Sex attractant for the banana moth, Opogona sacchari Bojer (Lepidoptera: Tineidae): Provisional identification and field evaluation

Background: The banana moth, Opogona sacchari Bojer, is a polyphagous agricultural pest in many tropical areas of the world. The identification of an attractant for male O. sacchari could offer new methods for detection, study and control. Results: A compound extracted from female O. sacchari elicited responses from antennae of male moths. This compound was identified as a 2/3,(Z)13-octadecadienal by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. An analog, 2/3,(Z)13-octadecadienol, was also detected in some extracts at roughly a 1: 20 ratio (alcohol:aldehyde) but did not elicit responses from antennae of male moths. Electroantennograms of synthetic candidate dienals found the strongest responses from (Z,Z)-2,13-octadecadienal and (E, Z)-2,13-octadecadienal. In field trials, (E, Z)-2,13-octadecadienal attracted more male O. sacchari than (Z,Z)-2,13- octadecadienal. Attraction was not improved for either of these compounds when the corresponding stereoisomeric alcohol was added at ratios of 1: 1, 1: 10 or 1: 100 (alcohol: aldehyde). Jackson sticky traps containing 250 μg lures of (E, Z)-2,13- octadecadienal caught as many males as did traps holding virgin females. Conclusion: (E, Z)-2,13-octadecadienal has been identified as an attractant for O. sacchari males and can be used as a monitoring lure of populations of this moth.