Female Moth Pheromones

The sex pheromone, a volatile secreted by a female moth, is stored in the pheromone gland and can be easily extracted with hexane. The extract is effectively analyzed using a gas chromatography combined with an electro-antennogram detector (GC-EAD) and a mass spectrometry (GC-MS), both of which are equipped with a capillary column. GC-EAD analysis indicates the number of pheromone components that have a different chromatographic behavior. The mass spectrum measured by GC-MS suggests the outline of the chemical structure. In addition to a comparison with chemical data of authentic synthetic compounds, micro-chemical reactions reveal a precise structure of the natural pheromone. Finally, the chemical structure is confirmed by field evaluation of the synthetic pheromone.