Male pheromones of Drosophila paulistorum.

Some insects, including flies, employ a cuticular pheromonal communication system to regulate mating behavior. We studied the cuticular lipids of both males and females of the six Drosophila paulistorum semispecies. Cuticular compounds were extracted with hexane, separated on a silica gel column, and analyzed using GC/MS. All six semispecies have basically similar lipid patterns, except for two components which are found only in males. Methyl tetradecenoate (A) and docosenyl acetate (B) were found in the fraction eluted by 5% ether/hexane, and are present in A/B ratios varying from 0.221.33 for the six semispecies. Comprehensive bioassays established the pheromonal role of these two esters in D. paulistorum males.