S. JAYARAMAN, I. O. NDIEGE and A. C. OEHLSCHLAGER
Department of Chemistry, Simon Fraser University. Burnaby, B. C., Canada
L. GONZALEZ, ChemTica Internacional, San José, Costa Rica
D. ALPIZAR AND M. FALLAS, Ministry of Agriculture, Guapiles, Costa Rica.
Cosmopolites sordidus (banana weevil) is the most important worldwide insect pest of bananas. Six antenally active components have been detected in male-produced volatiles. Two of these have been identified as diasteroisomeric bicyclic ketals (Beauhaire, J.. et al.: Tet. Lett. 36, 1043, 1995). Stereoselective synthesis of all possible stereoisomers did not provide sufficient material to establish laboratory or field activity. We have developed a large scale synthesis of the candidate pheromone, determined the relative attractiveness of diastereoisomers in the field and optimized a pheromone-baited trap.