Behavioural and electrophysiological response of Anastrepha fraterculus (Diptera: Tephritidae) to -lactone synthetic semiochemical

GOANE LUCÍA; CARRIZO BEATRIZ; RUIZ, MARÍA JOSEFINA; BACHMANN, GUILLERMO ENRIQUE; MILLA FABIAN H.; SEGURA DIEGO F.; KUZMICH DAN; WALSE SPENCER; VERA, M TERESA

Insects

MDPI

Año: 2023

2075-4450

Attractants are a powerful tool for pest management. The lack of specific attractants for20 Anastrepha fraterculus, a complex of cryptic species of great economic importance in21 South America, makes it difficult to monitor the pest in the field. The -lactone male sex22 and aggregation pheromones of several Anastrepha species, naturally released in a 7:323 epianastrephin to anastrephin ratio, and a synthetic -lactone analog with gem-dimethyl24 groups (dimethyl) at C(4), were evaluated as potential attractants within this genus.25 Different age and mating status of A. fraterculus males and females were evaluated during26 electroantennography (EAG) and field cage experiments in which polymeric lures were27 deployed to contain 100 mg of attractant. Epianastrephin and dimethyl were EAG+ for all28 fly conditions; with epianastrephin eliciting the highest response for both sexes; and29 immature flies showing greater responsiveness than mature ones. In field cages, immature30 flies showed attractiveness only to leks; virgin females to leks, dimethyl and both31 epianastrephin-anastrephin formulations (95 and 70 wt.% epianastrephin); mature-mated32 males to leks, dimethyl and 70 wt.% epianastrephin; and mature-mated females only to33 leks. Our bioassays showed a promising performance of the analog dimethyl since it34 elicited the same response as epianastrephin, requires less steps to synthesize and contains35 one less chiral center than the natural pheromones. The attraction to leks was recorded for36 all mating status and ages of flies and suggests that calling males may have released food37 and host cues which could be acting as a sensory trap. The addition of any of these38 compounds in the synthetic attractants may result in a greater attraction and thus deserves39 further evaluation. Dose response experiments will provide additional information to move40 a step forward and validate the results obtained in open field conditions.