Abstract
Components of a sex pheromone that cause male face flies to strike at females were found to be the straight-chain monoalkenes (Z)-14-nonacosene, (Z)-13-nonacosene, and (Z)-13-heptacosene. Although these compounds were found in the extracts of both sexes, extracts from sexually mature males contained a much higher proportion of nonacosane and heptacosane, which attenuated the activity of the active monoalkenes. The monoalkenes were readily synthesized by a Wittig reaction modified by the use of hexamethylphosphoric triamide as a cosolvent with tetrahydrofuran to produce a product containing 94–96% (Z) isomer.
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Uebel, E.G., Sonnet, P.E., Miller, R.W. et al. Sex pheromone of the face fly,Musca autumnalis De Geer (Diptera: Muscidae). J Chem Ecol 1, 195–202 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00987868
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00987868