Abstract
Field results have shown that male moths of some species are not always trapped by the ratio of pheromone components produced by the female moths. For cases involving a binary mixture of geometrical or positional isomers, this phenomenon may be explained by use of a threshold diagram in which the isomer ratio in the mixture is plotted against release rate (concentration). In this diagram an “attraction area” is bounded by the threshold for flight activation over the full range of binary mixtures and by the threshold for alteration of in-flight behavior (disorientation) by each pheromone component. A low release rate of the natural mixture may fall within this “attraction area,” or a high release rate of mixtures in certain other ratios may fall within this area and would be expected to attract male moths. This hypothesis has been used to explain heretofore anomalous trapping data with some moth species, and it can be useful in future studies on defining pheromone blends, species specificity, and potentially disruptive mixtures for insect control.
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Roelofs, W.L. Threshold hypothesis for pheromone perception. J Chem Ecol 4, 685–699 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00990279
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00990279