Electroantennogram responses of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, to the volatile constituents of nectarines

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Abstract
Electroantennograms (EAGs) were recorded from laboratory‐reared, male and female Ceratitis capitata (medfly) in response to individual volatiles identified from ripe nectarines. Uniformity in EAG response between the sexes was observed for most test compounds. Only 10 volatiles, of the 44 nectarine volatiles tested, elicited significantly different EAG responses between the sexes. No correlation was observed between the magnitude of antennal responsiveness and the concentration of a particular volatile in the headspace odor of ripe nectarines. The most abundant (‘major’) nectarine volatiles were among the least EAG stimulatory compounds tested. And certain ‘minor’ and ‘trace’ volatiles were the most potent compounds in eliciting EAGs. Moreover, the magnitude of antennal response to a nectarine volatile was related to the functional‐group, chain‐length, and unsaturation of the compound. The degree of potency of the compounds was as follows: six‐carbon unsaturated aldehydes and alcohols > methyl and ethyl hexanoates and octanoates ≥ hexenyl acetates and monoterpenes > shorter chain‐length acetates and alcohols > lactones. Unsaturated aldehydes, alcohols, and acetates generally elicited larger EAGs than their saturated analogs, with the (E)‐2‐isomers being the most potent isomeric configurations. In addition, medfly antennae exhibited ‘long recovery’ periods (i.e., > 10 sec.) for the EAG tracings to return to baseline potential after stimulations with certain classes of compounds, e.g., C6 to C8 acid esters, monoterpenes, and hexen‐1‐ols. The potential adaptiveness to medflies for selective sensitivity to these volatiles is discussed.

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