Feeding attractants for pest tephritid fruit flies

Adult tephritids require sugar to ensure survival and females require protein to ensure fecundity. This strong protein requirement has been exploited to develop trapping systems for pest tephritids. Traps baited with liquid protein solutions or synthetic lures based on chemical cues from protein are used worldwide for detecting both females and males of many fruit fly species. Males of many species produce sex pheromones, which should provide powerful female-targeted attractants but, for the most part, have failed when used in the field. Similarly, host fruit volatiles may provide additional female-targeted attractant chemicals, and success/failure of these compounds will be reviewed. Some of the most powerful single-sex attractants are parapheromones, which are highly attractive to males of some tephritid species and may have a botanical origin. Thus, tephritid fruit flies provide examples of the ability to use feeding attractants as the basis for highly effective systems for pest detection, monitoring and control.