JH Zero: New Naturally Occurring Insect Juvenile Hormone from Developing Embryos of the Tobacco Hornworm

A new insect juvenile hormone was isolated from developing embryos of the tobacco hornworm moth, Manduca sexta. The new hormone was found with juvenile hormone I and is a 1-carbon homolog of this substance. The assigned structure is methyl (2E,6E,10-cis)-10,11-epoxy-3,7-diethyl-11-methyl-2,6-tridecadienoate, which constitutes a trishomosesquiterpenoid skeleton. This is the first chemical idetification of any juvenile hormone from insect eggs.