ARS | Publication request: ELECTROANTENNOGRAM RESPONSES OF CARIBBEAN FRUIT FLY, ANASTREPHA SUSPENSA (DIPTERA: TEPHRITIDAE), TO AMMONIA AND CARBON DIOXIDE

Submitted to: Entomological Society of America Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: October 29, 2004
Publication Date: October 29, 2004
Citation: Kendra, P.E., Vazquez, A., Heath, R.R. 2004. Electroantennogram responses of caribbean fruit fly, anastrepha suspensa (diptera: tephritidae), to ammonia and carbon dioxide. Entomological Society of America Proceedings.

Technical Abstract: Ammonium bicarbonate is an attractant commonly used in trapping systems for tropical fruit flies. Electroantennogram (EAG) recordings were taken from sexually mature Caribbean fruit flies, Anastrepha suspensa (Loew), to measure chemoreceptive response to a commercial ammonium bicarbonate lure. In addition, EAG responses were quantified for pure ammonia (NH3), for pure carbon dioxide (CO2), and for a mixture of the two gases comparable to that released from the lure. For all compounds tested, mean female response was greater than male response. For both sexes, NH3 elicited a significantly larger amplitude EAG response than did CO2. When NH3 and CO2 were combined, either as a mixture of pure gases or as the vapor emitted from the lure, the EAG response was approximately equal to the sum of the individual responses to the two compounds. This additive response suggests that two distinct olfactory receptor types are involved. The EAG results are used to present a simple hyperbolic model for describing antennal response to single attractants. This model can be used to compare sensitivity to different attractants, to predict EAG responses from specific quantities of attractants, and to determine maximum response attainable for a given stimulus.