OLFACTORY RESPONSES OF ANASTREPHA OBLIQUA (DIPTERA: TEPHRITIDAE) TO VOLATILES EMITTED BY CALLING MALES

The West Indian fruit fly, Anastrepha obliqua (Macquart), is considered one of the most important pests of mango (Mangifera indica L.) and hog plums (Spondias spp.) in Latin America. A better understanding of the role of chemical compounds during the sexual behavior of A. obliqua may be useful to improve the monitoring of this tephritid fruit fly pest. The objectives of this study were: (1) to evaluate the attraction of females and males to live calling males and to Super Q extracts of calling males; (2) to measure the female and males antennal responses to extracts from live calling males; (3) and to identify the compounds emitted by A. obliqua males during calling by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Both sexes were attracted to live males and to male extracts. Extracts from males elicited significant antennal responses from both sexes compared to those evoked by the control. GC-MS analyses of the volatile extracts showed that calling A. obliqua males consistently emitted 9 compounds, 6 of which are reported for the first time for this fruit fly species. Preliminary bioassays showed that females and males were attracted to (Z)-3-nonenol and (Z)-3-nonenol + beta-farnesene. Further identification of the unknown compounds and their synthesis remain to be performed in order to evaluate their biological activity.