Attractiveness to mexican fruit flies of combinations of acetic acid with ammonium/amino attractants with emphasis on effects of hunger

Ammonium acetate was more attractive than other ammonium salts to Mexican fruit flies (Anastrepha ludens) in an orchard test. We hypothesized that acetic acid enhanced the attractiveness of ammonia in the orchard test and that acetic acid may similarly enhance attractiveness of AMPu, an attractant consisting of a mixture of ammonium bicarbonate or ammonium carbonate, methylamine HCl, and putrescine. In laboratory experiments, acetic acid was attractive to flies deprived of either yeast hydrolysate or both sugar and yeast hydrolysate but not to flies fed both sugar and yeast hydrolysate. AMPu/acetic acid combinations were more attractive than AMPu alone to flies deprived of both sugar and yeast hydrolysate but not to flies fed sugar, regardless of yeast hydrolysate deprivation status. Acetic acid is the first attractant found that has become more attractive with both sugar and protein deprivation in studies withA. ludens. It is also the first that has enhanced the attractiveness of another attractant type. In orchard tests, yellow sticky panels baited with either AMPu or 17 mg of acetic acid were at least six times more attractive than unbaited panels. However, panels baited with both acetic acid (17–68 mg) and AMPu were less attractive than AMPu alone. These results differed from the laboratory data in which combinations were never less attractive than AMPu alone.