A note on the mosquito oviposition pheromone

Dawson, G., Laurence, B., Pickett, J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8386-3770, Pile, M. and Wadhams, L. 1989. A note on the mosquito oviposition pheromone. Pesticide Science 27 (3) , pp. 277-280. 10.1002/ps.2780270307

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Abstract

Mosquitoes of the genus Culex, e.g. Culex quinquefasciatus, release a volatile pheromone from their eggs that induces gravid females to oviposit around the pheromone source. Enantioselective synthesis by the Sharpless epoxidation method and chiral gas chromatography showed the major pheromone component to be (−)-(5R,6S)-6-acetoxy-5-hexadecanolide. Shortening the alkyl chain resulted in a loss of behavioural activity, whereas perfluorination of the alkyl chain or substitution of the acetoxy groups with the trifluoroacetoxy group gave active analogues. A simple large scale synthesis was devised to provide material for a fìeld trial. The pheromone, formulated in effervescent tablets, was used to concentrate oviposition in specific breeding sites where the larvae were controlled with a juvenoid-type insecticide.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Chemistry
Date of Acceptance:	1 March 1989
Last Modified:	10 Feb 2026 10:30
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/184496

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