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Updated: Jul 10, 2026
A New Approach that Eliminates Handling for Studying Aggression and the "Loser" Effect in Drosophila melanogaster
Published on: December 30, 2015
Attractive Effect, Active Components, and Behavioral Mechanisms of Four Rotten Host Fruits for Drosophila
Yanju Li1,2, Yonghong Bai3, Rong Hu1
1State Key Laboratory of Discovery and Utilization of Functional Components in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Natural Products Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guiyang 550014, Guizhou, China.
Abstract:
Drosophila melanogaster Meigen has become a major threat to fruit crops. Decayed banana, bayberry, blueberry, and strawberry strongly attracted D. melanogaster after 60 days, with banana highest (69.17%). Thirteen compounds from the fruits (GC-MS analyzed) were tested for attraction to the adults; five (ethyl linoleate, γ-decalactone, n-decanoic acid, tetradecanoic acid, and ethyl palmitate) were active attractants. Ethyl linoleate reached an attraction rate of 54.43% at doses of 0.01 mg. The combination of ethyl linoleate + γ-decalactone exhibited the highest attraction rates, reaching 25.40% at 0.01 mg and 26.06% at 0.005 mg. Rotten fruits elicited strong electrophysiological (EAG) responses, unlike single/combined compounds. Highest values were: rotten banana 26.39/24.78, ethyl linoleate 1.79/1.30, ethyl linoleate + γ-decalactone 2.29/1.35 (♀/♂). Docking showed ethyl linoleate bound three Odorant-Binding Protein (OBPs) most strongly, while Lush had the strongest overall affinity. This work identifies the attractants in rotten fruits and provides a basis for designing new insect attractants.
