Volatiles from Momordica charantia L. fruits and leaves attract Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett)

BACKGROUND: The melon fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett), is a significant pest of cucurbit crops, and its ovipositing females cause direct damage to fruits. However, existing management strategies primarily target the male population, leaving a critical gap in female-specific control measures. Plant-derived volatiles are environmentally sustainable alternatives for developing behavior-based pest-management tools. RESULTS: in a 1:1:1:1 ratio), which effectively attracted both male and female Z. cucurbitae. CONCLUSION: This plant-based volatile blend offers a targeted candidate attractant with strong potential for subsequent field development for sustainable management of Z. cucurbitae. The six-component blend exhibited potent female-specific attraction, addressing the current control gap for female melon flies, whereas the optimized four-component formulation achieved effective dual-sex attraction and provided a practical tool for integration into monitoring and mass-trapping programs.