Male orientation inhibitor of cotton bollworm: Inhibitory effects of alcohols in wind-tunnel and in the field

The inhibitory effects of several alcohols identified from male hairpencil of cotton bollworm on conspecific male behavior responses were studied. In the wind tunnel dose tests ranging from 4 x 10 super(-4) to 40 mu g, male moths of cotton bollworm produced the highest response to the binary components of Z9-16:Ald and Z11-16:Ald in a ratio of 5:95 at the dosage of 0.4 mu g. When Z11-16:OH was added to 0.4 mu g dose of binary blend, 5% of the alcohol completely inhibited male orientation behavior. Further increment of percentage of alcohol in binary blend inhibited not only orientation behavior but also takeoff behavior. Comparisons among Z11-16:OH and other three saturated alcohols, 14:OH, 16:OH, and 18:OH as well as structurally similar compound Z9-16:OH indicated that Z11-16:OH was more effective in inhibiting male orientation behavior than other tested alcohols. Field application of Z11-16:OH decreased egg hatch rate from untreated 34% to 17% by spraying or coating the alcohol on plastic tubes.