8th International Symposium on Fruit Flies of Economic Importance

Mass trapping techniques have been consolidated as an effective solution to control Medfly Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) worldwide. One of the reasons for their success is the strong attraction that ammonia odor exerts to the females, which are the damaging fruit agent and the dominant factor for pest multiplication. Among females, it is believed that the youngest are more attracted to proteinic compounds due to the need for an external supply of protein for ovary maturation. With these findings as background, this report further evaluates the influence of the physiological age of the Medfly female on the attraction to two different kinds of mass trapping systems.