Use of pheromones and other semiochemicals in integrated production IOBC wprs Bulletin Vol. 25(•) 2002 pp. •-• Female calling behaviour and male response to the synthetic sex pheromone components of Palpita unionalis (Lepidoptera: Pyrali- dae) Basilios E. Mazomenos, Maria Konstantopoulou, Dimitra Stefanou, Spiros Skareas and Leonidas C. Tzeiranakis 1 Chemical Ecology and Natural Products Laboratory, Institute of Biology, NCSR “Demokritos” P.O. Box 60228, 153 10 Aghia Paraskevy, Attikis Greece. 1 Regional Centre for Plant protection and quality control, Ministry of Agriculture Iraklio Crete Abstract: The pheromone biology of the jasmine moth Palpita unionalis was studied under Lab- oratory conditions. Female began calling during the second day following emergence. Calling activity and pheromone production is periodic and synchronous. Maximal calling and pheromone production was obtained the fourth day. The peak of the female calling occurred during the dark phase, six hours after lights off, of a 14:10 (Light: Dark) regime. Male response to each one of the two synthetic pheromone components [(E)11-16:Ac], [(E)11-16:Ald] and their blend was tested in a wind tunnel at different dosages. The (E)11-16:Ald stimulates more males to take flight, but the vast majority of them did not approach the pheromone source. With the (E)11-16:Ac fewer males took flight, but most of them flew close to the pheromone source and some landed on the source expanding their hair pencils. A two component blend at the ratio of 7:3 [(E)-11-16:Ac:(E)11-16:Ald] was the one that evoked the full behavioural repertoire by males. The proportion of males responding was lower at the dose of 2 μg and remained relatively unchanged for the other doses tested with a trend toward decreased responses at the higher dose of 32 μg. Field tests revealed that funnel type traps baited with 1 mg of the two compounds blend captured significant number of males. Key words: Palpita unionalis, calling behaviour, pheromone titter male response, wind tunnel, pheromones (E)-11-hedecenal, (E)-11-hexadecenyl acetate. Introduction The jasmine moth Palpita unionalis Huebner (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is a serious pest of Jasminunm sp., Ligustrum sp., Olea europea and Phiirea media, causing se- vere damages on the foliage of these plants. P. unionalis occurs throughout the Mediterranean region (Balachowsky, 1972). In olive trees, larvae usually attack young leaves and shoots, while in years of high population densities; they attack 1