Composition of chemical attractants affects trap catches of the Australian sheep blowfly, lucilia cuprina, and other blowflies

Abstract

Numbers of Lucilia cuprina (Australian sheep blowfly), Chrysomya spp., and Calliphora spp. blowflies caught on sticky traps baited with various synthetic attractants or a standard liver/sodium sulfide attractant in western Queensland were recorded. Numbers of each genus collected were influenced by the composition of the chemical attractants. Attractant mixtures based on 2-mercaptoethanol, indole, butanoic/pentanoic acid, and a sodium sulfide solution gave 5- to 20-fold higher L. cuprina catches than the liver standard. These blends attracted similar numbers of Chrysomya spp. (0.85–2.7× ) and fewer Calliphora spp. (0.02–0.2× ) compared to the liver standard.

These synthetic attractants were more effective and selective for L. cuprina than the standard liver/sodium sulfide attractant, and they can be packaged in controlled-release dispensers to generate constant, prolonged release of the attractant.