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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Miami, Florida » Subtropical Horticulture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #353939
Research Project: Methyl Bromide Replacement: Mitigation of the Invasive Pest Threat from the American Tropics and Subtropics

Location: Subtropical Horticulture Research

Title: Attraction of Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) sterile males to essential oils: the importance of linalool

Author
item NIOGRET, JEROME - Niogret Ecology Consulting
item Epsky, Nancy

Submitted to: Environmental Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/18/2018
Publication Date: 10/1/2018
Citation: Niogret, J., Epsky, N.D. 2018. Attraction of Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) sterile males to essential oils: the importance of linalool. Environmental Entomology. 47(5):1287-1292.

Interpretive Summary: The Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly) is the most important pest of fruits and vegetables worldwide. Ginger root oil, although not a host for this fruit fly, can be used as an attractant for males. The chemicals from ginger root oil responsible for male attraction are unknown. Therefore, scientists at SHRS conducted research to determine which chemicals present in ginger root oil are responsible for attraction. Blends of chemicals identified from ginger root oil attracted equal numbers of males in laboratory tests. Subsequent tests found that one of the chemicals, linalool, is primarily responsible for attraction and that addition of linalool to plant essential oils increased number of males attracted. The results of this study will allow a better understanding of the role of individual plant-based chemicals in the attraction of male medflies. This information may lead to improved tools for fruit fly detection and control for use by growers and regulatory agencies.

Technical Abstract: Small cage and wind tunnel bioassays were used to understand the role of volatile chemicals found in ginger root oil and other essential oils in the attraction of sterile male Mediterranean fruit flies, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann). Small cage bioassays found that both a 10 component blend (geraniol, linalool, ß-myrcene, limonene, a-pinene, ß-pinene, ß- caryophyllene, terpinen-4-ol, a-terpineol and a-humulene) and a 4 component subset of that blend (geraniol, linalool, ß-myrcene and limonene) were more attractive than paired mineral oil controls. Both blends were equally attractive as ginger root oil and each other. Deletion studies, which tested all 3 component blends, found decreased attraction when linalool was deleted from the 4 component blend. Linalool alone was found to attract an equal percentage of flies as the 4 component blend, confirming that this chemical was responsible primarily for attraction to ginger root oil. Wind tunnel bioassays confirmed previous studies that panel traps baited with ginger root oil captured more flies than traps baited with manuka oil. Addition of linalool to manuka oil resulted in capture equal to ginger root oil, and addition of linalool to ginger root oil resulted in capture of more flies than ginger root alone. The results of this study will allow a better understanding of the role of individual plant-based chemicals in the attraction of male C. capitata.