Emperor moth

Although acetate esters are commonly encountered as lepidopterous sex pheromones, the occurrence of other esters has proven to be a very unusual phenomenon. This fact renders the sex pheromone of the pine emperor moth, Nudaurelia cytherea, highly distinctive, since this compound, (Z)-5-decenyl 3-methylbutyrate (83), represents an ester containing a C5 acid. 

Methylbutanoyl ester Sex pheromone from the female pine emperor moth (Nudaurelia cytherea cytherea). 

When an individual animal or plant secretes a substance that is detected by an individual of the same species and induces a specific reaction, the substance is said to be a pheromone [a term derived from the Greek pherein (to transfer) and hormon (to excite)]. The first report of such chemical communication was by the French naturahst Jean-Henri Fabre (Biographic Photo 4.1), who observed the attraction of male great peacock or emperor moths to a caged female (see Sidebar 4.A). Pheromones have been associated mainly with various aspects of sexual attraction and reproduction, but also... 

Fabre, J.-H., The great peacock or emperor moth, in Fabulous Insects, C. Neider, ed.. Harper, New York, 1954. 

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