Synergistic attraction: Development and field evaluation of a multicomponent lure for Zeugodacus cucurbitae based on host‐plant volatiles and gut bacterium‐derived volatiles

BACKGROUND: Zeugodacus cucurbitae is a global quarantine pest. Management of this pest relies heavily on chemical insecticides, which impose substantial environmental burdens. Male-specific lures [e.g. cue-lure (CL)] are widely used for monitoring and male-targeted control, but on their own, they often have a limited impact on population suppression. Therefore, efficient attractants targeting both sexes are urgently needed to advance sustainable and integrated pest management (IPM). To address this need, we screened and optimized multicomponent formulations by combining host-plant volatiles, volatiles from the culture supernatant of the gut bacterium Morganella sp. M72, and CL. RESULTS: In behavioral assays, both the optimized host-plant volatile blend (methyl isovalerate: heptanal: methyl myristate: methyl laurate = 10:10:1:0.1) and the volatile blend from the culture supernatant of the gut bacterium Morganella sp. M72 (indole: benzyl alcohol: 3-methyl-1-butanol: 1-undecanol = 0.01:10:10:1) significantly attracted both female and male Z. cucurbitae. When CL was incorporated, the resulting ternary formulation produced significantly higher attraction than any individual blend or single-source formulation. Field trials further supported this improvement, confirming that the ternary blend effectively attracted adults of both sexes under practical conditions. CONCLUSION: This multicomponent formulation helps overcome the male-only attraction of conventional lures and showed stable field performance across early-season, peak-season and late-season periods. These results support the development of more effective monitoring and integrated management strategies for Z. cucurbitae. © 2026 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.