Attractants fromStaphylococcus aureus cultures for Mexican fruit fly,Anastrepha ludens.

Volatile chemicals from tryptic soy broth cultures ofStaphylococcus aureus that attract sugar-fed, protein-hungry adult Mexican fruit flies were identified. Chemicals identified from the headspace above the filtrate of the bacterial cultures were ammonia, trimethylamine, isoamylamine, 2-methylbutylamine, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, and acetic acid. Each chemical attracted flies. A mixture of the chemicals in the same concentrations as were found in the bacterial filtrate was 89% as effective in attracting flies as the bacterial filtrate in laboratory bioassays. Additional chemicals were identified from various concentrated or pH altered preparations made from the filtrate. Many of these chemicals also attracted flies. One of these chemicals, dimethylamine, was the most effective chemical identified. The use of solid-phase microextraction for volatile collection and of thick-film (5-µm) capillary GC columns was essential to the success of this work.