Sex Attractant System in Polia pisi L. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Pheromones, Sex Attractant, Olfactory Receptors, Alkenyl Acetates, Noctuidae Electrophysiological analysis of olfactory hair sensilla in male P. pisi has revealed four different types of presumed pheromone receptor cells, maximally responsive to (Z)-ll-tetradecenyl acetate (Z ll-14 :A c), (Z)-9-tetradecenyl acetate (Z9-14:Ac), (Z )-l 1-hexadecenyl acetate (Z ll-14 :A c) and (Z)-7-dodecenyl acetate (Z7-12: Ac), respectively. These four compounds were tested, singly and in various combinations, for efficacy in attracting P. pisi males in the field. High trap catches were obtained with mixtures of Z ll-1 4 :A c /Z 9 -1 4 :A c in the ratio 100/100, whereas the 100/30 and 30/100 mixtures of the two compounds were only slightly attractive. No male P. pisi were captured by single chemicals or binary combinations of Z ll-1 4 :A c /Z ll-1 6 :A c , Z ll-14 :A c/Z 7 -12 :A c, Z 9 -1 4 :A c /Z l 1-16:Ac, Z9-14:A c/Z 7-12:A c, or Z 1 1-16:Ac/Z7-12:A c. Various compounds, including Z 1 1-16:Ac and Z7-12:Ac, were tried as third chemicals in addi­ tion to 100 ng Z 1 1-14: Ac + 100 ng Z9-14: Ac but none increased trap catches over the basic lure.