Identification and field and laboratory tests of the sex pheromone of <i>Cerconota anonella</i> Sepp. (Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae)

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>The <jats:italic>Annona</jats:italic> fruit borer, <jats:italic>Cerconota anonella</jats:italic> Sepp., is a serious agricultural pest in many tropical areas of the world. The identification of an attractant for male <jats:italic>C. anonella</jats:italic> could offer new methods for pest detection and control. A mixture of compounds extracted from female <jats:italic>C. anonella</jats:italic> elicited antennal depolarization in the male borer. These compounds were identified as octadecanal, 1‐octadecanol, octadecyl acetate, (<jats:italic>Z</jats:italic>)‐octadec‐9‐enal (<jats:italic>Z</jats:italic>9‐18:Ald), (<jats:italic>Z</jats:italic>)‐octadec‐9‐en‐1‐ol (<jats:italic>Z</jats:italic>9‐18:<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">OH</jats:styled-content>) and [(<jats:italic>Z</jats:italic>)‐octadec‐9‐enyl] acetate (<jats:italic>Z</jats:italic>9‐18:Ac) by one‐ and two‐dimensional gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. In laboratory bioassays, synthetic individual compounds as well as synthetic mixtures were found to be attractive to males. In addition, field tests using Delta traps with 1 mg of the ternary mixture composed of <jats:italic>Z</jats:italic>9‐18:Ac, <jats:italic>Z</jats:italic>9‐18:Ald and <jats:italic>Z</jats:italic>9‐18:<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">OH</jats:styled-content> in the ratio of 1 : 3 : 5 caught as many males as traps containing virgin females. The ternary mixture of <jats:italic>Z</jats:italic>9‐18:Ac, <jats:italic>Z</jats:italic>9‐18:Ald and <jats:italic>Z</jats:italic>9‐18:<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">OH</jats:styled-content> was identified as attractant to <jats:italic>C. anonella</jats:italic> males and can be used to detect and control populations of this insect in Annonaceae plantations.</jats:p>