Dacus

The Dacus fly (Dacus oleae, olive fly), a pest producing serious damage to olives and one related to other flies that attack a variety of fruits, is also highly susceptible to aldrin (6). 

Very recently, another fruit fly has been added to this list. Dacus latifrons (Hendel), previously found in Taiwan, Malay Peninsula, Thailand, and Laos, has been discovered on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. It is sometimes referred to as the Malayasian fruit... 

Two of amides from melon flies of the genus Dacus (Table VIII) have been identified as V-isoamylacetamide (122) and V-(2-methylbutyl)acetamide (123) by comparison of their mass spectra and chromatographic properties with those of authentic samples 103). The third amide, previously reported neither as a component of an insect secretion nor as a synthesized derivative, was assigned as A-isoamyl-2-methoxyacetamide (124) from the mass spectrum, showing a molecular ion at m/z 159 and fragment ions at m/z 129 (M" — CHjO) and 102 (M + — C4Hg), and its structure was confirmed by comparison with a synthetic au-... 

Pheromone (sex attractant). Ether extract of the stem, produced equivocal effect on Aspiculuris tetraptera, female and male Dacus dorsalis, male Mediterranean fruit flies, and male and female melon flies " k Pheromone (signaling). Ether extract of the stem, produced equivocal effect on Aspiculuris tetraptera, female and male Dacus dorsalis, male Mediterranean fruit flies, and male and female melon flies " k Phospholipidemic effect. Oil, administered to phospholipids transfer protein knockout (PLTPO)-deficient mice, produced an increase of phospholipids and free cholesterol in the VLDL-LDL region of PLTPO mice. Accumulation of phospholipids and free cholesterol was dramatically increased in PLTPO/HLO mice compared to PLTPO mice. Turnover studies indicated that coconut oil was associated with delayed catabolism of phospholipids and phospho-lipids/free cholesterol-rich particles. Incubation of these particles with hepatocytes of coconut-fed mice produced a reduced removal of phospholipids and free cholesterol by SRBI, even though SRBI protein expression levels were unchanged . 

Concerning the latter class of compounds a carbene insertion has been employed to prepare the major constituent of the sex attractant of the olive fly (Dacus oleae). 

Marko et al. used this approach during the total synthesis of one of the major components of the Dacus oleae sex pheromone mixture (Scheme 13.90) [59, 60], The desired spiro-ketal 246 was obtained in three steps and 51% overall yield starting from allylsilyl ether 106a. 

Fletcher B. S. (1969) The structure and function of the sex pheromone glands of the male Queensland fruit fly, Dacus tryoni. J. Insect Physiol. 15, 1309-1322. 

Little H. F. (1992) Fine structure of presumed pheromone glands of Dacus cucurbitae and D. latifrons (Diptera Tephritidae). Ann. Ent. Soc. Am. 85, 326-330. 

Nation J. L. (1981) Sex-specific glands in tephritid fruit flies of the genera Anastrepha, Ceratitis, Dacus and Rhagoletis (Diptera Tephritidae). Int. J. Morphol. Embryol. 10, 121-129. 

Metcalf R. L., Mitchell W. C. and Metcalf E. R. (1983) Olfactory receptors in the melon fly Dacus cucurbitate and the oriental fruit fly Dacus dorsalis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 80, 3143-3147. 

Cmjar R. M., Scalera G., Liscia A., Angioy A. M., Bigiani A., Pietra P. and Tomassini Barbarossa I. (1989) Morphology and EAG mapping of the antennal olfactory receptors in Dacus olea. Entomol. Exp. Appl. 51, 77-85. 

Eugenol has been used as a feedstock in the production of isoeugenol, which is needed in the manufacture of vanillin. Methylation of eugenol yields methyleugenol, which acts as a sex attractant for a certain type of fly (Dacus dorsalis) [7,8]. 

Our search for attractants is focused on the Tephritid family of fruit flies which Includes species that are of economic importance in Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. It is estimated that the olive fly, Dacus oleae. causes ten percent fruit drop in European olives. Of the Infested fruit remaining on the trees, 25 percent of the flesh is destroyed (48). A conservative estimate of the annual cost of the recent Medfly infestation in California, not including capital outlays, is 59 million for chemical controls, 38 million for quarantine and fumigation, and 260 million in crop losses (49). It is estimated that 70% of the susceptible fruit in Egypt is infested by the Medfly (50) and a 50 million control program has been started there. 

Two important spiroketals, such as l,7-dioxaspiro[5.6]undecane (29a), the major component of the olive fruit fly (Dacus oleae) sex pheromone (Baker et ah, 1980 Fanelli et ah, 1983), and ( )-2-methyl-l,7-dioxaspiro[5.6]dodecane (29b), a component of pheromone of Andrena haemorrhoa (Bergstroem et al., 1981 Katsurada and Mori, 1984), have been prepared in a cascade process from polyfunctionalized nitroalkanes (26) (Ballini and Petrini, 1992). 

Baker, R., Francke, W., Herbert, R., Howse, P.E., Jones, O.T., and Reith, W. 1980. Identification and synthesis of the major sex pheromone of the olive fly (Dacus oleae). Journal of the Chemical Society, Chemical Communications, 2 52-3. 

Fanelli, R., Gariboldi, P., and Verotta, L. 1983. Studies on the sex pheromone of Dacus oleae. Analysis of the substances contained in the rectal glands. Experientia, 39(5) 502-5. 

Some entomologists believe that methyleugenol, the attractant for the oriental fruit fly Dacus dorsalis Hendel), is a sex attractant because the chemical attracts only the male and its action is so powerful 89). However, it appears to be a food lure, because the flies avidly devour the chemical 89). 

CHaO Structure Species Attracted Oriental fruit fly (Dacus dorsalis)... 

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