Abstract: The Chinese scholar tree looper, Semiothisa cinerearia Bremer et Grey (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), is the major defoliator of the Chinese scholar tree Sophora japonica L. in China. The elucidation of the absolute chemical structure of the sex pheromone component of S. cinerearia may provide a potential chemical for the pest control against the S. cinerearia infestations in the urban area. In this study, two sex pheromone gland compounds, i.e., (6Z, 9Z)6, 9cis-3, 4-epoxy-heptadecadiene (6Z, 9Z-cis-3, 4-epoxy-17: H) and (3Z, 6Z, 9Z)-3, 6, 9-heptadecatriene (3Z, 6Z, 9Z-17: H), were detected in a 100∶4.8±1.3 ratio (N=12) during analyses of solvent extracts from virgin female S. cinerearia (2-3 d old) by comparison of their gas chromatography (GC) retention time and mass spectra (MS) with those of synthetic standards. Furthermore, the absolute configuration of 6Z, 9Z-cis-3, 4-epoxy-17: H in the sex pheromone gland of S. cinerearia was determined as (6Z, 9Z)-3R, 4S-epoxy-heptadecadiene by using a chiral capillary column (CycloSil-B, 30 m × 0.25 mm × 0.25 μm film) GC under the optimized oven temperature program. The mixture of the two synthetic enantiomers of 6Z, 9Z-3R, 4S-epoxy-17: H and 6Z, 9Z-3S, 4R-epoxy-17: H in a ratio of 1.28∶1 was injected into the female extracts, and thus the ratio was changed to 1.55∶1. Based on this analysis, the absolute configuration of the gland component 6Z, 9Z-cis-3, 4-epoxy-17: H was further confirmed as 3R, 4S. It is anticipated that control of S. cinerearia infestation with enantiomerically pure materials will be much more effective.

Key words: Semiothisa cinerearia, sex pheromone, (6Z, 9Z)-3R, 4S-epoxy-heptadecadiene , absolute configuration, GC-MS, chiral separation