Synthesis and field testing of esters of (2R)-butan-2-ol and (2S)-butan-2-ol and monounsaturated fatty acids as sex attractants for the males of Procridinae species (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae)

Abstract

In the family Zygaenidae (Lepidoptera) with more than 1000 species a complete chemical analysis of the structure of female sex pheromones has been carried out for only three species of the subfamily Procridinae while sex attractants have been found for males of more than 60 species of two subfamilies: Procridinae and Zygaeninae. The synthesis of new sex attractants was performed from (Z)-dodec-5-enoic acid and R- and S-enantiomers of butan-2-ol at the Crimean Federal University in 2021. The biological activity of received esters was tested during fieldwork in the Crimean Peninsula. It has been proved that (2R)-butan-2-yl (Z)-dodec-5-enoate (named EFETOV-S-5) and (2S)-butan-2-yl (Z)-dodec-5-enoate (named EFETOV-S-S-5) are sex attractants for the males of Jordanita (Tremewania) notata (Zeller, 1847), while (2S)-butan-2-yl (Z)-dodec-5-enoate (EFETOV-S-S-5) is a sex attractant for Adscita (Adscita) geryon (Hübner, 1813). In addition, (2R)-butan-2-yl (Z)-hexadec-9-enoate and (2S)-butan-2-yl (Z)-hexadec-9-enoate were synthesised in 2022. However, these esters did not attract any of the Zygaenidae species which are common in the Crimea.