Bombykol
Encyclopedia
Bombykol is a pheromone
released by the female silkworm moth to attract mates. 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 effectively remove insects without spraying crops with large amounts of chemicals. Butenandt named the substance after the moth's Latin name Bombyx mori.
Pheromone
A pheromone is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting outside the body of the secreting individual to impact the behavior of the receiving individual...
released by the female silkworm moth to attract mates. Discovered by Adolf Butenandt
Adolf Butenandt
Adolf Friedrich Johann Butenandt was a German biochemist and member of the Nazi party. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1939 for his "work on sex hormones." He initially rejected the award in accordance with government policy, but accepted it in 1949 after World War...
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 effectively remove insects without spraying crops with large amounts of chemicals. Butenandt named the substance after the moth's Latin name Bombyx mori.