(Z, E)-9, 12-Tetradecadienyl Acetate (ZETA) disrupts mating of Ephestia cautella

The tropical warehouse moth Ephestia cautella is a major pest of stored products in Sri Lanka, and difficult to control using currently-available insecticides. The sex pheromone (Z, E)-9, 12- tetradecadienyl acetate (ZETA) emitted by the females attracts males of this species. Hence it can potentially be used in the management programs but the limited information on pheromone concentration and air movement impede the potential use of this pheromone in pest management programs. This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of ZETA concentration and air movement on the mating disruption of E. cautella. The male and female moths of E. cautella were introduced into a cubicle in which ZETA was placed at different concentrations. Later, the female moths were dissected to determine the presence/absence of spermatophore. All the pheromone concentrations tested recorded lower mating percentages than the hexane control. Mating disruption varied with the pheromone concentration and the availability of air flow. This study reveals that ZETA can be used to disrupt mating in E. cautella.