BACKGROUND: A new controlled-release pheromone 1,7-dioxaspiro[5,5]undecane dispenser has been developed, which is useful for monitoring the population and controlling Bactrocera oleae (Rossi, 1790) (Diptera: Tephritidae). For this purpose, several kinds of dispensers based on attapulgite were designed and tested in this study. RESULTS: The designed dispensers, together with the commercial-brand olive fruit fly 'Long-Life Lure', which was used as a reference, were evaluated in the field, and in parallel were subjected to an accelerated ageing process in a chamber with a constant temperature and air speed. The residual pheromone content was periodically determined by liquid-gas chromatography in order to obtain the half-life of dispensers and the pheromone release rate. The mesoporous dispenser proved to have the best performance in the field, with a half-life of 5 months and an average emission speed of 0.6 mg day(-1) , parameters very close to those obtained with the commercial dispenser tested. In addition, to evaluate the effectiveness of the different dispensers in the field, a duplicate comparative study of captures was designed, and a colony monitoring study of the olive fruit fly was performed using various food and sex attractants. CONCLUSIONS: Although no significant differences in captures were found between the dispensers tested, the highest number of captures was obtained on average with the mesoporous dispensers demonstrating good pheromone emission characteristics.
BACKGROUND: A new controlled-release pheromone 1,7-dioxaspiro[5,5]undecane dispenser has been developed, which is useful for monitoring the population and controlling Bactrocera oleae (Rossi, 1790) (Diptera: Tephritidae). For this purpose, several kinds of dispensers based on attapulgite were designed and tested in this study. RESULTS: The designed dispensers, together with the commercial-brand olive fruit fly 'Long-Life Lure', which was used as a reference, were evaluated in the field, and in parallel were subjected to an accelerated ageing process in a chamber with a constant temperature and air speed. The residual pheromone content was periodically determined by liquid-gas chromatography in order to obtain the half-life of dispensers and the pheromone release rate. The mesoporous dispenser proved to have the best performance in the field, with a half-life of 5 months and an average emission speed of 0.6 mg day(-1) , parameters very close to those obtained with the commercial dispenser tested. In addition, to evaluate the effectiveness of the different dispensers in the field, a duplicate comparative study of captures was designed, and a colony monitoring study of the olive fruit fly was performed using various food and sex attractants. CONCLUSIONS: Although no significant differences in captures were found between the dispensers tested, the highest number of captures was obtained on average with the mesoporous dispensers demonstrating good pheromone emission characteristics.