Insect growth regulation pheromones

Slow release formulations incorporate nonpersistent compounds, eg, methyl parathion, insect growth regulators, and sex pheromones, in a variety of granular, laminated, microencapsulated, and hoUow-ftber preparations. 

Generation III. These compounds often mimic some feature of the insect s natural hormones. These include pheromones, insect growth regulators, and other compounds that simulate these natural products. 

The Control of Insect Growth" symposium, organized by Julius Menn, highlighted recent advances in the biochemistry of regulation of development by insect growth regulators, anti juvenile hormones, and behavior modification governed by antifeedants, pheromones, and defensive secretions. 

The thematic treatment in this book differs somewhat from that of other works on this subject, and thus may serve as a supplement to other books. Our object was not to write an encyclopedic work on pesticides and their characteristics. Rather, we discuss mainly those active substances in pesticides which are of practical significance, may be of possible future importance, or represent research results and interesting trends. With regard to the latter, compounds are also discussed which are not on the market but represent promising new types. Ample space has been devoted to alternative methods of plant protection, e.g., insect growth regulators, sterilants and pheromones, which show promise for control of insect pests. 

In addition to pheromones (vide infra), we were interested in juvenile hormones (JHs), and synthesized ( )-juvabione [12] and (-t-)-juvabione [13-14]. JH mimics were later found to be useful as practical insect growth regulators (IGRs). We synthesized ( )-JH I [15], (-i-)-JH I [16] and unnatural (-)-JH I [17]. The naturally occurring (-i-)-JH I was 1.2 x lO times more active than (-)-JH I. Chirality plays an important role at JH receptor sites. 

In addition to continuing work to identify pheromones, considerable work on pheromone biosynthesis is in progress. Two recent symposia each include multiple papers describing various aspects (4, 5). Chapters 4-6 in this volume describe regulatory factors of pheromone biosynthesis that when more completely understood may find field application similar to that of insect growth regulators. 

Prospects for Economic Benefit. As of May 1992, EPA registrations of biorationals included 14 pheromones, 6 plant growth regulators, 13 floral lures, 5 natural insect growth regulators, and 4 others (including diallyl sulfoxide, carboxymethyl cellulose, soybean oil as a miticide). 

Young, J., T. M. Granes, R. Curtis, and M. M. Furniss Controlled release of pheromones and insect growth regulators. In H. B. Scher, Ed., Controlled Release Pesticides. ACS Symposium Series No. 53. American Chemical Society, Washington, D. C. 1977. 

Insects are so successful because of their mobility, high reproductive potential, ability to exploit plants as a food resource, and to occupy so many ecological niches. Plants are essentially sessile and can be seen to produce flowers, nector, pollen, and a variety of chemical attractants to induce insect cooperation in cross-pollination. However, in order to reduce the efficiency of insect predation upon them, plants also produce a host of structural, mechanical, and chemical defensive artifices. The most visible chemical defenses are poisons, but certain chemicals, not intrinsically toxic, are targeted to disrupt specific control systems in insects that regulate discrete aspects of insect physiology, biochemistry, and behavior. Hormones and pheromones are unique regulators of insect growth, development, reproduction, diapause, and behavior. Plant secondary chemicals focused on the disruption of insect endocrine and pheromone mediated processes can be visualized as important components of plant defensive mechanisms. 

Fatty primary alcohols with similar aliphatic chains to fatty acids tend to occur in the free state in tissues at low concentrations only, but they may be of some metabolic importance as precursors of alkyl lipids, as plant growth regulators and as insect pheromones, for example. In addition, they are found in esterified form in wax esters, which are substantial components of many natural materials. Secondary alcohols may be present in plant surface waxes, together with aliphatic diols which are common constituents of skin lipids. In mammalian tissues, the primary alcohols are saturated or monoenoic, but never di- or polyunsaturated in wax esters of marine origin, the alcohol constituents are often closely related in structure to the fatty acids from which they may derive biosynthetically. The occurrence, chemistry and metabolism of fatty alcohols [577] and their chromatographic properties [577,579] have been reviewed. 

Inscoe, M. N., and M. Beroza Analysis of pheromones and other compounds controlling insect behavior. In G. Zweig and J. Sherma, Eds., Analytical Methods for Pesticides and Plant Growth Regulators, Vol. VIII, Government Regulations, Pheromone Analysis, Additional Pesticides, p. 31—114. New York Academic Press. 1976. 

Biochemical pesticides include, but are not limited to, products such as semiochemicals (e.g., insect pheromones), hormones (e.g., insect juvenile growth hormones), natural plant and insect regulators, and enzymes. When necessary the Agency will evaluate products on an individual basis to determine whether they are biochemical or conventional chemical pesticide. ... 

---