<Original>Isolation and Primary Structure of Trail Pheromone of the Termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

Abstract

The trail pheromone of the termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki was isolated using various chromatographic methods in conjunction with bioassay, and the primary structure of the pheromone was confirmed by capillary GC-MS analysis. Approximately 200,000 workers of the termite were extracted with n-hexane. The extract was fractionated by various chromatographic procedure so that a trace amount of the active substance could be isolated for identification. Capillary GC-MS analysis of this compound demonstrated that a primary chemical structure of the pheromone identified was similar to normal chain of dodecatrien-l-ol isolated from the termite of genus Reticulitermes.