The field efficacy of a bait containing phloxine B, uranine and Provesta 621 protein was tested against Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata; Medfly) by aerial and ground spraying in about 84 ha of coffee fields in Kauai, Hawaii, USA. Concurrently, soil and crop samples were collected from the aerially sprayed field and its unsprayed control field for residue studies. Efficacy of the sprays was assessed through trapping with both protein-baited and trimedlure-baited traps and through the infestation level of coffee cherries collected at least three-quarters ripe. The C capitata population was low at the start of the aerial and ground spray studies, but dramatically increased in the control fields. This increase coincided with initial ripening of coffee cherries. During times of peak population levels, C capitata populations were reduced by more than 91% in the ground-sprayed field and 99% in the aerial-sprayed field, relative to the populations in their respective control fields and based on protein-baited trap catches. Results of residue analyses indicated that uranine dissipated quickly compared with phloxine B on coffee and soil. Coffee samples collected at pre-spray periods had phloxine B residues of 7.2-25.5 ng g-1 on berries. Phloxine B concentrations were much higher on coffee leaves (163-1120 ng g-1). Lower concentrations of the dye were found from coffee samples collected during rainy days. Average phloxine B concentrations immediately after spraying were 56 and 2840 ng g-1 in coffee berries and leaves, respectively. Dissipation of phloxine B on berries was fast, with a half-life (t1/2) of 3 days. Dissipation of phloxine B on leaves was fitted to two linear phases: the initial (0-4 days) with a shorter t1/2 of 3 days and the later phase (4-28 days) with a longer t1/2 of 15 days. Average concentrations of phloxine B in the top soil ranged from 50 to 590 ng g-1 at pre-spray. Phloxine B initial concentration (770 ng g-1) reached a plateau immediately after the last spraying, but showed a steady decline over time with t1/2 of 16 days. Fast dissipation of the dyes in the field indicates that these chemicals may be environmentally compatible and therefore a promising alternative for fruit fly control.

Commercially prepared ceralure-B1, an attractant for the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae), was evaluated in trapping tests by comparison with commercial ceralure and trimedlure. Jackson traps were used for medfly captures. The residual ceralure-B1, ceralure, and trimedlure contents of aged dispensers were determined. The results of this study show that male medfly captures from traps with ceralure-B1 were as high or higher than male medfly captures from traps with twice the quantity of ceralure or trimedlure. The use of regioselectively synthesized ceralure-B1, enriched in B1, as a source of a more potent attractant than commercial ceralure and as a more persistent male medfly attractant than trimedlure is reported.

A new commercial plug dispenser containing trimedlure, the parapheromone for male medflies, Ceraritis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae), was developed and tested. The dispenser showed high efficacy in comparison to reference cotton wicks baited with trimedlure and to the standard AgriSense plug dispenser, containing trimedlure, now in use in all medfly detection programs. Fly captures were not significantly different with the two styles of plugs when aged and tested in Hawaii. When both plugs were aged in California and then tested in Hawaii, the fly captures with the new plug were not significantly different from the standard AgriSense plug except for being significantly higher for the T-1 and T-2 weeks of aging. The residual amounts of trimedlure in the new plug after each aging period in California compared to that in the AgriSense plug during the same aging period were 6.8% and 3.2% greater for T-0 and T-1 weeks aged, respectively, and 13.6%, 19.1%, and 26.2% less for T-2, T-4, T-6 weeks aged, respectively. However, the emission rates of the California-aged new plug exceeded that of the California-aged standard AgriSense plug by 7.2, 29.6, 33.3, 14.6, and 9.5% for T-0, T-1, T-2, T-4, and T-6, respectively.

The oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), is a tephritid fruit fly that is a serious pest of a wide range of tropical fruits. Populations of oriental and other fruit fly species are often suppressed by utilizing aerial or ground sprays of hydrolysed protein bait mixed with malathion. Although proven to be efficacious, spraying food bait mixed with malathion in urban areas is strongly opposed by the public because of perceived public health and environmental risks. To suppress the population level of oriental fruit fly in a guava orchard in Hawaii, we used the light-activated xanthene dye, phloxine B (2',4',5',7'-tetrabromo-4,5,6,7-tetrachlorofluorescein, disodium salt), as an alternative to malathion in protein bait sprays. Because phloxine B must be ingested to be toxic, it is expected that phloxine B bait sprays will have less impact on non-target insects than the contact insecticide malathion. Evidence of suppression of oriental fruit fly population in the treatment orchard was provided by both protein bait trap catches and assessment of fruit infestation. This suppression was achieved even though there was an unsprayed guava orchard on two sides of the small (less than 2.0ha) sprayed orchard. These results, combined with results for other fruit fly species (presented elsewhere), indicate that phloxine B-protein bait sprays can be effective in suppressing populations of several different fruit fly species and that phloxine B is a potential replacement for malathion in bait sprays for tephritid fruit fly suppression/eradication programs.

The attraction of male Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) to tert-pentyl 4(and 5)-chloro-trans-2-methylcyclohexanecarboxylate (or pentamedlure) was compared to its attraction to trimedlure to establish the suitability of pentamedlure as a possible alternate for trimedlure in applications that use a cotton dental-roll wick dispenser. Results from field tests with released sterile C. capitata showed that pentamedlure, applied to cotton dental roll wicks, was not only comparable to trimedlure in attractiveness but was more persistent. Batch to batch variations in isomer distribution of pentamedlure appeared to have little effect on attraction. Dose-response data showed that pentamedlure, applied at 0.02 and 0.16 ml/wick, initially caught more flies than trimedlure at comparable doses. Moreover, initial catches for pentamedlure for most dosages tested exceeded, but not significantly, initial catches for trimedlure despite a much higher load (2 ml/wick). Trimedlure initial catches within a natural population of wild C. capitata were significantly higher than pentamedlure catches at a comparable dosage (0.2 ml lure/wick). However, pentamedlure-treated wicks were 2 to 3 times more persistent than wicks treated with trimedlure.

Ceralure or trimedlure polymeric TNO panels in C&C traps were compared for attractancy by the capture of male Mediterranean fruit flies, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann). This study contrasts the effectiveness of ceralure with trimedlure, the former of which is an iodo-analog of trimedlure. Field tests in Hawaii with released flies showed that the active ceralure B1 isomer in a commercial mixture of ceralure isomers consistently caught as many male flies as active trimedlure C isomer in a commercial mixture of trimedlure isomers at one-half the molar quantity of trimedlure C. These panels caught 6.4 and 5.2 times, for ceralure and trimedlure, respectively, more than the standard 2 g trimedlure AgriSense aged plug over a 26-week period. The persistence of ceralure is demonstrated by residual analyses of aged panels that revealed the presence of 2.75 times more ceralure than trimedlure in panels after 130 days of field exposure.

The Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, is a major pest of fruits and vegetables in the world. With the help of an extensive trapping program, the continental United States has remained free of established medfly populations. In an effort to increase trapping efficiency, controlled-release polymeric panels with trimedlure and ceralure were developed in conjunction with the development of a new trap, the C&C trap. This study contrasts the effectiveness of different panel formulations with the standard trimedlure polymeric plug and describes the use of the panels in the C&C trap. Field tests in Hawaii using released sterile flies showed consistently higher male medfly catches with panels in C&C traps than with the standard trimedlure polymeric plug in Jackson traps.

The Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), is a major pest of fruits and vegetables in the world but, through an extensive trapping program, the continental United States has remained free of established populations. These traps are baited with 2 g of trimedlure which is highly attractive to the male flies. This study contrasts the effectiveness of trimedlure and a new attractant, ceralure, which is an iodo-analog of trimedlure. Field tests in Hawaii using released sterile flies showed that the most attractive B1 isomer of ceralure caught 2 to 3 times as many male flies per mg as did the most attractive C isomer of trimedlure.

Experiments were conducted to determine the light-activated toxicity of a 1:1 molar mixture of phloxine B and fluorescein or phloxine B alone in methyl eugenol to oriental fruit ny, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), males. Containers with 4 entry holes and wicks holding dye concentrations ranging from 1.28 x 10(-2) M to 8.58 x 10(-2) were set out in an orchard, in a location shaded from direct sunlight. After either 1.5 or 2 hours, the entry holes were covered with screen, entrapping any flies which had been attracted into the container, and the traps were moved to full daylight conditions. Mortality counts were then taken periodically over the next 2 - 3 hours. At a concentration of 4.29 x 10(-2) M of the 1:1 molar mixture of phloxine B and fluorescein and at concentrations of 4.29 x 10(-2) M and 8.58 x 10(-2) M of phloxine B alone, 100% mortality occurred within two hours of exposure to full daylight. For times less than 2 hours, for both phloxine B alone and the phloxine B and fluorescein mixture, higher dye concentrations resulted in higher percentage mortalities. Phloxine B alone, or in combination with fluorescein, warrants further testing as a toxicant for use with methyl eugenol in oriental fruit fly male annihilation programs.

Experiments were conducted to determine the light-activated toxicity of a 1.1 molar mixture of phloxine B and uranine or phloxine B alone to Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), adults. Fully-fed or slightly starved test adults were fed either for two or four hours with dye concentrations ranging from 2.5 x 10(-5) M to 1.28 x 10(-2) M in a stock of various types of baits. After feeding, adults were kept 10 cm below four fluorescent lights yielding 200 mu E/sec/m(2) and mortality observed for 48 hours. LC(50) and LT(50) values were calculated. At a concentration of 1.28 x 10(-2) M of the 1:1 molar mixture of phloxine B and uranine mixed with 20% autolyzed yeast hydrolysate and 20% fructose, 100% mortality occurred within 12 hours of exposure to light. At the same concentration of phloxine B alone mixed in a sugar-free formulation of autolyzed yeast hydrolysate, over 99% mortality occurred within 12 hours of exposure to light. Phloxine B alone, or in combination with uranine, should be considered as a possible replacement for malathion in area-wide bait spraying programs.

tert-Butyl 4- (and 5-) chloro-trans-2-methylcyclohexane-1-carboxylate (TML), a mixture of four majortrans and four minorcis isomers, is used as an attractant for detecting and monitoring the male Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly),Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann). The eight isomers (racemic mixtures) were isolated by HPLC, and their relative attractiveness in the field was determined. A quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) was proposed that related a molecular measurement (Å3) of the TML structure to male medfly captures. More recently, thetrans-TML enantiomers were synthesized in sufficient quantities for field testing. This paper reports the computer-aided molecular modeling, via Chem-X, of thetrans-TML enantiomers and the staggered and superimposed fitting with the most attractive isomer, (1S,2S,4R)-TML-C, to determine common volumes and surface areas from Van der Waals (VdW) maps. Observations of structure-activity relationships (SAR) are reported for the staggered fittings.

Ceralure, a new potent and persistent attractant for the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), was evaluated in a new technique which serves as an alternative to aerial application of male annihilation bait-sprays for eradication. Residual ceralure and trimedlure contents, release rates, and medfly captures using panels coated with ceralure and trimedlure in stickem were evaluated for effective attraction of male medflies. The lure/stickem coated panels may be more effective than the Jackson trap baited with the “standard” trimedlure plug dispenser.

Differences in attractiveness of four individual trans isomers of ceralure (CRL) [ethyl 4- (and 5-) iodo-trans-2-methylcyclohexane-1-carboxylate] for male Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), were investigated. One of the isomers, CRL-B1 (ethyl cis-5-iodo-trans-2-methylcyclohexane-1-carboxylate) was significantly superior to the three other trans-CRL isomers, CRL, trimedlure (TML) [1,1-dimethylethyl 4- (and 5-) chloro-trans-2-methylcyclohexane-1-carboxylate], and TML-C (1,1-dimethylethyl cis-4-chloro-trans-2-methylcyclohexane-1-carboxylate) on an equal weight basis.