Chemistry and Applications of Mealybug Sex Pheromones

摘要

The sex pheromone of the vine mealybug Planococcus ficus has been identified as a single component, (5)-lavandulyl senecioate 2a. Males were equally attracted to either (5)-2a or racemic 2a, indicating that the unnatural enantiomer does not inhibit male behavioral responses. Female mealybugs also produced (S)-lavandulol 1, but mixtures of racemic 1 with racemic 2a were less attractive to male mealybugs than racemic 2a alone. In field trials, lures loaded with 100 ug doses of racemic 2 a attracted males for at least 12 wk. From a broader perspective, aspects of the pheromone chemistry and biology of four mealybug and five related scale insect species are discussed. The pheromones are all terpenoid esters, and all but one are characterized by an unusual linkage between isoprene units. In addition, each species produces unique structures, to the extent that no two species even produce stereoisomeric forms of the same basic skeleton. Aspects of the biology of these insects also are discussed in relation to practical applications of their pheromones for monitoring insect populations, and for pheromone-based control strategies.