Bombykol Bombykol Bombykol is a pheromone released by the female silkworm moth to attract mates. It is also the sex pheromone in the wild silk moth ("Bombyx mandarina"). Discovered by Adolf Butenandt in 1959, it was the first pheromone to be characterized chemically. Minute quantities of this pheromone can be used per acre of land to confuse male insects about the location of their female partners. It can thus serve as a lure in traps to remove insects effectively without spraying crops with large amounts of pesticides. Butenandt named the substance after the moth's Latin name "Bombyx mori." "In vivo" it
Bombyx mori and the wild "B. mandarina" can still breed and sometimes produce hybrids. Domestic silkmoths are very different from most members in the genus "Bombyx"; not only have they lost the ability to fly, but their color pigments are also lost. Mulberry silkworms can be categorized into three different but connected groups or types. The major groups of silkworms fall under the univoltine ("uni-"=one, "voltine"=brood frequency) and bivoltine categories. The univoltine breed is generally linked with the geographical area within greater Europe. The eggs of this type hibernate during winter due to the cold climate, and cross-fertilize only by spring, generating