Attraction, mating competitiveness enhancement and mortality of Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) in response to essential oils from native plants of Argentina.

LÓPEZ, M. L.; JOFRÉ-BARUD, F.; LÓPEZ, S.; RODRIGUEZ, C.; GÓMEZ, S.; TAPIA, A.; RUIZ, M. J.; JUÁREZ, M. L.; GOANE, L.; BACHMANN, G. E.; SEGURA, D.F.; VERA, M.T.

Congreso; 9th Meeting of the Tephritid Workers of the Western Hemisphere; 2016

Innovative and sustainable strategies to control insect pest populations focuslargely on behavioral modification. Volatile plant compounds may be readilydetected by insects and influence subsequent behavior. As a consequence, thestudy of essential oils has great potential to improve control of insect pests as an alternative to synthetic, and environmentally harmful, pesticides. This study aims to screen essential oils from non-host native plant species of Argentina in search of attractants that may both increase mortality or, enhance the mating competitiveness of sterile Ceratitis capitata males. The essential oils studied varied widely in chemical composition with respect to the relative concentrations of phenylpropanoids, mono and sesquiterpenes, nitroalkanes and isothiocyantes. Bioassays were performed on adults of both sexes. Methodologies included attraction, mating preference, and toxicity tests. The attractant properties were evaluated for the essential oils of 9 plant species. The essential oils from Baccharis spartioides (Hook & Arn DC) J. Remy and Schinus polygama (Cav). Cabrera were the most attractive to males, and both of these oils improved the mating performance of sterile males. The essential oil of Schinus areira L. was attractive to females. The LD50 was determined forthe essential oils of 13 plant species, by topical treatment (doses ranged from 0 to 100 μg/fly). The most toxic oils showed LD50 values from 2.6 to 20μg/fly. We conclude that 1) males and females of C. capitata are attracted to several essential oils from native plant species, 2) sterile males improve their mating performance by exposure to oils of different composition prior to mating and, 3) adult mortality is higher when they are treated with oils with high contents of hydrocarbons and oxygenated mono and sesquiterpenes. In all, our results provide information with potential application in lures for monitoring, attract and kill technologies and the sterile insect technique to improve C. capitata control.