Laboratory and field tests with the synthetic sex pheromone of threeMatsucoccus (1) pine bast scales.

Matsunone, (2E,4E)-4.6,10,12-tetramethyl-2,4-tridecadien-7-one, is the primary sex pheromone ofMatsucoccus resinosae, M. thunbergianae, andM. matsumurae. The synthetic compound was tested in the laboratory and in field tests with all three species, and significantly more males responded to synthetic matsuone than to controls. The attraction of synthetic matsuone to males in field tests was not significantly different from that of virgin females at the same matsuone release rate. An analog of matsuone previously shown to be biologically active was also tested in the laboratory withM. resinosae andM. thunbergianae, and field tested withM. resinosae. The active analog required a dose approximately 100 times greater than matsuone to yield maximum laboratory bioassay response, and in field tests, attraction was not significantly different from controls at doses at which matsuone was significantly attractive.

Identification of the sex pheromone of threeMatsucoccus pine bast scales.

Matsucoccus resinosae in the United States,M. matsumurae in China, andM. thunbergianae in Korea use (2E, 4E)-4,6,10,12-tetramethyl-2,4-tridecadien-7-one (1) (matsuone) as the primary component of their sex attractant pheromones. The structure was postulated from mass and NMR spectra and confirmed by synthesis of analogs3, (2E,4E)-4,6,11,12-tetramethyl-2,4-tridecadien-7-one, and4, (2E,4Z)-4,6,11,12-tetramethyl-2,4-tridecadien-7-one. Both analogs were attractive to the males ofM. resinosae in laboratory bioassays and toM. matsumurae in laboratory and field tests, but the 4Z analog (4) was much less so than the 4E analog (3) and had inhibitory effects at high concentrations. Dodecanol, isolated from aeration and solvent extracts of femaleM. resinosae, evoked characteristic wing-raising by pedestrian males, but the role of this response was not determined.

Sex pheromone biology and behavior of the cowpea weevilCallosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Bruchidae).

Female cowpea weevils,Callosobruchus maculatus (F.), emitted a pheromone which excited males. Pheromone release began soon after emergence and continued for one week. Synchronization of pheromone release with calling behavior was demonstrated. Mating reduced pheromone release but not male response. Pheromone obtained by aeration collection was utilized for determining a quantitative dose-response relationship.