Sex Pheromone of Cotton Bollworm, Heliothis armigera (Hubner)

Abstract

Crude pheromone of cotton bolloworm, Heliothis armigera (Hubner) was extracted from virgin female moths. It was found that 2-4 days old female was most suitable for harvesting high pheromone content. The purification of crude pheromone extract by column and thin layer chromatography revealed 9 fractions, with 6 ones showing positive results according to bioassay test. The study on utilization of crude pheromone extract for controlling this insect pest was also undertaken. The appropriate dispenser was to obtain the best pheromone extract releaser both in laboratory and field conditions. The vial stopper made from rubber showed high attractiveness as dispenser in field test. The same result was observed as in light trap but less than in the synthetic pheromone trap. To acquire higher effectiveness of pheromone trap, further study has to be conducted.