Behavioral responses of female Mexican fruit flies,Anastrepha ludens, to components of male-produced sex pheromone.

The behavioral responses of virgin female Mexican fruit flies elicited by components and combinations of the components of male-produced pheromone were measured in a laboratory wind-tunnel bioassay where test chemicals were applied to the undersides of some leaves on a treated tree but to none of the leaves of a control tree. Only treatments containing at least (Z)-3-nonenol and/or (Z,Z)-3,6-nonadienol in combination with (S,S)-(-)-epianastrephin elicited strong behavioral responses. Responses included attraction to the vicinity of the pheromone but not to point sources, increased searching rate, changes in searching strategy, and agonism. The results support a model of pheromone-component function in which components act as a unit to stimulate all behaviors of the pheromone-mediated behavioral repertoire.