To obtain a protein obtainable from foreleg tarsus of Atrophaneura alcinou, capable of controlling egg laying action of insect by function of discriminating an edible weed and recognizing an egg laying stimulation substance and to provide a method for using the protein.

This protein has the following characteristics of (1) having about 23 kDa (by SDS-PAGE) molecular weight, (2) having a specific amino acid sequence derived from Atrophaneura alcinou and (3) controlling an egg laying action. A gene encodes the protein. The method for producing the protein comprises culturing a host transformed with a vector containing the gene. A method for designing and screening a substance for controlling the egg laying action of insect of Lepidoptera bonded to the protein is provided by using the protein. An agrochemical comprising an egg laying inhibiting substance of insect of Lepidoptera is obtained by using it as an active ingredient.