By Sean Henahan, Access Excellence

ITHACA, N.Y. - Researchers at Cornell University have concocted a perfume that may prove to be a fatal attraction for cockroaches

A team of scientists reports the successful synthesis of the chemical pheromone used by both the brownbanded cockroach and the longhorn beetle to attract mates. The Cornell scientists were able to determine the exact molecular shapes of the pheromones which attract the brownbanded cockroaches and longhorn beetles. Brownbanded cockroaches are a common household pest found throughout the United States, as well as in some tropical locations. The Cryptomeria twig borer, or longhorn beetle, is found primarily in Japan.

"Previous studies have determined the chemical composition of the cockroach pheromone, but we are the first researchers to understand the stereochemistry -- the three-dimensionality -- of the pheromone," said Jerrold Meinwald, Cornell professor of chemistry who directed the research.

The cockroach "smells" the pheromone by sensing small electrical charges elicited by chemicals on its antennae. Working on a foundation of many years of pheromone research, the researchers simulated the cockroaches antennae using a device called an electroantennographic detector. When certain chemicals in the pheromone were whiffed by the antennae, the molecules initiated electrical charges to set off the meters. The scientists then passed the pheromone through a gas chromatograph, where the individual chemical components were separated. The individual chemicals were then passed over the insect's antennae.

"While our knowledge of pheromonal communication in some groups, such as in moths and butterflies, is substantial, very little is known about chemical communication in many other groups of insects," noted Meinwald.

The next step will be to develop simple chemical traps to lure the love-struck bugs. Not only will the synthesis of this love potion mean that lures may be made for traps, but just a little bit of the pheromone strategically spread could ultimately confuse the insects, severely disrupting their mating, he said.

It probably won't take much of the bug perfume to get the job done. In nature, the amount of pheromone the female brownbanded cockroach produces weighs less than one-billionth of a gram.

"This research is important because it provides the chemical basis for bio-rational pest control," said Meinwald. "It spares the environment by reducing the use of pesticides."

The research was reported in the February, '95, issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Transmitted: 95-02-26 19:59:29 EST

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