Larval Diaphania indica (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) cause complete defoliation of Trichosanthes anguina L. and reduce crop yield in India. Females lay eggs on the leaf surface, and therefore leaf surface waxes are potentially involved in host selection. Alkanes and free fatty acids are the major constituents of leaf surface waxes, so a study was conducted to determine whether these wax constituents from three T. anguina cultivars (MNSR-1, Baruipur Long, and Polo No.1) could act as short-range attractants and oviposition stimulants in D. indica females. Twenty n-alkanes from n-C₁₄ to n-C₃₆ and 13 free fatty acids from C12:0 to C21:0 were detected in the leaf surface waxes of these cultivars. Heptadecane and stearic acid were predominant among n-alkanes and free fatty acids, respectively, in these cultivars. Females showed attraction towards one leaf equivalent surface wax of each of these cultivars against solvent controls (petroleum ether) in Y-tube olfactometer bioassays. A synthetic blend of heptadecane, eicosane, hexacosane, and stearic acid, a synthetic blend of hexacosane and stearic acid, and a synthetic blend of pentadecane and stearic acid comparable to amounts present in one leaf equivalent surface wax of MNSR-1, Baruipur Long, and Polo No.1, respectively, were short-range attractants and oviposition stimulants in D. indica. Female egg laying responses were similar to each of these blends, providing information that could be used to developing baited traps in integrated pest management (IPM) programs.

幼虫Diaphania indica (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) 导致Trichosanthes anguina L.完全落叶并降低印度的作物产量。雌性在叶表面产卵，因此叶表面蜡可能参与宿主选择。烷烃和游离脂肪酸是叶面蜡的主要成分，因此进行了一项研究，以确定来自三个T. anguina品种（MNSR -1、Baruipur Long 和 Polo No.1）的这些蜡成分是否可以作为短- D. indica雌性中的范围引诱剂和产卵兴奋剂。从n -C ₁₄到n -C _{36 的}二十种正烷烃在这些品种的叶面蜡中检测到13种游离脂肪酸，从C12:0到C21:0。在这些品种中，十七烷和硬脂酸分别在正烷烃和游离脂肪酸中占主导地位。在 Y 管嗅觉计生物测定中，雌性对这些栽培品种中的每一个的叶子等效表面蜡对溶剂对照（石油醚）表现出吸引力。十七烷、二十烷、六十八烷和硬脂酸的合成混合物，六十二烷和硬脂酸的合成混合物，以及十五烷和硬脂酸的合成混合物，其含量与 MNSR-1、Baruipur Long 的一片叶子等效表面蜡中的含量相当，和 Polo No.1 分别是D. indica 的短程引诱剂和产卵兴奋剂. 雌性产卵反应与这些混合物中的每一种相似，提供可用于在综合虫害管理 (IPM) 计划中开发诱饵陷阱的信息。