Electrophysiological Responses of Four Species of Pest Lepidoptera to Synthetic Acetates and Alcohols2

Forty-six compounds (17 alcohols and 29 acetates) were tested electrophysiologically (electroantennograms) at 100 µg/cartridge on 4 species of lepidopterous insects (male and female Diatraea grandiosella, Dyar, male and female Manduca sexta, (L.), male Heliothis virescens (F.), and male Platynota stullana Walsingham). Those compounds eliciting the greatest response were tested at lower concentrations until a response was no longer obtained. Responses were compared with those elicited by a methylene chloride extract of abdomens of virgin females of the same species. Compounds eliciting the greatest responses for males at the lowest concentration were the acetates of 7-octen-1-ol, 8-nonen-1-ol, trans-5-decen-1-ol, cis-6-doclecen-1-ol, trans -6-dodecen-1ol, dodecen-1-ol, cis-8-dodecen-1-ol, and ris-9-dodecen- 1-ol. and tralls-2-hexen-1-ol. Of these compounds, 8-nonen- 1-ol acetate elicited a response from male M. sexta at a dose of 10-0 µg.