The United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of

Howard Jaffe

Ashok K Raina

Thomas G Kempe

A pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (Hez-PBAN) hormone, controlling sex pheromone production in moths and controlling melanizing in larvae, was isolated from the brain-suboesophageal ganglion complexes of adult corn earworm Heliothis zea. Hez-PBAN has 33 amino acide residues and a molecular weight of 3900; its amino acid sequence is unique among the fully characterized peptide hormones. Synthetic PBAN and related structures induced production of sex pheromone in ligated H. zea females and other moth species and melanization in larvae that resulted in morphological changes or death.

Method for controlling female moths using a peptide

Pesticides, insect growth regulators and other substances are encapsulated by dissolving the substance to be encapsulated and a biodegradable polymer in a suitable organic solvent, dispersing the solution in an aqueous medium and stirring until the solvent evaporates to form a matrix of the substance in the polymer.

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Gaithersburg, MD, United States of America

Howard Jaffe