Fruit fly, Mediterranean

The edible parts of parsnips (Pastimea sativa L.), which have been consumed for centuries by humans without causing any obvious harm, were found to contain a chemical of insecticidal and strong synergistic nature (1). The insecticidal constituent, present at about 200 p.p.m., was isolated and identified as 5-allyl-l-methoxy-2, 3-methylenedioxybenzene or myristicin. Its toxicity to various insects [vinegar flies, houseflies, Mediterranean fruit flies, mosquito larvae, Mexican bean beetles, and pea aphids] was established and compared with pyrethrum and aldrin (Tables I and II). The knockdown effect, although definite, was not as great as that of pyrethrum. In tests... 

Some problems presented by Tephritid fruit flies and the potential damage Which these fruit flies could do to our fruit and vegetable crops on the mainland of the USA are briefly mentioned. The role of attractants in population monitoring and control is also briefly discussed. Two potential Mediterranean fruit fly attractants are presented (+) — a-copaene, from... 

A -Pyrroline (12i) is emitted by sexually mature male Mediterranean fruit flies (Ceratitis capitate), together with 2-ethyl-3,5-dimethylpyrazine (21b) (Tables II and III). This cyclic imine (12i) is the key component in the sexual attraction of virgin female flies to males (102). Xanthommatin (58) and two pteridines (81 and 84) are also found in this fruit fly (Tables V and VI). 

Pyrroline (12i), found in the desert locust and the Mediterranean fruit fly (Table II), has been identified by formation of the I-dimethylaminonaph-thalene-5-sulfonyl (dansyl) derivative (106) or the colored adduct with o-ami-nobenzaldehyde, in addition to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (102). The 1-pyrrolines (12) have been prepared by treatment of their parent pyr-... 

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 . 

CN014 Keiser, I., E. J. Harris, D. H. Miyashita, M. Jacobson, and R. E. Perdue. Attraction of ethyl ether extracts of 23 2 bota-nicals to oriental fruit flies, melon flies, and Mediterranean fruit flies. LLoydia 195 38(2) 141-152. 

The male Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata is similarly attracted to the terpenoid a-copaene [3856-25-5] (176) from the oil of Angelica archangelica and this and the parakairomone tert-buty 2-methyl-4-chlorocyclohexanoate (trimedlure [12002-53-8]) are very extensively employed in monitoring for infestations of this destructive pest. The female apple maggot fly Rhagoletispomonella is attracted to the apple volatile butyl hexanoate, which is used to bait sticky red spheres to monitor populations and time spray treatments. 

In the interim (1981) the compound was used to fumigate citrus in California to control the Mediterranean fruit fly infestation. At stake was the citrus export to Japan, valued at about 100 million (ref. 27). 

The synthetic attractant siglure 15 used as bait for the Mediterranean fruit fly has all the features of a Diels-Alder adduct and we need the E-unsaturated ester 16 for the reaction.5... 

Pitts R. J. and Zwiebel L. J. (2001) Isolation and characterization of the Xanthine dehydrogenase gene of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata. Genetics 158, 1645-1655. 

Thymianou S., Mavroidis M., Kokolakis G., Komitopoulos K., Zacharopoulou A. and Mintzas A. C. (1998) Cloning and characterization of a cDNA encoding a male-specific serum protein of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, with sequence similarity to odourant binding proteins. Insect Mol. Biol. 7, 345-353. 

Diptera. Some dipteran species are farm pests. In the event of fruit fly infestation, the species must be identified quickly. If adult flies are absent, accurate identification of larvae can be difficult or impossible on the basis of morphological characters. One study has shown that the Caribbean fruit fly, Anastrepha suspense and the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, have different CHC patterns at the larval stage and thus can be easily distinguished from each other (Sutton and Steck, 1994). This finding suggests that hydrocarbon analysis could be extended to identification of other species with high economic impact. 

Sutton, B.D. and Steck, G. J. (1994). Discrimination of Caribbean and Mediterranean fruit fly larvae (Diptera Tephritidae) by cuticular hydrocarbon analysis. Florida Entomol., 77, 232-237. 

A further complication arose when it was discovered that in the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata (Diptera Trypetidae) the corpora allata of adult virgin females produce, in addition to JHB-3, smaller amounts of methyl palmitate and less of JH III.97 Mated females produced much less methyl palmitate. It is suggested that methyl palmitate may be a default product of methylation, in the absence of JH, but it does not rule out the possibility that it also participates in some way in reproductive maturation and control, because its presence is correlated with the period of nonreceptivity toward mating in adult females of... 

T53 Ceratitis capitata, Mediterranean fruit fly 549 Hepialus humuli, hepialid moth 324... 

Because of their very large potential for crop damage and for economic losses to the export market, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), as well as the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), is very concerned with the control of Tephritid species. APHIS has a very active program of traps to spot infestations of the Mediterranean fruit fly, the oriental fruit... 

Mediterranean fruit fly Italy(e), Peru(e), Mexico, USA Guatemala, USA (accidental... 

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