The role of acetic acid in the attraction of the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata to ammonium acetate

Abstract

Ammonium acetate is a well-known and widely-used attractant, primarily as the main and essential component of the dry bait BioLure, in many fruit fly control systems. The integrated attractiveness of ammonium acetate and the attractiveness of its two volatile components were studied in laboratory experiments on both females and males of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata. Acetic acid was barely attractive for females and was very attractive for the males. Ammonia was significantly more attractive to females and the integrated attractiveness of ammonium acetate was higher for males than females.