Newly Discovered Components of Dendrolimus pini Sex Pheromone

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Larvae of the pine-tree lappet moth (Dendrolimus pini) feed on needles of pine trees in Europe and Asia. During outbreaks, they can massively defoliate pine forests. The discovery of unknown components of D. pini sex pheromone opens possibilities for optimizing the lures for trapping D. pini males and increasing their use in insect monitoring systems. ABSTRACT: The pine-tree lappet moth, D. pini, is a harmful defoliator of pine forests in Europe and Asia and a potentially invasive species in North America. The lures for trapping D. pini males based on two known components of its sex pheromone appeared weakly attractive to male moths. Identification of all components of the sex pheromone might allow for the development of more effective lures. The pheromone was sampled from virgin females using SPME and analyzed using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Four new likely components ((Z5)-dodecenal, (Z5)-dodecen-1-ol, (Z5)-decen-1-yl acetate, (Z5)-tetradecen-1-yl acetate) and two known components ((Z5,E7)-dodecadienal, (Z5,E7)-dodecadien-1-ol) were identified based on comparison against authentic standards, Kováts indices and spectra libraries. The samples also contained several sesquiterpenes. Wind tunnel and field experiments showed that some blends of synthetic pheromone components alone or enriched with Scots pine essential oil (SPEO) were attractive to D. pini males. One component—(Z5)-decen-1-yl acetate—had a repelling effect. The presented knowledge of D. pini sex pheromone provides a basis for developing optimal lures for monitoring or controlling insect populations.