pheromone components regardless of whether the donor females had been called or resting. Pheromone components were absent from gland extracts prepared at the onset of the scotophase. The quantity of (Z)-9-hexadecenal and (Z)-11-hexadecenal increased rapidly to reach a maximum of approximately 260 and 30 ng/female, respectively, that was maintained for up to 8 hr, the duration of the scotophase. The quantity of (Z)-9-hexadecenyl acetate and (Z)-11-hexadecenyl acetate increased continuously during the scotophase to peak at 600 and 30 ng/female, respectively, 8 hr into the scotophase. At the end of scotophase the quantity of all pheromone components decreased significantly.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural Biology, and Research Center for New Bio-Materials in Agriculture College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, Seoul National University, 441-744, Suwon, Republic of Korea

    K. C. Park & K. S. Boo

  2. Natural Resources Institute, Central Avenue, ME4 4TB, Chatham Maritime, Kent, U.K.

    A. Cork

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  1. K. C. Park
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  2. A. Cork
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  3. K. S. Boo
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Park, K.C., Cork, A. & Boo, K.S. Intrapopulational changes in sex pheromone composition during scotophase in oriental tobacco budworm,Helicoverpa assulta (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). J Chem Ecol 22, 1201–1210 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02027955

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02027955

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