Abstract
Kairomone components of a parasitic wasp, Venturia canescens present in larval feces of four host phycitid moths, Cadra cautella, Plodia interpunctella, Anagasta kuehniella and Ephestia elluetella were purified to compare them. All components of the kairomones obtained were classifiable to seven groups of 2-acylcyclohexane-1, 3-diones based on carbon numbers (from C16 to C20) and unsaturation. Although most compounds were common among species, quantitative differences of each component were noticed and were characteristic to species. Cadra and Plodia contained 2-palmitoylcyclohexane-1, 3-dione as the major component. Cadra was noticed to posses 2-arachidoylcyclohexane-1, 3-dione as an extra ompoenn. The other two species characteristically contained an unsaturated 2-acyl side chain as the main component, that is, Anagasta possessed 2-hexadecenoyl- and conjugatd 2-hexadecadienoyl-cyclo-hexane-1, 3-dione as the main components and Ephestia posscessed 2-octadecenoylcyclohexane-1, 3-dione.
