Preparation and Evaluation of a Temperature-Sensitive Cuelure Nano-Controlled Release Agent

Abstract

Cuelure, an effective lure specifically targeting Tephritid fruit flies, has been widely adopted and applied in the monitoring and control of these pests, providing significant support for agricultural pest management. However, its uncontrollable release speed and duration usually lead to a lot of waste, diminishing its effectiveness and increasing the cost of pest control. In order to solve these problems, we focused on Zeugodacus cucurbitae Coquillett and developed a temperature-sensitive nano-controlled release agent for cuelure. The release rate of this agent can be adjusted by adjusting the ambient temperature. The results show that the temperature-sensitive cuelure nano-controlled release agent demonstrates remarkable temperature-responsive controlled release characteristics. It still exhibits exceptional stability even after being subjected to high-temperature treatment at 60 °C for a week, and the trapping efficiency of this attractant remains between 73% and 75%. This study not only holds immense practical value in monitoring, warning, and managing of fruit fly pests, but it also lays a novel theoretical foundation for the development of insect attractants.

Keywords

• temperature-sensitive attractant
• <i>Zeugodacus cucurbitae</i> Coquillett
• cuelure
• controlled release
• nano-pesticide