Behavioural response of melon fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett) (Diptera: Tephritidae) to cue lure and protein fed conspecifics body volatiles

Abstract

Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett), is an important pest of several vegetable crops. Detection and monitoring of this pestiferous species rely heavily upon male lure or parapheromone cue lure. Consuming natural male lure compounds by males of tephritid fruit flies enables them to mate more successfully within their female choice mating systems. Here, we studied the olfactory behavioural response of mature male and female melon flies to body volatiles of cue lure fed and unfed mature male melon flies and protein fed immature male and female, protein unfed mature male and female melon flies body volatile. Olfactometer assay results revealed that female melon flies were highly attracted towards the cue lure fed male flies body volatile and male melon flies towards the cue lure unfed male flies body volatile. Our study also revealed the chemical composition of body volatiles collected from the aforesaid treatments and N-(3-Methylbutyl) acetamide was found to be abundant in the body volatile samples.