Attraction and electroantennogram responses of male Mediterranean fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) to six plant essential oils

Abstract

The present study investigated the differential attractiveness of six natural essential oils in comparison with trimedlure to (1) sterile males Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wied.), in laboratory and field cage bioassays conducted in Florida and (2) wild males in field tests conducted in Honduras. Male electroantennogram (EAG) response to the volatiles emitted from the essential oils, was recorded and identify and quantify the terpenoid emissions. Among the oils evaluated, ginger root oil was the most attractive. The amount of α-copaene emitted from oil substrates was not correlated with fly preferences in the bioassays or field tests, nor with the amplitude of EAG response, suggesting that additional chemicals may be necessary to elicit attraction of C. capitata. Male preferences among essential oils were positively correlated with the emissions of three male pheromone precursors, β-myrcene, linalool and geraniol, in addition to camphene and α-terpineol.