A Female-Produced Sex Pheromone Component and Attractant for Males in the Armyworm Moth, Pseudaletia unipuncta12

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Abstract
The compound (Z)-11-hexadecen-1-yl acetate has been found in abdominal tip extracts and in effluvium from females of the common armyworm moth, Pseudaletia unipuncta (Haworth). This compound attracted male P. unipuncta moths into traps when red rubber septa impregnated with 100–300μg of the acetate were used as lures. Observations of flight behavior in a wind tunnel revealed the optimum dose of the synthetic acetate on filter paper to be between 50–100 ng, with higher and lower loadings resulting in shorter average flight times toward the baits. Duration of flightwith 50 ng of the synthetic acetate was comparable to that observed with a similar amount of the natural acetate. None of the (E)-11-isomer was detected among the female-produced materials, nor were any other 16-carbon acetate positional isomers detected.