Chemical communication in termites: syn-4,6-Dimethylundecan-1-ol as 3 trail-following pheromone, syn-4,6-dimethylundecanal and 4 (5E)-2,6,10-trimethylundeca-5,9-dienal as the respective male and female sex 5 pheromones in Hodotermopsis sjoestedti (Isoptera, Archotermopsidae)

The trail-following pheromone and sex pheromones were investigated in the Indomalayan termite Hodotermopsis sjoestedti belonging to the new family Archotermopsidae. Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) after solid phase microextraction (SPME) of the sternal gland secretion of pseudergates and trail-following bioassays demonstrated that the trailfollowing pheromone of H. sjoestedti was syn-4,6-dimethylundecan-1-ol, a new chemical structure for termite pheromones. GC-MS after SPME of the sternal gland secretion of alates also allowed the identification of sex-specific compounds. In female alates, the major sex-specific compound was identified as (5E)-2,6,10-trimethylundeca-…