Sex Pheromones of Noctuid Moths. III. Inhibition of Male Responses to the Sex Pheromone in Trichoplusia ni (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)12

Resting males of Trichoplusia ni (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) exposed to the female sex pheromone respond by vibrating their wings for a short time before flying toward the odorous air source. Maximal responsiveness to the pheromone, as measured by the number of males that vibrated their wings after exposure, occurred between midnight and dawn, at a light intensity of approximately 0.3 lumen/m2, and for males 3 or more days old that had not previously been exposed. Under less optimal conditions, male responsiveness was greatly inhibited.