EPA Closes Comment Period on New Pheromone-Based Biopesticide from Bedoukian Research for Moth Pest Control
22 September 2026, Washington, D.C.: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency closed the public comment period on September 21, 2026, for a new pesticide active ingredient application from Bedoukian Research Inc., a Connecticut-based pheromone manufacturer, covering a product called Bedoukian z-9-Hexadecenal Technical Pheromone, intended for use as a mating disruptor against lepidopteran pests such as moths. The application was one of three new active ingredient applications EPA detailed in a Federal Register notice published August 20, 2026, none of which are currently included in any registered pesticide product in the United States.
According to the Federal Register notice, EPA received Bedoukian’s application on October 21, 2025, under docket number EPA-HQ-OPP-2026-5413. The proposed use is described in the notice as a mating disruptor, meaning the compound is intended for incorporation into end-use products as an attractant that interferes with the mating behavior of moth species, an approach used to suppress pest populations without a conventional toxic mode of action. The notice sets no firm registration timeline; EPA will review submitted comments before deciding whether to proceed with registration.
The other two active ingredients EPA is reviewing in the same batch of applications are iptriazopyrid, a rice herbicide from Nissan Chemical Corporation that this outlet has previously reported on, and a styrene-based copolymer antimicrobial from ReliOx Corporation intended for indoor disinfection. The table below summarizes all three applications from the notice.
| Active ingredient | Applicant | Proposed use | EPA docket |
|---|---|---|---|
| z-9-Hexadecenal | Bedoukian Research, Inc. | Lepidopteran mating disruptor | EPA-HQ-OPP-2026-5413 |
| Iptriazopyrid | Nissan Chemical Corporation | Rice herbicide | EPA-HQ-OPP-2026-1784 |
| Styrene/divinylbenzene/ethylstyrene copolymer with chloromethyl trimethylamine | ReliOx Corporation | Indoor antimicrobial disinfectant | EPA-HQ-OPP-2026-4786 |
Bedoukian Research is a specialist in pheromone and semiochemical active ingredients rather than a diversified crop protection company. Founded in 1972 as a flavor and fragrance ingredients supplier, the company entered the pheromone business in 1975 and manufactured its first pesticide pheromone product, Gossyplure, targeting pink bollworm. According to EPA’s own Pesticide Product and Label System as cited by the company, Bedoukian holds more pheromone and semiochemical technical grade active ingredient registrations than any other company in the United States. The company received its first EPA pesticide registration in 1990, for oriental fruit moth pheromone, and has since expanded into Canada and the European Union, adding five new active substance registrations in the EU in 2022.
Pheromone-based mating disruption works differently from conventional insecticides. Rather than killing insects directly, synthetic pheromones flood a treated area with the same chemical signal female moths use to attract mates, making it difficult for males to locate them and reducing successful mating and subsequent larval populations. Because the compounds are typically species-specific, they are marketed as having minimal impact on pollinators, natural predators and other beneficial insects compared with broad-spectrum insecticides, and they fit into integrated pest management programs as monitoring, mass-trapping or mating-disruption tools alongside conventional chemistries.
Also Read: India Approves Pioxaniliprole, First Insecticide Active Ingredient Discovered in India
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