Female sex pheromone of a nettle caterpillar, M onema flavescens , in C hina

M onema flavescens W alker ( L epidoptera: L imacodidae) is a multivoltine, generalist moth whose larvae cause serious damage to many types of trees. Pheromone lures prepared according to a study of a Japanese population were found to be ineffective at attracting M . flavescens nettle caterpillars in C hina, and some studies have shown intraspecific geographical differences in the composition of sex pheromones. We therefore reexamined the sex pheromone composition of M . flavescens in a C hinese population. In this study, the electroantennographically ( EAG ) active compounds in an extract from Chinese virgin females of M . flavescens were identified as ( E )‐8‐decen‐1‐ol (E8‐10:OH), ( Z )‐7,9‐decadien‐1‐ol (Z7,9‐10:OH), ( Z )‐9,11‐dodecadien‐1‐ol (Z9,11‐12:OH), and ( Z )‐9,11‐dodecadienal (Z9,11‐12:Ald) via coupled gas chromatographic‐electroantennographic detection ( GC ‐ EAD ) and coupled GC‐mass spectrometry ( MS ). Pheromone dimorphism might occur in this species, as this mixture of compounds in Chinese females was different from that of E8‐10:OH and E7,9‐10:OH extracted from Japanese females in previous research. In wind tunnel and field tests, the males were significantly attracted to a blend of the pheromone components E8‐10:OH, Z7,9‐10:OH, and Z9,11‐12:OH in a 100:5:4 ratio. The addition of Z9,11‐12:Ald did not change the male response. The optimized three‐component lure blend may provide a useful tool for monitoring and controlling C hinese populations of M . flavescens .