Pheromone Study on Acarid Mites. XIII. Identification of Neryl Formate as an Alarm PHeromone from the Bulb Mite, Rhizoglyphus robini(Acarina : Acaridae)

Abstract

The alarm pheromone was isolated from a hexane rinse of the bulb mite, Rhizoglyphus robini. The main component was identified as neryl formate (3, 7-dimethyl-(Z)-2, 6-octadienyl formate) and two minor components as citral (mixture of (Z)- and (E)-3, 7-dimethylocta-2, 6-dienal). The alarm pheromone activity of neryl formate was demonstrated against the bulb mite at 1 ppm hexane solution, which was ten times more active than demonstrated against the ceese mite Tyrophagus putrescentiae. The activity of citral was weak and demonstrated only at 1, 000 ppm solution.