IDENTIFICATION OF THE VOLATILE COMPONENTS OF E802 MAZOFERM STEEPWATER, A CONDENSED FERMENTED CORN EXTRACTIVE HIGHLY ATTRACTIVE TO THE MEXICAN FRUIT-FLY (DIPTERA, TEPHRITIDAE)

A dynamic headspace analysis was performed on the volatile components of E802 Mazoferm steepwater, a condensed fermented corn extractive, th at is highly attractive in laboratory and field tests to adult Mexican fruit flies, Anastrepha ludens (Loew). Chemical characterization was accomplished by capillary GC and GC/MS methods. A total of 19 compound s were identified, and these were comprised of 6 alcohols, 5 esters, 3 aldehydes, 2 lactones, an alkyl furan, an acid, and a trisulfide. Whe n E802 Mazoferm steepwater was analyzed at pH 3.9, the five most abund ant compounds in the volatiles (in descending order) were 3-methyl-1-b utanol (43.9%), ethyl lactate (23.7%), ethanol (15.4%), 2-methyl-1-pro panol (12.8%), and ethyl acetate(0.71%). At pH 8.0, the same five comp ounds were again the most abundant. Except for a reversal in order for the first two compounds, the order was the same: ethyl lactate (37.3% ), 3-methyl-1-butanol (32.5%), ethanol (14.2%), 2-methyl-1-propanol (1 0.4%), and ethyl acetate (3.09%).