Rate of Release of the Sex Pheromone of the Female Indian Meal Moth 12

The sex pheromone of the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hübner), was isolated from females and identified as ( Z,E )-9,12-tetradecadien-1-ol acetate (ZETA) by Kuwahara et al. (1971) and Brady et al. (1971). Later, Sower et al. (1974) showed that the females also released ( Z,E )-9,12-tetradecadien-1-ol (ZETOH). The ZETOH per se is not a sex attractant, but it does appear to have some role in the sexual communication of Indian meal moths (Sower et al. 1974). We report here an investigation of the rates of release of ZETA and ZETOH by calling Indian meal moth females. Calling is defined as the dorsal projection of the females abdomen tip accompanied by eversion of the 8th and 9th abdominal segments and the concomitant release of sex pheromone.