1982 Volume 17 Issue 1 Pages 127-132
Thirty-one monoterpenoids and one non-terpenoid related to the alarm pheromone of the mold mite, Tyrophagus putrescentiae, were provided either by purchase or by derivation starting from available compounds, and assayed for their biological activities. The most active compound besides the pheromone was a synthetic non-natural terpenoid, (Z)-3, 7-dimethyl-2-octenyl formate, which exhibited equal activity to the pheromone (1-10 ppm). Presence of (Z)-allylic primary alcohol moiety in an acyclic monoterpenoid skeleton was essential for developing the alarm pheromone activity. None of the cyclic monoterpenoids showed pheromone activity except thymol (100-1, 000 ppm).
