Abstract
The effect of individual components of sex pheromone (cis-9, trans-11-tetradecadienyl acetate (compound A) and cis-9, trans-12-tetradecadienyl acetate (compound B) upon the mating of Spodoptera litura were examined by means of arrangement of tethered females in an experimental field and liberation of marked males in defferent sex ratios. The application of a large amount of compound A and B (7.2 mg/are) in a field had an effect to suppress matings : that is, the mating rate decreased below the level of 50 percent as compared with that of 75-95 percent in blank trials. cis-9-Tetradecenyl acetate (compound C), a related substance of the sex pheromone, was also examined, but the mating was not clearly suppressed. The mating suppression was most strongly appeared when the males were liberated around the field treated by compound B.
