Crocidosema (= Epinotia) aporema (Walsingham) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) é uma broca das axilas que se alimenta de soja e leguminosas forrageiras. Sua importância econômica é restrita à América do Sul onde pode alternar, ao longo do ano, entre leguminosas forrageiras e grãos. O feromônio sexual das fêmeas de C. aporema é composto de uma mistura 15:1 de (7Z,9Z)-dodeca-7,9-dieno-1-ol e acetato de (7Z,9Z)-dodeca-7,9-dienila. Com o intuito de desenvolver uma ferramenta para monitoramento deste inseto praga, os dois componentes do feromônio foram sintetizados e avaliou-se, em um experimento de campo no Uruguai, a captura de machos em armadilhas iscadas com diferentes misturas do feromônio sintético. Os dienos conjugados foram obtidos a partir de 2-pentin-1-ol e 1,7-heptanodiol, através da oxidação do primeiro, seguido pelo acoplamento de Wittig e redução da ligação tripla catalisada com Zn. A mistura 1:1 testada no campo foi a mais eficiente na captura dos machos. As armadilhas de feromônio foram atrativas por mais de 40 dias, mesmo com pequenas quantidades dos compostos (0,1 mg) impregnadas nos septos, e com baixas densidades populacionais dos insetos no campo.Crocidosema (= Epinotia) aporema (Walsingham) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) is a bud borer that feeds on soybean and forage legumes. Its economic importance is restricted to South America, where it can alternate throughout the year between forage and grain legumes. The sex pheromone of C. aporema females is composed of a 15:1 mixture of (7Z,9Z)-dodeca-7,9-dien-1-ol and (7Z,9Z)-dodeca-7,9-dienyl acetate. Aiming at the development of a monitoring tool, it was synthesized both components of the pheromone and evaluated male captures in pheromone traps baited with different blends of synthetic pheromone, in an experimental soybean field in Uruguay. The conjugated dienes were obtained from 2-pentyn-1-ol and 1,7-heptanediol, by oxidation of the former, Wittig coupling and Zn-catalyzed reduction of the triple bond. The 1:1 mixture was the most efficient in capturing males. The pheromone traps were attractive for up to 40 days, even with small septum loads (0.1 mg) and low population levels.Keywords: sex pheromone synthesis, Crocidosema (= Epinotia) aporema, pest monitoring, pheromone traps
IntroductionSoybean production in Uruguay has increased dramatically in the past decade, 1 resulting in an expansion of legume-specialized insects such as Crocidosema (= Epinotia) aporema (Walsingham) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). This trend correlates with a significant increase in the use of insecticides, which has risen up to three-fold between 2001 and 2011. 2 C. aporema is a stem and bud borer that has become a major pest of legumes in Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and Southern Brazil.3-6 Originally from Costa Rica, this speciesSynthesis and Field Evaluation of Synthetic Blends of the Sex Pheromone of Crocidosema aporema J. Braz. Chem. Soc. 1998 is now widely distributed across South America. The insect is active throughout the year, going through 5-6 generations per year conce...