Degradation and Stabilization of E8,E10-Dodecadienol, the Major Component of the Sex Pheromone of the Codling Moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

Exposure of E8,E10-dodecadienol, the major component of codling moth pheromone, to sunlight and air resulted in extensive degradation, primarily to nonvolatile oligomers and polymers. Contents and surface residues of new and field-aged pheromone dispensers used in codling moth mating disruption were also analyzed. The tacky film on the surface of field-aged dispensers was primarily nonvolatile decomposition products, and the pheromone remaining in the reservoir of field-aged dispensers degraded significantly. Carbon black, which physically blocks light, and 2 phenylenediamine antioxidants were effective stabilizers that hindered pheromone degradation.