Abstract
Chiral capillary gas chromatographic–electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) analysis indicates that L-valine and L-isoleucine methyl esters are the major sex pheromone components released by females of the cranberry white grub, Phyllophaga anxia (LeConte). The GC retention times and GC-mass spectrometry of the two natural compounds were identical to those of authentic standards. Of five reproducible GC-EAD active components revealed with female volatiles, the L-valine and L-isoleucine methyl esters elicited the strongest male antennal responses. The ratio of L-valine and L-isoleucine methyl esters was determined to be 3:1 by analysis of pheromone gland extracts. Chirality was shown to be critical by GC-EAD, since only the L-form of these amino acid methyl esters elicited an EAD response. In field experiments conducted in Massachusetts, a synthetic 3:1 blend of L-valine and L-isoleucine methyl esters on a rubber septum was attractive to P. anxia males.
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Zhang, A., Robbins, P.S., Leal, W.S. et al. Essential Amino Acid Methyl Esters: Major Sex Pheromone Components of the Cranberry White Grub, Phyllophaga anxia (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). J Chem Ecol 23, 231–245 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOEC.0000006356.47959.ed
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOEC.0000006356.47959.ed