Passaro, L.C., & Webster, F.X. 2004 Synthesis of the female sex pheromone of the citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri.. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 52(10): 2896-2899.

Notes: The citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri (Risso) is a common pest in the Southern U.S. and the Mediterranean. Two alternative syntheses of the female sex pheromone, (1R)-(+)-cis-2,2-dimethyl-3-isopropenyl-cyclobutane methanol acetate, have been developed. Key transformations include an allylic oxidation of (1R)-(+)-alpha-pinene to (+)-R-verbenone, oxidative decarboxylation using RuCl3-NaIO4, and methylenation with Zn/CH2Br2/TiCl4.