Tephritid fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) are of major economic importance to agriculture, trade and quarantine worldwide. To monitor populations of these Tephritid pests agencies deploy and maintain detection traps most of which are baited with attractants. Typically, in response to pest outbreaks, trapping density increases and quarantine protocols are implemented, which often require that host fruit be treated with pesticides. The identification of new potent attractants useful in trapping schemes for early detection provides a critical opportunity for reducing economic and environmental issues should an outbreak occur. While some trap lures are highly attractive, others need major improvement. For example, methyl eugenol for Bactrocera dorsalis (oriental fruit fly) and cue-lure for Bactrocera cucurbitae (melon fly) are classified as highly effective attractants. In contrast, the widely used and well-studied attractant for Ceratitis capitata (Mediterranean fruit fly, trimedlure) is classified as a weak attractant. While a chemical lure, derived from the male-produced sex and aggregation pheromones, for the genus Anastrapha (e.g. A. ludens Mexican fruit fly and A. Suspensa Caribbean fruit fly) has remained elusive. An overview of chemical based trapping and new opportunities for designing attractants useful for monitoring fruit fly pests in the genus Anastrapha, Ceratitis and Bactrocera will be discussed. Specifically, a new gram-scale synthesis of the pheromones, (±)-anastrephin and (±)-epianastrephin, useful for developing an effective pheromone-based trap for Anastrepha fruit flies and a new field tested formulation of female specific food-based lures (i.e. ammonium acetate, trimethylamine-HCl and putrescine) will be presented. Also discussed are the key design and selection criteria (i.e. SAR, synthetic complexity, patentability, volatile release kinetics, bioassay and field data) used to identify and develop new attractant for C. capitata, promising integrated pest management tools.

Advances in the synthesis, design, and formulation of semiochemicals used to control tephritid fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae)

2019 Fall National Meeting

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.