ABSTRACT
We analyzed the sex pheromone of the pear fruit moth, Acrobasis pyrivorella, by means of gas chromatography-electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) and GC-mass spectrometry. Two EAD-active compounds were detected in the pheromone gland extract of females. They were identified as (Z)-9-pentadecenyl acetate (Z9-15:OAc) and pentadecyl acetate (15:OAc). The amounts per female gland (mean +/- standard error) of these compounds were 12.9 +/- 2.8 and 0.8 +/- 0.1 ng, respectively. Synthetic Z9-15:OAc (300 microg) attracted conspecific males in field trapping experiments. When 15:OAc (21 microg; 7% of Z9-15:OAc quantity) was added, the number of males trapped increased significantly. Catch in traps baited with the mixture of these compounds was greater than that in traps baited with 1-3-day-old virgin females. We, therefore, conclude that Z9-15:OAc and 15:OAc are sex pheromone components of this species.
