Sex Pheromones of Lepidoptera: Disruption of Pheromone Communication in Trichoplusia ni1 and Pectinophora gossypiella2 by Permeation of the Air with Nonpheromone Chemicals3

Looplure, cis -7-dodecenyl acetate, is the sex pheromone of Trichoplusia ni , (Hubner) and hexalure, cis -7-hexadecenyl acetate, is an attractant for males of Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders). Quantitative field experiments were conducted to evaluate looplure, hexalure, and 9 related compounds, as agents for the disruption of sex pheromone communication in T. ni and P. gossypiella . Communication in each species was disrupted to a small degree by a number of the related compounds. However, looplure and hexalure were most active for T. ni and P. gossypiella , respectively. Thus, the related compounds appear to have little potential for behavioral control of these 2 species.