Effect of terpenoids and related compounds on the oviposition behavior of the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Twenty-eight volatile plant compounds and related analogs were evaluated in separate laboratory assays for mediation of oviposition behaviors of the female European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis. The compounds were acyclic and cyclic monoterpenes or sesquiterpenes or related compounds and possessed different functional groups, chain lengths, and molecular weights. The compounds varied in their effect on O. nubilalis oviposition behaviors, ranging from deterrents to stimulants. Cyclic sesquiterpenes generally stimulated oviposition by O. nubilalis, but several acyclic sesquiterpenes deterred oviposition. Individual compounds also may be used as cues for host finding by adult O. nubilalis. The compounds described in this study may serve as a guide for the creative design of safe, environmentally compatible control methods for the European corn borer, a destructive pest of many agricultural crops.