Towards the identification and synthesis of the sex pheromone of the citrus leafminer, Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae).

The objective of this work was to characterize the sexual behavior of the citrus leafminer, Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton, as the foundation for the isolation, identification, and synthesis of the complete sex pheromone of this species. Mating occurred in a time window of 2h, starting 1h before the onset of photophase. The large majority of tested insects mated in the first two days after emergence, with no significant difference between mating at day 1 and day 2. A stereotypical courtship and copulation behavior were described for this species. When mating was successful, the copulation was recorded in average for 49.6 min. In Y-olfactometer tests conducted at the time of mating activity, males were strongly attracted to caged virgin females as well as to extracts from putative pheromone glands.