Isolation and identification of the sex pheromone of Hypsipyla grandella Zeller

Hypsipyla grandella is the major pest of mahogany (Swietenia sp.) and Spanish cedar (Cedrela sp.) plantations in Latin America and the Caribbean. Larval feeding causes changes in the apical dominance of the tree, leading to an abnormal development, and producing the growth of secondary branches that affect wood quality and yield. The female moth produces a sex pheromone that can be used to monitor and control the mahogany shoot borer. The aim of this study was to isolate and identify the compounds present in that sex pheromone. A production of adult insects was established in laboratory to obtain H. grandella virgin females and to isolate pheromone components by immersing glands of calling females in hexane and also by using solid- phase microextraction (SPME).  Monitoring of compounds was performed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). It was identified  Z-9 - tetradecen-1- ol ( Z9- 14OH ) , Z , E -9 ,12- tetradecadien -1-ol    ( Z9E12 - 14OH ) , Z-9 - tetradecen-1- yl acetate ( Z9- 14AC ) and Z , E -9 ,12- tetradecadien -1 -yl acetate ( Z9E12 - 14AC ). Peaks were stablished on the basis of comparison of retention times and MS spectra with standards. The field evaluation of several mixtures of these compounds is in progress.