BACTROCERA OLEAE ATTRACTANT COMPOSITION AND USES THEREOF

Abstract

The present invention relates to a Bactrocera oleae attractant composition comprising at least one terpene and at least one carbonyl compound as active substances, and at least one excipient.

Claims

1. Attractant composition for attracting insects of the species Bactrocera oleae comprising (Z)-beta-ocimene, (E)-beta-ocimene, beta-caryophyllene and decanal, as the only active substances, and at least one excipient.

2. The attractant composition for attracting insects of the species Bactrocera oleae according to claim 1, wherein said active substances represent from 20% to 50% by weight of the total weight of the attractant composition.

3. The attractant composition for attracting insects of the species Bactrocera oleae according to claim 1, wherein: the combination (Z)-beta-ocimene and (E)-beta-ocimene represents between 15% and 40% by weight, beta-caryophyllene represents between 40% and 70% by weight, and decanal represents between 5.0% and 20% by weight with respect to the total content of active substances of the composition.

4. The attractant composition for attracting insects of the species Bactrocera oleae according to claim 3, wherein: the combination (Z)-beta-ocimene and (E)-beta-ocimene represents 25% by weight, beta-caryophyllene represents 60% by weight, and decanal represents 15% by weight with respect to the total content of active substances of the composition.

5. The attractant composition for attracting insects of the species Bactrocera oleae according to claim 1, wherein the at least one excipient is selected from the group comprising at least one oily agent, at least one emulsifier, at least one preservative, at least one aqueous agent or a combination thereof.

6. The attractant composition for attracting insects of the species Bactrocera oleae according to claim 1, to wherein: a) the active substances represent from 20% to 50% by weight of the total weight of the total attractant composition, b) the at least one oily agent represents from 2.0% to 60% by weight of the total weight of the total attractant composition, c) the at least one emulsifier represents from 5.0% to 50% by weight of the total weight of the total attractant composition, and d) the at least one preservative represents from 0.1% to 2.0% by weight of the total weight of the total attractant composition.

7. Method for attracting and controlling Bactrocera oleae, comprising: a) preparing the attractant composition for attracting insects of the species Bactrocera oleae according to claim 1, and b) presenting an efficacious quantity of the Bactrocera oleae attractant composition to said Bactrocera oleae for ingestion.

8. Installation for capturing Bactrocera oleae, comprising a tank comprising the attractant composition for attracting insects of the species Bactrocera oleae according to claim 1, and means for diffusing the attractant composition into the atmosphere.

9. Installation for capturing Bactrocera oleae according to claim 8, also comprising one or more retention means arranged and configured to capture or trap or retain the Bactrocera oleae.

10. Installation for capturing Bactrocera oleae according to claim 9, in which said retention means comprise: one or more suction devices arranged and placed so as to suck in a flow of surrounding ambient air containing the Bactrocera oleae attracted by the attractant composition, and a Bactrocera oleae trap arranged with the suction device so that the Bactrocera oleae sucked in by the device are retained in the trap.

11. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

Description

FIGURES

[0290] FIG. 1: FIG. 1 represents an installation for capturing Bactrocera oleae according to an embodiment of the invention, the installation being viewed from the front with partial cutaway allowing the inside of the installation to be shown.

[0291] FIG. 2: FIG. 2 represents an installation viewed from the front, in accordance with FIG. 1.

[0292] FIG. 3: FIG. 3 represents a side view of the hollow truncated element with open ends.

[0293] FIG. 4: FIG. 4 represents a front view of the hollow truncated element with open ends.

[0294] FIG. 5: FIG. 5 represents an installation for capturing Bactrocera oleae according to another embodiment of the invention, in which the diffusion means comprise a diffusion sphere, the installation being viewed from the front with partial cutaway allowing the inside of the installation to be shown.

[0295] FIG. 6: FIG. 6 represents an installation for capturing Bactrocera oleae similar to FIG. 5 and also comprising the suction devices, the installation being viewed from the front with partial cutaway allowing the inside of the installation to be shown.

EXAMPLES

Example 1: Evaluation of the Attractiveness of the Active Substances of the Attractant Composition According to the Invention

[0296] Equipment and Method

[0297] The attractiveness of the active substances of the attractant composition according to the invention was evaluated using a glass Y-tube olfactometer (internal diameter 4.5 cm; length of the arm 22 cm; length of the main stem 24.5 cm). The assembly was placed in a lit room at 22° C. Screws held the Y-tube in an inclined position (angle of 90° between the Y-tube and the horizontal plane). The Y-tube was placed in the centre of an artificially lit box (60×60×60 cm), covered with sheets on the outside in order to avoid external stimuli. The tubes at the end of the Y were connected to two glass adaptors, to which 30 ml glass flasks were attached, each containing a 1 cm.sup.2 piece of filter paper. The treatments were diluted in dichloromethane (CARLO ERBA, 100%) on the control side were applied to the pieces of filter paper 2 minutes before the release of the first fly, in order to allow the solvent to evaporate and to keep the odour on the sheet of paper. One sheet of paper is used for 30±10 min. Preliminary analyses showed that the treatment with dichloromethane does not affect the behaviour of the flies. The flow of air was first purified by passing it through washing bottles filled with charcoal granules, then was guided into the flasks containing odour-loaded dichloromethane and pure dichloromethane as control. At the base of the Y-tube, the air was sucked in by means of a diaphragm pump, producing an air flow rate of 100 ml/min in the arms of the Y and in the base tube.

[0298] Individual female flies—from 8 to 30 days old—were released one by one into the first cm of the base tube of the olfactometer using a manual aspirator. Activated by the flow of odour-loaded air and motivated by the light, the flies started to go up the tube. The air suction tube was connected to the glass Y-tube and the time until the flies reached the end of one of the arms of the Y was recorded.

[0299] Incidentally, if a fly did not make a choice within 7 minutes, this was considered to be a non-choice. Statistically, no choice was dismissed.

[0300] One experiment consisted of analyzing 10 flies in the olfactometer. Each experiment was repeated 5 times to generate 50 repetitions. After 5 experiments, all the parts of the installation were cleaned with soap and distilled water and were placed in an oven for 1 hour at 100° C.

[0301] In order to evaluate the attractiveness of one molecule vis-à-vis Bactrocera oleae, the data collected were analyzed with a khi2 statistical test on Excel and R. The p value, obtained in this test, indicates the probability of obtaining the same value if the null hypothesis was true. In this case, the distribution of Bactrocera oleae remains at 50% vs 50% even in the presence of the chemical product as theoretical distribution. If this p value is less than the threshold value defined beforehand (here, 5%), the null hypothesis is rejected and the result of the test is statistically significant, or the compound attracts the olive fruit fly in a significant manner.

[0302] Results Obtained

[0303] The results obtained are presented in Table 1.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Behavioural response obtained in the olive fruit fly Behavioural response obtained using the substance tested Substances tested (expressed in %) Olive   50% Dichloromethane (10 ng) 51.42% Decanal (10 ng) 68.00% Beta-caryophyllene (10 ng) 70.00% Combination (Z)-beta-ocimene and (E)- 55.00% beta-ocimene (10 ng) Combination (Z)-beta-ocimene and (E)- 57.50% beta-ocimene (10 ng) + beta- caryophyllene (10 ng) + decanal (10 ng) Attractant composition according to the 86.00% invention: combination (Z)-beta-ocimene and (E)- beta-ocimene (100 ng) + beta- caryophyllene (100 ng) + decanal (10 ng)

[0304] The results show that the attractant composition according to the invention comprising the combination of (Z)-beta-ocimene and (E)-beta-ocimene (100 ng), beta-caryophyllene (100 ng) and decanal (10 ng) has a greater attractiveness (86%) compared with the use of each of the substances tested individually as well as compared with an olive.

Example 2: Attractant Composition for Attracting Insects of the Species Bactrocera oleae According to the Invention

[0305] The attractant composition for attracting insects of the species Bactrocera oleae comprising (Z)-beta-ocimene, (E)-beta-ocimene, beta-caryophyllene and decanal, as the only active substances, and at least one excipient is presented in Table 2 below.

TABLE-US-00002 Content in % with respect to the Ingredients of the composition total weight of the composition (Z)-beta-ocimene and (E)-beta-ocimene 8.75% beta-caryophyllene 21.00% decanal 5.25% Rapeseed oil 54.60% Butylated hydroxytoluene 0.40% Atlox 4916 (polymeric ester) 5.00% Polysorbate 20 5.00%