Alpha-Ionol as Attractant for Trapping Bactrocera latifrons (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Abstract

Many essential oils, synthetic aroma formulations, and compounds with structural Similarity to the commonly used lures for males of several tephritid fruit fly pests were bioassayed in olfactometers for their attractancy to males and females of Bactrocera latifrons (Hendel). A group of ionone- and ionol-related compounds was found to be highly attractive to laboratory-reared males; among these compounds, α-ionol and β-ionol were the most attractive, with a-ionol being chemically more stable than its β-isomer. Consistent with the results obtained using laboratory-reared adults, wild B. latifrons males were more attracted to a-ionol than females. In addition, males showed more attraction to a-ionol than hydrolyzed protein bait. Under natural field conditions, however, the density of feral B. latifrons females in hydrolyzed protein bait traps was higher than the density of males in α-ionol traps.