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

MARÍA LIZA LÓPEZ; FLAVIA JOFRÉ BARUD; SANDRA LÓPEZ; CECILIA RODRÍGUEZ; SILVIA GÓMEZ; ALEJANDRO TAPIA; MARÍA JOSEFINA RUIZ; MARÍA LAURA JUÁREZ; LUCÍA GOANE; GUILLERMO BACHMANN; DIEGO SEGURA; MARÍA TERESA VERA

Congreso; 9 Reunión del grupo de trabajo en Mosca de la Fruta del Hemisferio Occidental (Meeting of Tephritid Workers of Western Hemiphere).; 2016

SENASA

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 analternative to synthetic, and environmentally harmful, pesticides. This study aimsto screen essential oils from non-host native plant species of Argentina in search ofattractants that may both increase mortality or, enhance the mating competitivenessof sterile Ceratitis capitata males. The essential oils studied varied widely in chemicalcomposition with respect to the relative concentrations of phenylpropanoids, monoand sesquiterpenes, nitroalkanes and isothiocyantes. Bioassays were performed onadults of both sexes. Methodologies included attraction, mating preference, andtoxicity tests. The attractant properties were evaluated for the essential oils of 9plant species. The essential oils from Baccharis spartioides (Hook & Arn DC) J.Remy and Schinus polygama (Cav). Cabrera were the most attractive to males, andboth of these oils improved the mating performance of sterile males. The essentialoil 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 0to 100 μg/fly). The most toxic oils showed LD50 values from 2.6 to 20μg/fly. Weconclude that 1) males and females of C. capitata are attracted to several essentialoils from native plant species, 2) sterile males improve their mating performanceby exposure to oils of different composition prior to mating and, 3) adult mortalityis higher when they are treated with oils with high contents of hydrocarbons andoxygenated mono and sesquiterpenes. In all, our results provide information withpotential application in lures for monitoring, attract and kill technologies and thesterile insect technique to improve C. capitata control.