Abstract
Sexually deceptive orchids employ mimicry of insect sex pheromones to exploit a diverse group of pollinators. The chemical structures of five semiochemicals (1-3, 7, 8) produced by populations of the warty hammer orchid, Drakaea livida, pollinated by a thynnine wasp in the genus Catocheilus were elucidated. With the exception of (2,5-dimethylpyrazin-3-yl)methyl 3-methylbutanoate (7), all active compounds were tetrasubstituted pyrazines, including hydroxymethyl (1) and ester (2 and 3) trimethylpyrazine derivatives. Male Catocheilus wasps were responsive to all of these compounds in GC-EAD experiments.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1589-1594 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Journal of Natural Products |
| Volume | 75 |
| Issue number | 9 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 28 Sept 2012 |