ABSTRACT
Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata is remarkable in its ability to survive on numerous species of fruit, including many that are indigenous to the New World. Most of the economic damage is done to citrus fruit, although this is not a good host, but Mediterranean fruit fly must have colonized Mediterranean and New World subtropical zones using citrus as the main vehicle. The work that has been done on attractants for Mediterranean fruit fly leads to two striking paradoxes; one in relation to male-specific attractants, and the other in relation to female-specific attractants. J. Hendrichs and M. A. Hendrichs studied the diurnal movements of Mediterranean fruit fly in Egypt. They found that the males formed leks and showed calling behaviour predominantly in orange trees. Male virgin Mediterranean fruit flies aggregate and attempt copulation with other males around sources of terpenes such as limonene, a-terpineol and linalool, but they do not respond to traps in the field baited with such compounds.
