Interspecific Difference in Venturia Kairomones in Larval Feces of Four Stored Phycitid Moths

Abstract

Kairomone components of a parasitic wasp, Venturia canescens present in larval feces of four host phycitid moths, Cadra cautella, Plodia interpunctella, Anagasta kuehniella and Ephestia ellutella were purified to compare them. All components of the kairomones obtained were classifiable to seven groups of 2-acylcyclohexane-l,3-diones based on carbon numbers (from C16to C20) and unsaturation. Although most compounds were common among species, quantitative differences of each component were noticed and were characteristic to species. Cadra and Plodia contained 2-palmitoylcyclohexane-l,3-dione as the major component. Cadra was noticed to possess 2-arachidoylcyclohexane-l,3-dione as an extra component. The other two species characteristically contained an unsaturated 2-acyl side chain as the main component, that is, Anagasta possessed 2-hexadecenoyl- and conjugated 2-hexadecadienoyl-cyclohexane-1,3-dione as the main components and Ephestia possessed 2-octadecenoylcyclohexane-1,3-clione. © 1987, JAPANESE SOCIETY OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY AND ZOOLOGY. All rights reserved.