Homoeosoma electellum

Nelson, D. R. and Fatland, C. F. (1997). Very long-chain methyl-branched alcohols and their acetate esters in the internal lipids of lepidopteran pupae Cochylis hospes, Diatraea grandiosella, Homoeosoma electellum, Heliothis virescens and Helicoverpa zea. Comp. Biochem. Physiol., 116B, 243-256. 

Sunflower moth [Lepidoptera Pyrlidae] Homoeosoma electellum Hulst... 

The sunflower moth (Homoeosoma electellum Hulst) is a serious pest of sunflower and has been reported on Jerusalem artichoke (Satterthwait and Swain, 1946). The damage, however, is almost exclusively to the seed head and, as a consequence, of no importance to Jerusalem artichoke production. 

In this chapter, we first review the terpenoid constituents isolated from resistant wild species of Helianthus and present the results of some insect bioassays with these compounds. Then we discuss the evidence which implicates terpenoids in the resistance to the sunflower moth (Homoeosoma electellum), the most destructive insect pest of cultivated sunflower in the United States (4), and describe how this information might be exploited in reducing insect damage to cultivated sunflower. 

Terpenoids isolated in large quantities from resistant species were tested with several sunflower insect pests. Since sesquiterpene lactones were present in much higher concentrations than diterpenes in the most resistant species studied, our investigations emphasized sesquiter-pene lactones. Three species of insects were used in these studies Spodoptera eridania, Melanoplus sanquinipes and Homoeosoma electellum. 

Homoeosoma electellum (Lepidoptera Pyralidae) - the sunflower moth. In contrast to L eridania and II. sanguinipes, H. electellum is a specialist which feeds on the inflorescences of a few species of the Asteraceae (4,. 51). Since sesquiterpene lactones are found in several parts of the infloresences of Helianthus species which are considered to be resistant to the sunflower moth (52). it was thought that these compounds might serve to limit the damage caused by this insect. 

Homoeosoma electellum, Melanoplus sanguinipes, Spodoptera eridania,... 

Angeloylgrandifloric acid Heliothis virescens, H. zea, Ciliaric acid, cw-Ozic acid Homoeosoma electellum,... 

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