Sex Pheromones of Summer Fruit Tortrix Moth Adoxophyes orana: Two Synergistic Isomers.

Both cis-9-and cis-11-tetradecenyl acetate were isolated from 2500 virgin females of the summer fruit tortrix moth Adoxophyes orana (F.v.R.) by gel permeation, column chromatography on silica gel, and gas chromatography. Their chemical, physical, and biological properties were identical to those of the synthetic compounds. In contrast to the single compounds, mixtures of these pheromones were highly active in laboratory and field tests. Catches, in traps, with the pheromone mixture were comparable to those obtained when live females were used as bait. This is the first example of a member of the lepidoptera in which the presence of two isomers is an absolute requirement for activity in laboratory and in field experiments.