Tephritid Fruit Fly Semiochemicals: Current Knowledge and Future Perspectives

Simple Summary Tephritid fruit flies comprise pests of high agricultural relevance and species that have emerged as global invaders. Chemical signals play key roles in multiple steps of a fruit fly's life. The production and detection of chemical cues are critical in many behavioural interactions of tephritids, such as finding mating partners and hosts for oviposition. The characterisation of the molecules involved in these behaviours sheds light on understanding the biology and ecology of fruit flies and in addition provides a solid base for developing novel species-specific pest control tools by exploiting and/or interfering with chemical perception. Here we provide a comprehensive overview of the extensive literature on different types of chemical cues emitted by tephritids, with a focus on the most relevant fruit fly pest species. We describe the chemical identity, production modality and behavioural relevance of volatile pheromones, host-marking pheromones and cuticular hydrocarbons, as well as the technological advances available for their characterisation. The variegate set of approaches integrating the use of the identified chemical signals for the control of wild populations of key pests is also explored. Last but not least, key challenges for future basic to applied research regarding tephritids are outlined. The Dipteran family Tephritidae (true fruit flies) comprises more than 5000 species classified in 500 genera distributed worldwide. Tephritidae include devastating agricultural pests and highly invasive species whose spread is currently facilitated by globalization, international trade and human mobility. The ability to identify and exploit a wide range of host plants for oviposition, as well as effective and diversified reproductive strategies, are among the key features supporting tephritid biological success. Intraspecific communication involves the exchange of a complex set of sensory cues that are species- and sex-specific. Chemical signals, which are standing out in tephritid communication, comprise long-distance pheromones emitted by one or both sexes, cuticular hydrocarbons with limited volatility deposited on the surrounding substrate or on the insect body regulating medium- to short-distance communication, and host-marking compounds deposited on the fruit after oviposition. In this review, the current knowledge on tephritid chemical communication was analysed with a special emphasis on fruit fly pest species belonging to the Anastrepha, Bactrocera, Ceratitis, Rhagoletis and Zeugodacus genera. The multidisciplinary approaches adopted for characterising tephritid semiochemicals, and the real-world applications and challenges for Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and biological control strategies are critically discussed. Future perspectives for targeted research on fruit fly chemical communication are highlighted.

Automated summary

This article provides an overview of the importance of chemical signals in fruit flies' biology, ecology, and pest control, highlighting the role of various chemical cues in fruit fly behavioral interactions and species-specific recognition. Additionally, key challenges for future research in both basic and applied aspects of tephritids are outlined.