Intraspecific variation of two components in sex pheromone gland ofPlanotortrix excessana sibling species.

Two components, (Z)-5- and (Z)-7-tetradecenyl acetates, in the sex pheromone gland of aPlanotortrix excessana sibling species, were found to vary continuously from a ratio of 3∶97 to 71∶29 in individual female moths reared from wild larvae collected around New Zealand. Two laboratory colonies were established from populations representing extremes of these ratios. Although both the ratios and the total quantities of the components in individual female moths from both colonies were significantly different from each other, there was a small number of females that overlapped in both ratio and quantity. The variation was confirmed as intraspecific in a field cage experiment with male moths from both populations mating with tethered female moths from both populations.