certain areas in Hawaii. The oriental fruit fly infestations in host plants 
were reduced by 60 to 82 percent, compared with untreated areas. Another 
test on the western Pacific island of Rota using a mixture of methyl eugenol 
and naled, a toxic chemical, as a bait has resulted in the eradication of the 
oriental fruit fly from those islands. 
Acid corn or cottonseed protein hydrolysate liquid lures are used 
routinely in traps along our border with Mexico to detect invasion of the 
Mexican fruit fly. 
Chemists in ARS have synthesized several attractants that are very 
effective in luring certain fruit flies. For example, siglure, medlure, and 
trimedlure are now available as strong attractants for the Mediterranean 
fruit fly, and cue-lure for the melon fly and several other species of fruit 
flies. These lures are of value in quarantine programs to locate fruit fly 
infestations. In Florida trimedlure is being used to detect the presence of 
any medflies that might have been introduced since eradication of the pest. 
There is great need to find new materials that will lure various species of 
destructive insects. 
ARS scientists have found that one substance extracted from the cotton 
plant is especially attractive to the boll weevil and that another one is a 
strong feeding stimulant. These substances may be useful in trapping boll 
weevils or in the development of other means for controlling this pest. 
For the control of house flies, effective baits have been developed that 
can be used without harm to man or animals or contamination of animal 
products. They may be used as dry baits, liquid baits, paint-on baits, or in 
bait stations. The baits contain a sweetening material, usually sugar, upon 
which the flies congregate to feed, plus a small amount of an insecticide. 
The discovery by scientists in South Africa of compounds that strongly 
attract males of the Natal fruit fly started a series of investigations into 
such materials as an aid to control. Asa result the use of a male attractant, 
terpinyl acetate, in citrus groves in South Africa was recommended asa 
control of this fruit fly. Within 6 months 120 glass traps baited with the 
attractant caught 58,000 males. Terpinyl acetate is also the best known 
attractant for the oriental fruit moth in the United States and has been used 
in surveys to determine the distribution of that insect. 
The utilization of a protein hydrolysate-malathion bait spray, employing 
only about one-fourth as much malathion as would otherwise be required, 
was the major factor since 1956 in the eradication of the Mediterranean 
fruit fly from Florida. 
A new bait for the imported fire ant developed by ARS scientists con- 
sists of corncob grits impregnated with soybean oilcontaining an insecticide 
known as Mirex. With this formulation, only 1/7 of an ounce of the toxicant 
is applied per acre in a single treatment, thus practically eliminating the 
hazards involved in previous treatments that calledfor much higher dosages 
of an insecticide. 
Light As An Attractant 
Light traps serve as an important and valuable method in collecting 
insects for taxonomic purposes, for the detection of the presence of insect 
WS) 
