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Sex pheromone of the black cutworm moth,Agrotis ipsilon

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Abstract

(Z)-7-Dodecen-1-yl acetate (I) and (Z)-9-tetradecen-1-yl acetate (II) have been identified as sex pheromone components of the black cutworm moth,Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel). They are emitted by the female in approximately a 5∶1 ratio. Differential saturation studies with male antennae suggest that there are two different acceptor sites for the two pheromone components. The most effective lures found in field trapping tests were 30 μg of I plus 10 μg of II on a rubber septum, and a 3∶1 mixture of I and II dispensed from a 0.2-mm-ID glass capillary tube sealed at one end.

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Lepidoptera: Noctuidae.

Supported at Geneva, in part by the Rockefeller Foundation and by National Science Foundation Grant GB-38020; and at Wooster, in part by Environmental Protection Agency Grant EPA R802547 and by USDA Cooperative State Research Service Grant 316-15-99. Approved by the Director of the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station for publication as Journal Paper3186. Approved for publication as Journal Article113-78 of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster, OH 44691.

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Hill, A.S., Rings, R.W., Swier, S.R. et al. Sex pheromone of the black cutworm moth,Agrotis ipsilon . J Chem Ecol 5, 439–457 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00987929

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00987929

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