Anagrus atomus (L.) is an egg parasitoid involved in the biological control of Empoasca vitis (Göthe) in vineyards. Sex pheromones play a crucial role in mate finding for several parasitoid species and could be used for monitoring under field conditions. We carried out laboratory and field studies aimed at assessing the existence and identity of a possible A. atomus sex pheromone. We found that males were significantly attracted by virgin females independent of age. Males were not attracted to individuals of the same sex, but they were attracted by a crude extract from an unmated female and its polar fraction. Eugenol (4-allyl-2-methoxyphenol) was identified as the attractive substance and proved to be attractive not only in the olfactometer but also in another laboratory bioassay and under field conditions. Attraction of males, but not females, confirms that this is not an aggregation pheromone. This is the first sex-pheromone component identified in Mymaridae, however more compounds could be involved in the mating behaviour of A. atomus. The utility of a sex pheromone in A. atomus is discussed in the context of fitness returns.

Anagrus atomus (L.) 是一种卵寄生物，参与葡萄园中Empoasca vitis (Göthe)的生物控制。性信息素在几种寄生性物种的配偶寻找中起着至关重要的作用，可用于在野外条件下进行监测。我们进行了实验室和实地研究，旨在评估可能的A. atomus的存在和身份性信息素。我们发现男性被处女女性显着吸引，与年龄无关。雄性不会被同性个体所吸引，但会被未交配雌性及其极性部分的粗提取物所吸引。丁香酚（4-烯丙基-2-甲氧基苯酚）被确定为有吸引力的物质，并证明不仅在嗅觉计中而且在另一个实验室生物测定和现场条件下都具有吸引力。男性的吸引力，而不是女性，证实这不是聚集信息素。这是在 Mymaridae 中发现的第一个性信息素成分，但是更多的化合物可能涉及A. atomus的交配行为。在适应度回报的背景下讨论了A. atomus 中性信息素的效用。