Oriental fruit fly and melon fly: Biological and chemical studies of smoke produced by males

A substance visible as “smoke”; is emitted by males of both the oriental fruit fly, Dacus dorsalis Hendel, and the melon fly, D. cucurbitae Coquillet, at dusk, the period associated with the mating of these tephritids. The emanations were attractive to virgin females. Light‐yellow and bright‐orange deposits were obtained on Millipore filters used to trap smoke produced by males of D. dorsalis and D. cucurbitae, respectively. Chemical analysis indicated that large amounts of trisodiunt phosphate and other phosphorus salts were present in the smoke of both species. Melon fly smoke also contained unbranched C25, C27, and C29 saturated hydrocarbons, as well as a lactone, while oriental fruit fly smoke contained heptacosane, N‐(2‐methylbutyl)‐propionamide and a small amount of several high‐molecular weight substances.