나방류의 페로몬 생합성은 식도아래 신경절에서 생산된 페로몬 생합성 촉진 신경펩타이드(pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide, PBAN)의 분비로부터 시작된다. 분비된 PBAN은 페로몬샘의 상피세포막에 있는 PBAN 수용체와 결합하고, 신호전달과정을 거쳐 페 로몬 생합성과정이 활성화되어, 페로몬이 외부로 방출된다. 본 종설은 콩명나방(Maruca vitrata)의 성페로몬, PBAN과 수용체, 성페로몬 생합성 경로를 소개한다.

The injury of red bean (Vigna angularis) by the legume pod borer, Maruca vitrata (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), was evaluated through an artificial inoculation experiment in cages randomly arranged in a field. Virgin adult pairs (0, 1, 2, 4 and 8) were released into screen-nets at the flowering stage of red bean, and the damage was investigated at harvest. Any insecticides were not sprayed through all plant-growing season. The absolute number of uninjured pod in a net showed a decreasing tendency according to the increase of the number of released adult pairs, but did not show a statically significant difference among treatments. The total production (number of pod and seed) of red bean was highly variable even in a treatment. The variation seemed to be caused by pre-infestation by M. vitrata and other insect species before netting. Instead, therefore, relative damage was compared among treatments. The total ratio of injured pod in a net increased according to the released adult number. The result clearly indicated that the mating ratio and fecundity within the screen-net also increased according to the number of released pairs and that the hatched larvae affected the damage. The corrected rate for pod injury at 8 pair release was about 46%. On the other hand, the ratio of injured seed per injured pod was about 80% regardless of treatments. The result suggested that one pod continuously be attacked till almost disappearance of itself.

Two lepidopteran species, Matsumuraeses phaseoli (Matsumura) and Maruca vitrata (syn. M. testulalis) (Fabricius) were reared on artificial diets, and analyzed in their developmental characteristics. Photoperiod was supplied with 16L/8D for M. phaseoli and with 13L/11D for M. vitrata, respectively. Both species passed five larval instars with discrete sizes of head capsule width. In a constant environment (25℃ and 65%RH), the developmental period of M. phaseoli egg, larva and pupa was 3.9, ca. 16.0 and 8.9 days, respectively, and over 80% of M. phaseoli larvae could develop into pupae, most of which emerged into adults. Newly laid eggs could be stored at 5℃ for 15 days with over 50% hatchability. Similar developmental traits were shown in M. vitrata. However, a low temperature preservation was not applicable to M vitrata eggs.