STRUCTURAL VARIANTS OF METHYL EUGENOL AND THEIR ATTRACTIVENESS TO THEORIENTAL FRUIT-FLY (DIPTERA, TEPHRITIDAE)

Eight of 44 selected analogs of veratrole showed promise as attractant s for male, oriental fruit fly, Dacus dorsalis Hendel, in week-long fi eld tests when compared with a standard methyl eugenol (ME) lure. 4-Pr opyl- and 4(and 5)-allyl-2-ethoxy-1-methoxybenzene were the most effec tive of the eight promising lures showing high levels of initial and p ersistent attraction. 4-Ethyl-2-ethoxy-1-methoxybenzene showed a high level of initial attraction but lacked persistence as did its correspo nding dimethoxy analog. High levels of attractancy demonstrated by sev eral analogs evaluated in this study suggest that they could serve as potential alternatives to ME, if a critical need arises and their toxi city is acceptable. Despite previous studies showing that 889 chemical s were attractive to D. dorsalis in olfactometer tests, only three of the chemicals showed promise in the field.