Compounds are used as agents that deter feeding by insect pests, such as Hemiptera, Lepidoptera and Coleoptera. Feeding deterrence is obtained by contact of the insect pests with at least one of the compounds of the structure (I)wherein R is —;OH, ═;O, —;OC(O)R4, —;OR6, or —;(OR6)2, each R6 is independently an alkyl group containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms and R4 is a branched or straight chain, saturated or unsaturated, hydrocarbyl group with zero to two double bonds and from 1 to 15 carbon atoms; X is O or CH2 with the proviso that when X is O, R can only be ═;O; each Z is independently (CH) or (CH2); y is a numeral selected from 1 and 2; R1 is H or a branched or straight chain, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbyl group with zero to two double bonds and from 1 to 15 carbon atoms; R2 is H or a branched or straight chain, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbyl group with zero to three double bonds and from 1 to 15 carbon atoms; R3 is selected from H, a branched or straight chain, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbyl group with zero to three double bonds and from 1 to 15 carbon atoms, —;(CH2)nOH, —;C(O)OR5, —;CH2C(O)OR7, —;CH2C(O)R8, —;C(O)NR9R10, and —;CH2C(O)NR11R12 where each of R5, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11 and R12 is independently selected from H and a branched or straight chain, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbyl group with zero to three double bonds and from 1 to 15 carbon atoms and n is an integer of from 1 to 12; the bond between the 2 and 3 positions in the ring structure may be a single or a double bond; and wherein the compounds of structure (I) contain from 9 to 20 total carbon atoms in the compounds.