Initial studies of mating disruption of the tomato moth, Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera : Gelechiidae) using synthetic sex pheromone

The potential of the synthetic major component of T. absoluta (Meyrick) sex pheromone for mating disruption was studied in small plots (0.01 hectares) with fresh-market tomato crop. The effects of the application of the sex pheromone 3E,8Z,11Z-14: Ac (from 0 to 80 g a. i./ha) were assessed on male orientation to pheromone baited traps, mating in cages and plant damage. The highest levels of interruption in male orientation (60-90%) were found in plots treated with 35 to 50 g/ha of sex pheromone. However, no treatment with pheromone was capable of significantly reducing the percentage of mined leaflets or bored fruits or the frequency of mating in cages compared to the control plots. The failure in mating disruption technique may be attributed to the composition of the synthetic pheromone, doses used, high pest population density, and mated female migration to the area treated

(E)-2-(2-Furylmethyl­idene)-2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrrolizin-1-one

The title compound, C12H9NO2, was prepared by an Aldol reaction of furfuraldehyde with 2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrrolizin-1-one. The mol­ecule is almost planar, with an r.m.s. deviation of 0.045 Å, excluding the methyl­ene H atoms. In the crystal structure, mol­ecules are linked via weak inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonding and aromatic π–π stacking [centroid–centroid distance = 3.6151 (9) Å]

Chemical Defense of an Asian Snake Reflects Local Availability of Toxic Prey and Hatchling Diet

Species that sequester toxins from prey for their own defense against predators may exhibit population-level variation in their chemical arsenal that reflects the availability of chemically defended prey in their habitat. Rhabdophis tigrinus is an Asian snake that possesses defensive glands in the skin of its neck (nuchal glands\u27), which typically contain toxic bufadienolide steroids that the snakes sequester from consumed toads. In this study, we compared the chemistry of the nuchal gland fluid of R.tigrinus from toad-rich and toad-free islands in Japan and determined the effect of diet on the nuchal gland constituents. Our findings demonstrate that captive-hatched juveniles from toad-rich Ishima Island that had not been fed toads possess defensive bufadienolides in their nuchal glands, presumably due to maternal provisioning of these sequestered compounds. Wild-caught juveniles from Ishima possess large quantities of bufadienolides, which could result from a combination of maternal provisioning and sequestration of these defensive compounds from consumed toads. Interestingly, juvenile females from Ishima possess larger quantities of bufadienolides than do juvenile males, whereas a small sample of field-collected snakes suggests that adult males contain larger quantities of bufadienolides than do adult females. Captive-born hatchlings from Kinkasan Island lack bufadienolides in their nuchal glands, reflecting the absence of toads on that island, but they can sequester bufadienolides by feeding on toads (Bufo japonicus) in captivity. The presence of large quantities of bufadienolides in the nuchal glands of R.tigrinus from Ishima may reduce the risk of predation by providing an effective chemical defense, whereas snakes on Kinkasan may experience increased predation due to the lack of defensive compounds in their nuchal glands

2,2-Bis(hy­droxy­meth­yl)-2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrrolizin-1-one

The title compound, C9H11NO3, was prepared by an Aldol reaction of 2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrrolizin-1-one with formaldehyde. The asymmetric unit contains six mol­ecules. The pyrrolizine ring system in each mol­ecule is planar, the maximum atomic deviation being 0.066 (2) Å. In the crystal structure, mol­ecules are liked together by an extensive O—H⋯O hydrogen-bonding network

{2-[(Benzo­yloxy)meth­yl]-1-oxo-3H-pyrrolizin-2-yl}methyl benzoate

The title compound, C23H19NO5, was prepared by esterification of 2,2-bis­(hy­droxy­meth­yl)-2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrrolizin-1-one with benzoyl chloride in pyridine·The pyrrolizine ring system is approximately planar with a maximum deviation of 0.008 (2) Å from the least-squares plane; the two phenyl rings are oriented at dihedral angles of 64.26 (11) and 70.75 (10)° with respect to the pyrrolizine ring system. Weak inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonding occurs in the crystal structure

Chemical Defense of an Ozaenine Bombardier Beetle From New Guinea

We had occasion recently to study 3 live specimens of Pseudozaena orientalis opaca, an ozaenine carabid beetle (subfamily Paussinae, tribe Ozaenini) from New Guinea, and report here on the biology and chemistry of its defensive spray mechanism. A number of New World ozaenines had previously been studied chemically and shown to be “bombardiers” that discharge a hot quinonoid mixture (Aneshansley et al. 1969, 1983; Eisner and Aneshansley 1982; Eisner et al. 1977; Roach et al. 1979). Pseudozaena proved no exception

Chrysomelidial in the Opisthonotal Glands of the Oribatid Mite, Oribotritia berlesei

Gas chromatographic–mass spectrometric analyses of whole body extracts of Oribotritia berlesei, a large-sized soil-dwelling oribatid mite, revealed a consistent chemical pattern of ten components, probably originating from the well-developed opisthonotal glands. The three major components of the extract were the iridoid monoterpene, (3S,8S)-chrysomelidial (about 45% of the extract), the unsaturated hydrocarbon 6,9-heptadecadiene, and the diterpene β-springene (the latter two, each about 20–25% of the extract). The remaining minor components (together about 10% of the extract) included a series of hydrocarbons (tridecene, tridecane, pentadecene, pentadecane, 8-heptadecene, and heptadecane) and the tentatively identified 9,17-octadecadienal. In contrast, analysis of juveniles showed only two compounds, namely a 2:1 mixture of (3S,8S)-chrysomelidial and its epimer, epi-chrysomelidial (3S,8R-chrysomelidial). Unexpectedly, neither adult nor juvenile secretions contained the so-called astigmatid compounds, which are considered characteristic of secretions of oribatids above moderately derived Mixonomata. The chrysomelidials, as well as β-springene and octadecadienal, are newly identified compounds in the opisthonotal glands of oribatid mites and have chemotaxonomic potential for this group. This is the first instance of finding chrysomelidials outside the Coleoptera