Abstract
Three amino acid-derived compounds were identified in extracts from the pheromone glands of the scarab beetle Phyllophaga elenans, i.e., L-isoleucine methyl ester (LIME), N-formyl L-isoleucine methyl ester (For-LIME), and N-acetyl L-isoleucine methyl ester (Ac-LIME). The compounds were characterized from their spectral data (MS and IR), confirmed by synthesis, and their absolute configurations were assigned by gas chromatography with a chiral phase column. The amount of LIME in calling females was ca. 2 μg/gland, whereas only traces of For-LIME and Ac-LIME (0.005% of LIME) were detected in fresh extracts. Regardless of the storage temperature, the amounts of the minor constituents in the extracts increased over time. Field tests showed that traps baited with For-LIME captured more beetles than control traps. Ac-LIME per se was not attractive, and it did not increase trap catches when combined with For-LIME. Traps baited with LIME caught ca. 150 beetles/trap/day, but catches did not increase with the addition of For-LIME and/or Ac-LIME in binary or tertiary blends.
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Leal, W.S., Oehlschlager, A.C., Zarbin, P.H.G. et al. Sex Pheromone of the Scarab Beetle Phyllophaga elenans and Some Intriguing Minor Components. J Chem Ecol 29, 15–25 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021916327715
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021916327715