Attractiveness of a Mixture of Ammonia, Methylamine and Putrescine to Mexican Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in a Citrus Orchard

A mixture of ammonium bicarbonate or ammonium carbonate, methylamine HCl and putrescine (AMPu) was evaluated for attractiveness to gamma-irradiated Mexican fruit flies, Anastrepha ludens (Loew), in a citrus orchard in 1-day tests. AMPu (10:10:1 mixture of ammonium bicarbonate:methylamine HCl:putrescine) was tested both in dilute aqueous solutions in the reservoir of McPhail traps and in more concentrated form in polypropylene tubes suspended in McPhail traps or fastened to yellow sticky ball traps. The most attractive concentration of AMPu used in aqueous solution captured only half as many flies as Torula yeast in McPhail traps. AMPu (6:10:1 mixture of ammonium carbonate:methylamine HCl:putrescine) formulated into agar and tested in tubes fastened to sticky ball traps captured as many male and female flies as Torula yeast in McPhail traps.