COMPOUNDS FROM PEPPER FLOWERS AND FRUITS AS POTENTIAL ATTRACTANTS FOR THE CAPTURE OF PEPPER WEEVIL

Two field experiments were conducted to evaluate synthetic attractants derived from pepper flowers, flower buds and fruits, alone or in combination with the aggregation pheromone. The evaluation was carried out with the release and recapture of Anthonomus eugenii adults at different distances from the four cardinal points in separate trials. The volatility of the synthetic mixture and aggregation pheromone was determined by gas chromatographic analysis of the volatiles captured by dynamic headspace. The traps with synthetic mixture and essential oil captured insects at 10 m, while the aggregation pheromone trapped up to 60 m. The combination of synthetic mixture or essential oil with the aggregation pheromone did not increase the number of recaptures compared to the single pheromone. The synthetic mixture together with geranic acid recaptured adults up to 15 m, although they were not significantly different from the control. The exclusion of geranic acid from the aggregation pheromone significantly reduced the number of recaptured insects (P<0.05), while geranic acid alone failed to capture weevils. The results could be improved by increasing the concentrations of the compounds or by adding other compounds released during the reproductive stages of pepper. These results could guide future efforts for the development of tools based on synthetic plant volatiles for the monitoring of this pest.