Environmental Entomology · 1991 · 60 citations · 0 references
Specific hunger and effects of specific hunger on attractiveness of three types of olfactory feeding attractants to a laboratory strain of Mexican fruit fly, Anastrepha ludens (Loew), were investigated in laboratory bioassays and greenhouse flight chamber experiments. Newly emerged flies (up to 4 d old) fed preferentially on sugar over protein, whereas 5–9–d–old flies undergoing sexual maturation fed about equally on sugar and protein. Sugar or protein deprivation increased feeding preference for sugar or protein, respectively, whereas constant access to sugar or protein decreased preference for the respective nutrient. Sugarv hunger, whether age-dependent or deprivation-induced, increased attractiveness to flies of CEH, a fruit-derived attractant consisting of 1,8-cineole, ethyl hexanoate and hexanol, relative to two proteinaceous lures. Protein hunger dramatically increased attractiveness of bacteria, a purported protein source for fruit flies, relative to CEH. Protein hunger also increased attractiveness of torula yeast, a commonly used proteinaceous lure, compared with CEH, although attractiveness of torula yeast did not become greater than attractiveness of CEH. Combinations of torula yeast and CEH were not more attractive than CEH alone to any age-feeding history groups of flies. Combinations of CEH and bacterial odor were never more attractive than bacterial odor alone to protein-hungry flies and were actually less attractive then CEH alone to the one group of sugar-hungry flies (2–3–d–old unfed) that was tested.