Attractiveness of Essential Oil Extracted from <em>Melaleuca leucadendra</em> L. Leaves to the Mango Fly <em>Bactrocera dorsalis</em>
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The oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis, is one of the most significant pests in all mango-growing areas. In Senegal, its attacks have caused losses of around 30 to 60% of production, depending on the region. Thus, the strategy used to control fruit flies includes orchard sanitation, chemical control through insecticide spraying, mass trapping of males, etc. However, pesticides pose a risk to the health of both farmers and consumers. The objective of this study is to improve a technological package for the agroecological control of this fruit fly pest by using an essential oil extracted from Melaleuca leucadendra L. leaves. This essential oil, obtained by hydrodistillation, was analyzed using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Its attractant effect on B. dorsalis at a dose of 2.5 ml was compared to that of a synthetic methyleugenol lozenge. Additionally, different doses—D1 (1.5 ml), D2 (2 ml), D3 (2.5 ml), and D4 (3 ml)—of this essential oil were tested for their attractiveness to fruit flies in Casamance and the Niayes region. The essential oil of M. leucadendra leaves consisted mainly of methyleugenol (&gt;99.5%). At an application dose of 2.5 ml/trap, M. leucadendra essential oil exhibited greater attractiveness than synthetic methyleugenol, though without significant difference in Kafountine (174 vs. 160 flies/day/trap). However, a significant difference was observed in the Niayes area, where the number of flies caught was 183 compared to 150 flies/day/trap. The attractiveness of the essential oil at different doses showed a significant difference between the D1 (1.5 ml) dose and the D2 (2 ml), D3 (2.5 ml), and D4 (3 ml) doses. The D2, D3, and D4 doses had similar effects across all orchards in the two study areas. M. leucadendra essential oil could serve as an alternative to synthetic pesticides for controlling B. dorsalis in Senegal and other mango-producing countries.