Location of the pheromone producing gland in the European grapevine moth, Lobesia botrana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

Light microscopy, chemical analysis and wind tunnel experiments were used to study the female sex pheromone gland in the European grapevine moth, Lobesia botrana. Two distinct areas of the intersegmental membrane (ISM) between the last abdominal segments VIII and IX are involved in pheromone production : the dorsal part and the ventral sac. Extracts of the dorsal part of the ISM elicited a stronger male attraction response in the wind tunnel than extracts of the ventral sac. A combination of extracts elicited a higher male response than extracts made from either part of the ISM alone. Chemical analysis indicated presence of different compounds in both parts, with the main pheromone compound, (E)-7, (Z)-9-dodecadienyl acetate (E7, Z9-12Ac) occurring only in the dorsal part of the ISM.