Natural Oil Lure Outperforms Trimedlure in Capturing Males of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly, Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Abstract

Abstract Females of certain tephritid fruit fly species (Diptera: Tephritidae) pose an enormous agricultural threat, as they oviposit in commercially important fruits and vegetables. To mitigate potential losses, year-round trapping networks are often operated in fruit fly-free areas to detect incipient infestations. Trapping relies largely on male attractants, so-called male lures, with trimedlure (TML) being used to detect invasive Ceratitis spp. Operating large-scale surveillance programs incurs substantial costs for both supplies and labor, and the problem is exacerbated by the fact that trimedlure (as well as other male lures) is effective for relatively short intervals in the field (6–8 weeks). Because frequent servicing increases costs, there is considerable interest in modifying existing lures or developing new formulations to extend their effective field longevity. Here, we present results of a field study on a wild population of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), that indicate that a novel natural oil formulation, containing the natural plant product α-copaene, is a potent lure that is as effective as fresh trimedlure for as long as 24 weeks. Future work will focus on developing a dispenser for this formulation that is compatible with standard trap design and deployment.