A Convenient Synthesis of (Z)-6-Heneicosen-11-one — A Sex Pheromone of the Douglas-Fir Tussock Moth

Abstract

(Z)-6-Heneicosen-11-one (1) has been isolated¹ as a very active sex pheromone of Douglas-Fir Tussock Moth, `Orgyia pseudotsugata' which is a severe defoliator of fir forest of Western North America. Because of its importance in the fir forest protection and its unusual structure among known Lepidopterian pheromones, several multi-step methods for its synthesis have been reported.^2-5 We now wish to report its synthesis which is simple, straight forward and does not require any expensive reagent.