Effect of methyl eugenol consumption on the attaraction and mating of fruit fly, bactrocera umbrose fabricius ( diptera : tephritidae)

Abstract

Bactrocera umbrosa is an important pest of jackfruit and cempedak in Malaysia. The attraction of female and male Bactrocera umbrosa to conspecific males fed with methyl e.ugenol (ME) was studied in a wind tunnel. The attraction increased with the decrease in light intensity and decreased as dusk approaches. At 18:45 h, which is the peak response period of female attraction, 40% of females were attracted to MEfed conspecific males whereas only 20% of females were attracted to ME-deprived males. The attraction of males to ME-fed and ME-deprived conspecific males showed no peak response period with the highest percentage being 22.5 % for ME-fed males and 15.0% for ME-deprived males respectively. Greater attraction was observed in females to ME-fed than to ME-deprived as dusk approaches.