Attractiveness of methyl anthranilate and its related compounds to the flower thrips, Thrips hawaiiensis (Morgan), T-coloratus Schmutz, T-flavus Schrank and Megalurothrips distalis (Karny) (Thysanoptera : Thripidae)

Methyl anthranilate, a common flower volatile component, was found to be a potent attractant for four species of flower thrips, Thrips hawaiiensis, T coloratus, T flavus, and Megalurothrips distalis, irrespective of sex. Meth yl anthranilate attracted significantly larger numbers of these four specie s than p-anisaldehyde, an already-known attractant for several species of f lower thrips. The attractiveness of the related compounds varied between th e species: Within 13 related compounds; two positional isomers and 11 funct ional-group-substituted compounds; o-anisidine and o-aminoacetophenone for T hawaiiensis, and methyl m-aminobenzoate, o-anisidine, methyl benzoate and methyl o-toluate for T coloratus, were almost as attractive as methyl anth ranilate. Meanwhile, no compounds except for methyl anthranilate were attra ctive to T. flavus and M. distalis.