Muscalure |

Last updated: 25/08/2025
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(Also known as: Z-9-tricosene; (Z)-9-tricosene; cis-tricos-9-ene; muscamone; house fly sex pheromone) |
Non-toxic to humans. Major environmental pathways include volatilisation and microbial degradation. Highly toxic to aquatic invertebrates but practically non-toxic to freshwater fish however minimal exposure would be expected. Not expected to be harmful to beneficial insects. |
The following alerts are based on the data in the tables below. An absence of an alert does not imply the substance has no implications for human health, biodiversity or the environment but just that we do not have the data to form a judgement. These hazard alerts do not take account of usage patterns or exposure, thus do not represent risk.
Environmental fate |
Ecotoxicity |
Human health |
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An insect sex pheromone of the housefly used to trap flies in agricultural and domestic situations |
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Flies |
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Animal houses; Public and domestic buildings |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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Not approved |
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Not applicable |
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No UK approval for use as a plant protection agent |
EC Regulation 1107/2009 (repealing 91/414) |
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Not approved |
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Austria |
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Not applicable |
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Not applicable |
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No |
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ATAustria |
BEBelgium |
BGBulgaria |
CYCyprus |
CZCzech Republic |
DEGermany |
DKDenmark |
EEEstonia |
ELGreece |
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ESSpain |
FIFinland |
FRFrance |
HRCroatia |
HUHungary |
IEIreland |
ITItaly |
LTLithuania |
LULuxembourg |
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LVLatvia |
MTMalta |
NLNetherlands |
PLPoland |
PTPortugal |
RORomania |
SESweden |
SISlovenia |
SKSlovakia |
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ISIceland |
NONorway |
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Muscalure exhibits geometrical isomerism due to the presence of a carbon-carbon double bond at the 9th position of a long hydrocarbon chain. This double bond restricts rotation, allowing for two possible configurations: cis (Z) and trans (E). Muscalure is specifically the cis-isomer, where the substituents on either side of the double bond are on the same side. |
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C₂₃H₄₆ |
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CCCCCCCCCCCCCC=CCCCCCCCC |
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CCCCCCCCCCCCC/C=C\CCCCCCCC |
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IGOWHGRNPLFNDJ-ZPHPHTNESA-N |
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InChI=1S/C23H46/c1-3-5-7-9-11-13-15-17-19-21-23-22-20-18-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2/h17,19H,3-16,18,20-23H2,1-2H3/b19-17- |
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Yes |
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Insecticide; Semiochemical |
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Pheromone |
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- |
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- |
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Natural |
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As male populations are reduced, breeding cycle is disrupted resulting in less egg production and lower populations |
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Substance is secreted by female house flies (Musca domestica) |
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Animal welfare; Public health |
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Flies |
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Animal houses; Public and domestic buildings |
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- |
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27519-02-4 |
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248-505-7 |
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None allocated |
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103201 |
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- |
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322.6 |
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- |
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(Z)-tricos-9-ene |
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(9Z)-9-tricosene |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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Not applicable |
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Not applicable |
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UNM |
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Not applicable |
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- |
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Colourless to amber oil |
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Current |
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1971, first isolated; 1975, introduced USA |
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- Bayer Environmental Science
- Control Solutions
- Troy Biosciences Inc, USA
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- Maxforce Fly Spot bait
- Bonanza Fly bait
- Stimukil Fly Bait
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Used in traps, sticky paper and dispensers, product may include rapid knockdown insecticide |
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Muscalure is commercially produced through chemical synthesis, typically starting from long-chain fatty acids or alkenes. The process involves constructing a 23-carbon chain with a cis double bond at the 9th position, which is crucial for its biological activity as a sex pheromone in houseflies. One common route includes olefin metathesis or Wittig reactions to introduce the double bond in the correct configuration. The synthesis is carefully controlled to ensure high purity and stereoselectivity, as only the (Z)-isomer is biologically active. |
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While exact CO₂e values are not published for specific pheromones, some general information is available. The PHERA reported that biotechnological production (e.g. yeast fermentation) of pheromones can reduce GHG emissions by up to 90% compared to traditional chemical synthesis and GHG emissions are typically in the 5 to 10 kg CO₂e per kg of pheromone produced. Other sources suggest that small scale pheromone synthesis typically has emissions in the range 1 – 3 kg CO₂e per kg of pheromone produced. |
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0.000004 |
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source |
Low |
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- |
- |
- |
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- |
- |
- |
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378 |
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source |
- |
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- |
- |
- |
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113 |
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source (closed cup) |
- |
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1.23 X 1004 |
Calculated |
- |
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4.09 |
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source |
High |
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- |
- |
- |
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- |
- |
- |
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0.807 |
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source |
- |
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- |
- |
- |
- |
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0.064 |
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source |
Low volatility |
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5.30 X 10-06 |
Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source |
Non-volatile |
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- |
- |
- |
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- |
- |
- |
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- |
- |
- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
- |
- |
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- |
- |
- |
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- |
- |
- |
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- |
- |
- |
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- |
- |
- |
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- |
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- |
- |
- |
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- |
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- |
- |
- |
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- |
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- |
- |
- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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As this parameter is not normally measured directly, a surrogate measure is used: ‘Photochemical oxidative DT₅₀’. Where data is available, this can be found in the Fate Indices section below. |
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- |
Soil adsorption and mobility |
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- |
Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source |
Moderately mobile |
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180 |
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Best available data |
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- |
- |
- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
None
Terrestrial ecotoxicology |
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> 10000 |
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source Rat |
Low |
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- |
- |
- |
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- |
- |
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- |
- |
- |
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> 4640 |
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source Anas platyrhynchos |
Low |
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- |
- |
- |
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- |
- |
- |
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> 1000 |
Eisenia foetida |
Low |
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- |
- |
- |
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- |
- |
- |
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- |
- |
- |
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- |
- |
- |
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- |
- |
- |
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- |
- |
- |
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- |
- |
- |
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- |
- |
- |
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> 100 |
Q2 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 2 = Unverified data of unknown source Expert judgement |
Low |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
- |
- |
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- |
- |
- |
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> 1000 |
Oncorhynchus mykiss |
Low |
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- |
- |
- |
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- |
- |
- |
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1.08 |
Daphnia magna |
Moderate |
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- |
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- |
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- |
- |
- |
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- |
- |
- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
HUMAN HEALTH AND PROTECTION |
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Low (class I) |
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- |
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> 10000 |
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source Rat |
Low |
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2000 |
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source Rat |
- |
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5.71 |
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source Rat |
- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
- |
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- |
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- |
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- |
- |
- |
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Carcinogen |
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Endocrine disruptor |
XNo, known not to cause a problem |
A0 A = Chromosome aberration (EFSA database) 0 = No data ; B0 B = DNA damage/repair (EFSA database) 0 = No data ; C0 C = Gene mutation (EFSA database) 0 = No data ; D0 D = Genome mutation (EFSA database) 0 = No data ; E0 E = Unspecified genotoxicity type (miscellaneous data source) 0 = No data |
No data found |
Reproduction / development effects |
Acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor |
Neurotoxicant |
No data found |
XNo, known not to cause a problem |
XNo, known not to cause a problem |
Respiratory tract irritant |
Skin irritant |
Skin sensitiser |
XNo, known not to cause a problem |
?Possibly, status not identified |
✓Yes, known to cause a problem |
Eye irritant |
Phototoxicant |
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XNo, known not to cause a problem |
No data found |
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No further information available |
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No information available |
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Health: H317 |
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Not listed (Not listed) |
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muscalure |
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muscalure |
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Muscalur |
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muscalur |
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muscalure |
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muscalure |
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- |
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muskalur |
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- |
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- |
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- |
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Record last updated: |
25/08/2025 |
Contact: |
aeru@herts.ac.uk |
Please cite as: |
Lewis, K.A., Tzilivakis, J., Warner, D. and Green, A. (2016) An international database for pesticide risk assessments and management. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal, 22(4), 1050-1064. DOI: 10.1080/10807039.2015.1133242 |