ARS | Publication request: FIELD CAPTURES OF WILD MELON FLY, BACTROCERA CUCURBITAE (COQUILLETT) WITH AN IMPROVED MALE ATTRACTANT RASPBERRY KETONE FORMATE

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: April 23, 2007
Publication Date: August 1, 2007
Citation: Jang, E.B., Casana Giner, V., Oliver, J.E. 2007. Field captures of wild melon fly, bactrocera cucurbitae (coquillett) with an improved male attractant, raspberry ketone formate. Journal of Economic Entomology. 100(4):1124-1128(5).

Interpretive Summary: In this study we evaluated an improved attractant for male Melon fly. We tested the new lure against the current standard male lure and evaluated its relative attraction against wild flies in Hawaii. We found that the improved lure (raspberry ketone formate) is significantly better at attracting wild melon flies than the current standard (cuelure) in nearly all of the trials. The effects increased with increasing amounts of the lure used. We also tested the new lure for possible degradation in the environment but found that this would be a problem at the amounts normally used. If the new lure can be manufactured cost-effectively, it could replace cuelure in detection and control programs against this pest.

Technical Abstract: Further field - trapping evaluations of the new male attractant, raspberry ketone formate(formic acid 4-(3-oxobutyl)phenyl ester), were conducted with wild populations of melon flies, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett), to determine its activity in the field and to evaluate new plastic matrix formulations. All tests were compared with the standard melon fly attractant, cuelure (4-(4-acetoxyphenyl)-2-butanone) which is the attractant of choice for detection programs aimed at melon fly and other cuelure responding Bactrocera fruit flies. Results of these tests confirmed earlier work, which showed that at a 1ml dose, raspberry ketone formate (RKF) was 1.5 to 2 times more attractive compared to cuelure for up to thirteen weeks in the field. Lower doses applied on cotton wicks were less active possibly due to hydrolysis of RKF to raspberry ketone. Raspberry ketone formate embedded in a plastic plug formulation was also field- tested and showed to be more attractive to male melon fly compared to cuelure (CL). The use of this new attractant for use in control and detection programs is discussed.