MONOFLUORO ANALOGS OF METHYL EUGENOL - NEW ATTRACTANTS FOR MALES OF BACTROCERA-DORSALIS (HENDEL) (DIPT, TEPHRITIDAE)

Reports questioning the safety of methyl eugenol (1,2-dimethoxy-4-[2-p ropenyl] benzene) stimulated us to develop and test synthetic analogue s that may be used as alternative attractants for oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), males. Attraction to one propyl-substitu ted and six monofluorine-substituted methyl eugenol analogues were com pared with attraction to methyl eugenol in field bioassays with both l aboratory-reared and wild oriental fruit fly males. The attractiveness of the test compounds to oriental fruit fly males was compared using two parameters: number of adults caught per trap and number of adults caught per mg of compounds released in traps. Based on these two param eters (E)1,2-dimethoxy-4-(3-fluoro-2-propenyl)benzene was consistently as attractive as methyl eugenol to both laboratory-reared and wild or iental fruit fly males. With further studies to determine optimum rele ase rates, (E)-1,2-dimethoxy-4-(3-fluoro-2-propenyl)benzene may potent ially replace methyl eugenol for survey, detection, delimitation of in festation and eradication of oriental fruit fly populations.