Male Mediterranean Fruit Flies Research Articles

Increasing the Efficiency of Catching Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) Males in Trimedlure-Baited Traps with Ammonia

The use of ammonia to increase the efficiency of Jackson traps baited with trimedlure in trapping males of Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), was investigated. The ammonia vapor (1 × 10-6 g/s) was added in the trap using a plastic vial containing a cotton wick with 2 ml of saturated ammonium carbonate solution. Tests using laboratory-reared flies showed that Jackson traps with trimedlure + ammonia caught 23% more males than those with only trimedlure. A 17% increase in number of wild males caught in Jackson traps with trimedlure was observed when ammonia was added. Laboratory-reared males that were attracted to either trimedlure or trimedlure + ammonia exhibited lekking behavior on the underside of the foliage surrounding the traps and on the outside and inside walls of the traps. A relatively small number of laboratory-reared females caught in Jackson traps containing trimedlure and trimedlure + ammonia were probably virgins that responded to the cues elicited by the lekking males. During the observation periods, no lekking wild males were observed, and not a single wild female was observed to respond to Jackson traps with either trimedlure or trimedlure + ammonia.

Quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR) of trimedlure isomers

Trimedlure (tert-butyl 4- and 5-chloro-cis- andtrans-2-methylcyclohexane-1-carboxylate), a mixture of eight isomers, is used as an attractant for detecting and monitoring the male Mediterranean fruit fly. This paper reports the quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR), via CHEMX, of the eight purified isomers (racemic mixtures) of trimedlure. The relationship between structure and attractiveness is demonstrated by utilizing male medfly field catch on day 0 of the individual isomers vs. several molecular descriptors: volume, surface area, a torsion angle, and an interatomic distance.

Volatile pheromonal emissions from the male Mediterranean fruit fly: Effects of fly age and time of day

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVArticleNEXTVolatile pheromonal emissions from the male Mediterranean fruit fly: Effects of fly age and time of dayRobert A. Flath, Eric B. Jang, Douglas M. Light, T. Richard. Mon, Lori. Carvalho, Ronald G. Binder, and Janie O. JohnCite this: J. Agric. Food Chem. 1993, 41, 5, 830–837Publication Date (Print):May 1, 1993Publication History Published online1 May 2002Published inissue 1 May 1993https://doi.org/10.1021/jf00029a029RIGHTS & PERMISSIONSArticle Views122Altmetric-Citations29LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InReddit PDF (2 MB) Get e-Alerts Get e-Alerts

Analysis, synthesis, formulation, and field testing of three major components of male mediterranean fruit fly pheromone

Three major components, ethyi-(E)-3-octenoate, geranyl acetate, and (E,E)-α-farnesene, emitted as volatiles by laboratory-reared and wild male medflies were collected and analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. Peak emission of these compounds occurred during the third to fifth hours of the photophase and differences were observed in the ratios of the three components emitted by male laboratory-reared and wild flies. These three compounds were synthesized, and a method was developed to formulate a synthetic blend that released the compounds in a ratio similar to that emitted by wild male medflies. Attractiveness of the blend to female medflies was demonstrated under field conditions by comparing trap catches. Black spherical traps, baited with the synthetic blend to release 1.6 male equivalents, caught significantly more females than blank traps and traps from which the blend released was 0.3, 3.2 or 6.4 male equivalents.

Trimedlure enantiomers: Differences in attraction for mediterranean fruit fly,Ceratitis capitata (Wied.) (Diptera: Tephritidae)

The most biologically active enantiomer of trimedlure, a synthetic lure attractive to male Mediterranean fruit flies, is the 1S,2S,4R enantiomer of isomer C, the fert-butyl ester of ris-4-chloro-trans-2-methylcyclohexanecarboxylic acid. We also determined that the 1R,2R,5S enantiomer of isomer A is significantly more attractive than its optical antipode. Essential differences in the current synthetic work that are critical to possible commercialization of this preparation are detailed herein.

Field Trials of Synthetic Sex Pheromone Components of the Male Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Southern Mexico

Synthetic components of the male sexpheromone of Ceratttts capitata (Wiedemann) were tested in traps located in coffee and mango trees in Chiapas, Mexico. Traps with linaloo 1,2,3-dimethylpyrazine,2,5-dimethylpyrazine, or geranyl acetate were all significantly more attractive to released sterile flies than unbaited traps. Sex ratios of catches varied greatly; most females were caught during periods of peak ripe fruit production in coffee and mango. Delta traps caught more flies than Jackson traps. No component or mixture caught more flies than trimedlure. Ammonia with ethyl pyrazine caught significantly more flies than either component separately.

Controlled Release of Trimedlure Isomer C from a Compressed Disk and the Evaluation of Its Attractiveness to the Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Isomer C, the isomer of trimedlure most attractive to Mediterranean fruit flies, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), was obtained in nearly pure form as crystals from aged or refrigerated commercial trimedlure. Crystalline trimedlure-C was compressed into disks with a pellet mold, and the release rate of isomer C from the disks was determined in the laboratory using a volatile collection system. Field-trapping tests comparing pure isomer C in compressed disks, the commercial trimedlure mixture in cotton wicks, and commercial trimedlure in polymeric plugs showed that the isomer C disks were competitive in attractiveness with the two currently used formulations for 8 wk. Trap catches with these three baits did not indicate that the other isomers in the trimedlure mixture added to or reduced the attractiveness of trimedlure-C to male Mediterranean fruit flies. Compressed disks of isomer C provide a method of testing the most attractive trimedlure isomer at precisely controlled release rates and isometric purity, in either laboratory or field tests.

Semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of ceralure and related isomers

A semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatographic procedure on 5-μm silica was developed for the isolation of gram quantities of ethyltrans-5-iodo-trans-2-methylcyclohexane-1-carboxylate (B1) and ethyltrans-4-iodo-trans-2-methylcyclohexane-1-carboxylate (B2) for comparative evaluation as male Mediterranean fruit fly,Ceratitis capitata, attractants and for NMR studies. This procedure can also be used analytically to determine the content of B1 (the attractive isomer) in ceralure, the ethyl 4- and 5-iodo-trans-2-methylcyclohexane-1-carboxylate mixture. 1,1-Dimethylethylcis-5-iodo-trans-2-methylcyclohexane-1-carboxylate (A) and 1,1-dimethylethylcis-4-iodo-trans-2-methylcyclohexane-1-carboxylate (C) were isolated and converted to their ethyl esters, thus supplying the fourtrans-isomers of ceralure.

Behaviour of female and male Mediterranean fruit flies, Ceratitis capitata in and around Jackson traps placed on fruiting host trees

We studied the distribution of wild Mediterranean fruit flies, Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) in different environments of trimedlure-baited Jackson traps during high fall season populations in Southern Egypt. We found that 98% of females attracted to within aim radius of standard trimedlure (TML)-baited Jackson traps remained on the surrounding foliage without approaching the trap. Also about 30 % of males aggregated there, calling and competing for matings with approaching females. The closest mating occurred 25 cm from a standard trap. The nearest lek formation away from a trap was observed at a distance of 2 m on the same trap tree. The highest captures of males were recorded in the morning after male calling on the foliage reached its daily peak. Jackson traps baited with both protein hydrolyzate and TML on cotton wicks caught as many males, but significantly more females than traps with TML only.

Isolation and identification of male medfly attractive components inLitchi chinensis stems andFicus spp. stem exudates

Short-range attraction/feeding stimulation of male Mediterranean fruit flies [Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), (Diptera: Tephritidae)] to a stem extract of a host plant,Litchi chinensis Sonn. (Sapindaceae), and to milky exudates from stems of nonhost plants,Ficus retusa L. andF. benjamina L. (Moraceae), were attributed to the presence of the sesquiterpene α-copaene. The presence of α-copaene in the milky exudate from stems ofF. benghalensis L. is also suggested as eliciting similar behavioral responses in male medflies. The presence of minor quantities of α-ylangene in the plants and its contributory effects to the behavioral response of male medflies is discussed. Short-range attraction/feeding stimulation of male medflies to equal amounts of α-ylangene-free α-copaene samples (94.5%+), prepared from α-copaene-enriched angelica seed oil and copaiba oil, respectively, showed no difference in intensity of response. α-Ylangene elicited a slightly less intense response for male medflies than α-copaene.

Comparisons of Acoustic Courtship Signals in Wild and Laboratory Reared Mediterranean Fruit Fly Ceratitis capitata

A major concern in rearing insects for sterile release is the production of males that are sexually competitive with wild rivals. A means of achieving quality control is to first quantify sexual signals in wild insects and then monitor these signals in laboratoryreared individuals (eg. Boller & Chambers 1977). Male acoustic signals are important components of courtship and territorial defense in lekking tephritids (Sivinski & Burk 1988). The sexual repertoire of the male Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wied.), includes three distinct sounds: 1) the calling song, produced simultaneously with pheromone emission and often in the absence of other nearby flies, 2) the approach song, an intermittent series of buzzes made when other flies are nearby, and 3) the precopulatory song, a brief sound produced by males when they mount a prospective mate (Webb et al. 1983). Females in captivity make the equivalent of the first two songs although their function is presently obscure. We have on two occasions, April 1985 and 1987, recorded Mediterranean fruit flies in Guatemala City, Guatemala C.A. On the first of these occasions we obtained wild flies, reared from maggots in local coffee beans, and fertile laboratory-reared insects produced by the Moscamed Commission facility in San Miguel Petapa. On the second, both fertile laboratory-reared and irradiated sterile laboratory-reared flies from the above facility were recorded. With our data we can make three comparisons pertaining to the quality of the Guatemalan medfly product: 1) the acoustic signals of wild flies versus those of flies reared in the laboratory for several generations, 2) courtship sounds of sterile flies (irradiated at 17 kR 48 h before eclosion) versus fertile laboratory-reared flies, 3) flies reared in the laboratory in 1985 versus those of the same genetic stock still in the laboratory in 1987. The insects, when recorded, were held in either groups of 10 or less, in 10 cm x 7 cm wire screen cylinders or in large numbers (>100) in 30 cm x 30 cm x 30 cm plexiglass and wire screen cages. A condenser microphone (Sony MTL-96, Sony Corp., New York, NY) was held approximately 1-2 cm from the dorsal surfaces of calling males and the sounds were recorded on a Nakamichi 550 cassette recorder Sounds were later analyzed with a Nicolet 660A fast Fourier analyzer (Nicolt Instrument Corp., Madison, WI). The examined sound parameters were fundamental frequency (peak frequency in the first harmonic bandwidth), first harmonic bandwidth (total range of frequencies about the mode created by the fundamental frequency), and percent waveform distortion (the proportion of energy in a sound that is contained in the first harmonic band; for more details see Webb et al. 1984). Due to imperfect recordings or small sample sizes, not all of these features were measured for each category of fly. Statistical analysis is by Duncan's multiple range test and t-test. All results are in Table 1. There was a significant difference in the fundamental frequency of the calling song of wild males compared to those of both laboratory-reared males and females in 1985 (P<0.05). However, there were no differences among flies of the three groups in bandwidth or distortion of the song. The approach song of the wild male was also produced at a higher frequency than that of the laboratory-reared male (P<0.002). A possible contributing factor to the lower frequency of the reared flies was their notice-

Enhanced longevity and species‐specific resistance to malathion of adult mediterranean fruit flies, melon flies, and oriental fruit flies fed on diets with hydrolyzed protein

Abstract Mortalities of laboratory‐reared adult Mediterranean fruit flies, melon flies, and oriental fruit flies fed hydrolyzed protein were less than those fed whole protein or no protein. Dosage mortalities of these species treated with malathion showed differential toxicities for each species similar to the diet‐specific longevity relationships. Species‐specific sex differences in laboratory mortalities of adult flies were noted: male Mediterranean fruit flies lived longer than females; female melon flies and female oriental fruit flies lived longer than males.

Attractiveness of trans-Trimedlure and Its Four Isomers in Field Tests with the Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae)1

Trimedlure, tert -butyl 4(and 5)-chloro- cis - and trans -2-methylcyclohexane-1-carboxylate (TML), is the attractant for the male Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), and comprises eight isomers. trans -TML is a mixture of four isomers and is the attractive component of TML. The four trans isomers of TML were isolated in a purity of ca. 99% and their relative attractiveness C. Capitata was determined in field tests. Relative attractiveness of the isomers, which are designated TML-A, -B1, -B2 and -C, followed in the order TML-C >; TML-A > TML-B1, > TML-B2. Attraction was related to conformation of the substituents on the cyclohexane ring.

COMPARISON BETWEEN TRIMEDLURE AND CAPILURE®–ATTRACTANTS FOR MALE CERATITIS CAPITATA (WIEDEMANN) (DIPTERA: TEPHRITIDAE)

AbstractCapilure®, a product containing trimedlure mixed with extenders, was found to be as effective as trimedlure alone in capturing male Mediterranean fruit flies. Capilure®, used at a rate of 3 mL per Steiner trap on cotton wick dispensers, attracted male flies for 36 weeks in a citrus orchard in Perth, Western Australia, compared with 11 weeks for the same amount of pure trimedlure. Capilure® which had been exposed in traps for 36 weeks was as effective as fresh Capilure®.

Intragroup Stimulation of Pheromone Release by Male Mediterranean Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann males stimulate each other to higher levels of pheromone release when caged in groups. Ongoing stimulation is required to maintain the higher levels. Wingless males did not show the group effects. Flies separated by screening showed the group effect, but when either glass or perforated-paper barriers were placed between males, the stimulatory effect was obliterated. The reflection of the males stimulated pheromone release.

Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae): Distance/Response Curves to Trimedlure to Measure Trapping Efficiency

The probability of capture of male Mediterranean fruit flies, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), by trimedlure in a trap is described by an exponential curve derived with a good fit from 22 replications at each of six different distances. Not all males are responsive on any one day. There is a high probability of capture of nearby males which decreases rapidly to only a few percent at 240 m (800 ft).

Distribution and Seasonal Abundance of Adult Male Mediterranean Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Kula, Maui, Hawaii

Seasonal occurrence of the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata [Wiedemann]) was determined with 250 plastic (Nadel) traps baited with trimedlure to catch adult males in the Kula area of Maui, Hawaii, from 1978 to 1981. Adult C. capitata activity peaked during the week ending 27 June 1978 and 1979, during 15 May 1980 and 4 September 1981. Trap catches were significantly correlated with fruit infestations from weeks 10 to 12 following fruit collections for 1979 through 1981. In all 4 years, significantly more flies were caught in the 130 traps placed in host trees than in the 120 traps of nonhost trees. Few significant differences were evident among traps placed at different elevations (575 to 1,125 m) for all 4 years. However, high trap catches were correlated with high numbers of host trees surrounding each trap site. Results indicated that the host tree was the primary attractant and the baited trap was the secondary attractant.

Isolation and identification of the sex pheromone of the mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata(Wied)

The volatile compounds emitted by sexually mature male mediterranean fruit flies (Ceratitis capitata) have been identified and the key component involved in the sexual attraction of virgin female flies to males demonstrated to be the novel sex pheromone 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyrrole (1).

Genetic Recombination in Males of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly,1 and Its Relation to Automated Sexing Methods

Genetic recombination between ap and dc autosomal loci is 18.8 and 21.6% in heterozygous Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), females (in coupling and repulsion, respectively), and rare or nonexistent in heterozygous males. The introduction of a Y-autosome translocation in the Mediterranean fruit fly males triggered the occurrence of 0.15 and 1.98% recombination between the two loci in heterozygous males carrying the translocation. The effect of genetic recombination in males on automated sexing methods is discussed.

Responses of male Mediterranean fruit flies, Ceratitis capitata, to trimediure in a wind tunnel of novel design

ABSTRACT. The responses of male Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera; Tephritidae) to trimediure were investigated in a wind tunnel of novel design with disposable plastic walls. Trimediure was presented to the flies either in the form of a discrete ‘plume’ or uniformly dispersed in the air passing through the tunnel. The flies showed an increase in flight activity in response to the two forms of stimulation and performed a zig‐zag anemotactic flight in response to the plume, reminiscent of the behaviour of moths responding to a sex pheromone. They performed a straight, upwind, anemotactic response to the uniformly dispersed odour. The design of wind tunnel used in these tests was found to have several advantages: air flow and turbulence can be easily varied and the plastic walls can be changed to eliminate contamination problems.