Sesamia cretica, maize borer

February 2005. A request from Mauritania for pheromone traps for Sesamia cretica Lederer (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Amphipyrinae), a serious stem borer of maize.

Pherobase (http://www.pherobase.com) lists an attractant for males of S cretica. It consists of (Z)-9-tetradecen-1-ol and (Z)-9-tetradecenyl acetate in a ratio of 75:25. A quick search suggests that the alcohol is available from Bedoukian Research Inc. in the US and the acetate from Matrix Marketing (Switzerland), but there are likely to be other sources.