Collection of host-marking pheromone from Rhagoletis mendax (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Abstract

AbstractBlueberry fruit fly, Rhagoletis mendax Curran (Diptera: Tephritidae), females deposit a host-marking pheromone (HMP) on the surface of fruit immediately after oviposition that deters oviposition by female conspecifics. We collected this HMP from artificial oviposition devices and faeces. In subsequent two-choice bioassays, gravid females showed a strong preference for untreated oviposition devices as compared to those treated with extracts from either of these two sources. The methods described for collecting HMP of R. mendax will be useful for its eventual identification and synthesis, with potential applications in R. mendax management.