Methyl Eugenol and Mating Competitiveness of Irradiated Male Bactrocera philippinensis (Diptera: Tephritidae)
Abstract
Males of many dacine tephritids are strongly attracted to methyl eugenol, a natural compound occurring in a variety of plant species. Here, we investigated the effect of methyl eugenol on male reproductive behavior in Bactrocera philippinensis (Drew & Hancock). In mating trials conducted on caged host plants, irradiated males that fed on methyl eugenol 3 or 5 days before testing had a mating advantage over wild males that were not given access to the lure. Additional tests showed that feeding on methyl eugenol increased male signaling activity (wing-fanning) and hence male attractiveness to females. The tendency of males to feed on methyl eugenol following an initial exposure was also examined. Following an initial feeding on the lure, irradiated (but not wild) males were less likely to feed in tests conducted 5 days later. The possibility of releasing methyl eugenol-exposed, irradiated males as a control strategy is discussed.Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright for any article published in Florida Entomologist is held by the author(s) of the article. Florida Entomologist is an open access journal. Florida Entomologist follows terms of the Creative Commons, Attribution Non-Commercial License (cc by-nc). By submitting and publishing articles in Florida Entomologist, authors grant the FOJ and Florida Entomologist's host institutions permission to make the article available through Internet posting and electronic dissemination, and to otherwise archive the information contained both electronically and in a hard printed version. When used, information and images obtained from articles must be referenced and cited appropriately. Articles may be reproduced for personal, educational, or archival purposes, or any non-commercial use. Permission should be sought from the author(s) for multiple, non-commercial reproduction. Written permission from the author(s) is required for any commercial reproduction.