bombykol
Sign in to savethumb|250px|Biosynthesis of bombykol starting from palmitoyl-CoA Bombykol is a pheromone released by the female silkworm moth to attract mates. It is also the sex pheromone in the wild silk moth (Bombyx mandarina). Discovered by Adolf Butenandt in 1959, it was the first pheromone to be characterized chemically.
Article
2 sectionsContents
- Biosynthesis
- References
thumb|250px|Biosynthesis of bombykol starting from palmitoyl-CoA Bombykol is a pheromone released by the female silkworm moth to attract mates. It is also the sex pheromone in the wild silk moth (Bombyx mandarina). Discovered by Adolf Butenandt in 1959, it was the first pheromone to be characterized chemically.
Minute quantities of this pheromone can be used per acre of land to confuse male insects about the location of their female partners. It can thus serve as a lure in traps to remove insects effectively without spraying crops with large amounts of pesticides. Butenandt named the substance after the moth's Latin name Bombyx mori.