Hexadecyl acetate is often isolated from the bodies of female individuals of some lepidopteran insects such as the rice leaf roller (Cnaphalocrocis medinalis), and it is a component of the sex pheromones of such insects. In application, it is mostly compounded with other specific pheromone components into attractants, which can accurately attract and capture male adults of target pests after being placed in traps. It is used for dynamic monitoring of the population size of such pests in farmland, helping to timely grasp the occurrence of pest infestations, providing a basis for scientific pest control, and reducing the usage of chemical pesticides.