COMPARISON OF CERALURE AND TRIMEDLURE ATTRACTANTS FOR THE MALE MEDITERRANEAN FRUIT-FLY (DIPTERA, TEPHRITIDAE)

The Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), is a majo r pest of fruits and vegetables in the world but, through an extensive trapping program, the continental United States has remained free of established populations. These traps are baited with 2 g of trimedlure which is highly attractive to the male flies. This study contrasts th e effectiveness of trimedlure and a new attractant, ceralure, which is an iodo-analog of trimedlure. Field tests in Hawaii using released st erile flies showed that the most attractive B1 isomer of ceralure caug ht 2 to 3 times as many male flies per mg as did the most attractive C isomer of trimedlure.