Dialkyl phosphorofluoridates and alkyl methylphosphonofluoridates as disruptants of moth sex pheromone‐mediated behavior

A series of dialkyl phosphorofluoridates and alkyl methylphosphono‐fluoridates in which one or two of the alkyl moieties were long‐chain alkyl groups were synthesized and examined for their ability to disrupt moth sex pheromone‐mediated behavior of the oriental fruit moth, Grapholita molesta. Disruption of pheromone‐mediated behavior was found only for those compounds containing a (Z)‐8‐dodecenyl moiety, i.e. the alkyl substituent of the principal pheromone component ((Z)‐8‐dodecenyl acetate) of the oriental fruit moth. Di‐((Z)‐8‐dodecenyl) phosphorofluoridate was nearly as disruptive as (Z)‐8‐dodecenyl acetate.