Methyl eugenol, a fruit-fly attractant, from the browning leaves of Proiphys amboinensis (amaryllidaceae)

Abstract

The chemicals from the brown part of the leaves of Proiphys amboinensis consist of a mixture of methyl eugenol, 5-allyl-1,2,3-trimethoxybenzene, 3,4,5-trimethoxyacetophenone, aliphatic hydrocarbons and long-chain carboxylic acids. Male fruit flies of the Bactrocera dorsalis complex (B. carambolae and B. papayae) are attracted to these parts of the leaves because of the presence of the major component, methyl eugenol. This report constitutes the first example of a leaf exhibiting attractant properties in its progress in turning brown.