The behavioral responses of Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) to predominant volatile compounds of apricot

Abstract

Ceratitis capitata Wiedmann (Diptera: Tephritidae) is a significant pest of apricot (Prunus armeniaca) fruit in the spring and summer seasons in Türkiye. New integrated pest management techniques are required to reduce dependency on insecticides used for its control that may result in adverse environmental impacts. In the current study, we analyzed the volatiles emitted by apricot fruit using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). We tested the behavioral responses of C. capitata to some of the identified compounds in the laboratory. Our results demonstrated that in four-arm olfactometer bioassays, C. capitata was more attracted to cis-3-hexenyl acetate and ethyl acetate than (Z)-2-hexenyl butyrate and the control. In the wind tunnel, the landing rate on cis-3-hexenyl acetate was higher than those on (Z)-2-hexenyl butyrate and ethyl acetate. Our findings may support the development of attractants for novel control strategies against C. capitata in orchards.