The existence of sex pheromone of Pseudococcus cryptus Hempel (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae) and a simple bioassay

Abstract

The attractiveness of the volatiles from females to adult males of Pseudococcus cryptus was tested in a glasshouse to verify the presence of a sex pheromone. Males were attracted to the volatiles from females, and therefore, the existence of the sex pheromone of this mealybug was confirmed. The attractiveness of the pheromone to adult males aged from 0 to 5 days at 0,2,4,6,8,10 h after lights-on was investigated in plastic petri dishes. Adults males were attracted to the pheromone under all these conditions, and it was considered that a bioassay in plastic petri dishes could be conducted using 0- to 5-day-old males within 10 h after lights-on.