Hardie, Jim, Peace, Lynn, Pickett, John A.  ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8386-3770, Smiley, Diane W. M., Storer, J. Robert and Wadhams, Lester J.
1997.
Sex pheromone stereochemistry and purity affect field catches of male aphids.
Journal of Chemical Ecology
23
(11)
, pp. 2547-2554.
10.1023/B:JOEC.0000006665.05409.97
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Abstract
Male blackberry-cereal aphids, Sitobion fragariae (Walker), were caught in the ield by water traps releasing synthetic (4aS, 7S, 7aR)-nepetalactone, the major sex pheromone component. The presence of the enantiomer (4aR,7R,7aS)-nepetalactone reduced catches and a plant-extracted (4aS,7S,7aR)-nepetalactone was less effective than the 99% (7S)-lactone. A more extensive trial with the bird cherry-oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi, involving the pheromone comprising the stereochemically related (4aS,7S,7aR)-nepetalactol showed a similar trend. The (7R)-isomer caught fewer males than the (7S)-isomer, but in this case the addition of high-purity (7S)-lactol to make a 50% blend caught as many males as pure (7S)-lactol. With plant-derived lactol, further purification did not significantly increase the catch. It is suggested that trace compounds associated with reduced enantiomeric purity in terms of the (7S)-configuration or from plant sources reduce activity of the sex pheromone components. Male damson-hop aphids, Phorodon humuli (Schrank), were also caught in the synthetic lactol traps, and it is suggested that this is due to traces of the (4aR,7S,7aS)-nepetalactols, which comprise the sex pheromone for this species. The significance for aphid chemical ecology studies and pest control strategies is discussed.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Date Type: | Publication |
| Status: | Published |
| Schools: | Schools > Chemistry |
| Publisher: | Springer |
| ISSN: | 0098-0331 |
| Last Modified: | 25 Feb 2026 09:45 |
| URI: | https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/185199 |
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