Sex pheromones of rice moth,Corcyra cephalonica Stainton : II. Identification and role of female pheromone.

Laboratory investigations of mating behavior in the rice moth,Corcyra cephalonica Stainton (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae; Galleriinae) showed that male moths are attracted at short range to live, virgin female moths and to female abdominal-tip extract. Volatiles collected from virgin female moths contained one component eliciting an electroantennographic (EAG) response from the male moth, and the chemical, spectroscopic, and Chromatographic data on this component were consistent with that of synthetic 6,10,14-tri-methyl-2-pentadecanol. This compound caused an EAG response from the male moth and attracted male moths in the bioassay. The pheromone is thought to play a role in courtship, and the synthetic material was shown to cause the male moths to search for a mate and attempt copulation.