Bombykal, a Second Pheromone Component of the Silkworm Moth Bombyx mori L

The chemical communication between the male and female silkworm moth is more complicated than hitherto assumed. The known attractant bombykol, an alcohol, acts on only one type of receptor cell in the male, whereas the female scent excites both kinds. Once it had been demonstrated that the corresponding synthetic aldehyde (bombykal) excites the other kind of receptor cells, this compound was sought and found in the abdominal glands of the female moth (ca. 15 ng per gland).