An Unusual Lepidopteran Sex Pheromone System in the Bagworm Moth

The female sex pheromone of the bagworm moth is ( R )-1-methylbutyl decanoate. The antipode is biologically inactive and it neither enhances nor detracts from the potency of the R enantiomer. Unlike other moths for which female pheromones have been identified, the female secretes the pheromone from glands on her thorax and it is disseminated from hair that is shed from her body.