Exploitation of Rosmarinus officinalis ct. verbenone essential oil as potential and eco-friendly attractant for Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel)

Abstract

The oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), causes tremendous damage to commercially important fruits and vegetables. Chemical pesticides are ineffective with issues of residue and resistance. Thus, searching for efficient, safe, and cost-effective control methods may provide novel strategies for B. dorsalis management. In this study, we demonstrated that Rosmarinus officinalis ct. verbenone essential oil (RVEO) was highly attractive to sexually mature male and female B. dorsalis. Specifically, no discernible differences in response to RVEO were observed between virgin and sexually mature, mated males or females. Particularly, food- and water-deprived male and female flies exhibited a notably strong preference for RVEO. In addition, RVEO exhibited no notable attraction to natural predator ladybirds, acute toxicity in mice, or cytotoxicity against non-target organism cell lines in vitro, implying that RVEO could be regarded as nontoxic. Furthermore, field trapping trials indicated that RVEO not only traps females but also significantly synergizes the attractancy of ME against male of B. dorsalis. Overall, RVEO emerged as an eco-friendly and promising attractant for B. dorsalis, paving the way for the advancement of behavior-modifying chemical technologies for future B. dorsalis control.

Keywords

• Oriental fruit fly
• Plant essential oil
• Trapping efficiency
• Cytotoxicity
• Acute toxicity
• Sustainable pest management