Olfactory responses of the variegated fruit fly, Phortica variegata, an emerging vector of the zoonotic eyeworm Thelazia callipaeda, to ecologically relevant volatiles

We used gas chromatography coupled electroantennography to measure antennal responses to synthetic and natural volatile blends. A comparative analysis was performed on the antennal responses of both sexes of P. variegata and its well-studied relative, Drosophila melanogaster. Components of the synthetic blends were selected based on the odorant receptor repertoire of D. melanogaster and established mosquito attractants, with the rationale that conserved olfactory receptors among dipterans may allow P. variegata to detect similar compounds. Volatile extracts collected using active carbon adsorbent traps were also tested on the antennae and analysed using gas chromatography coupled mass spectrometry.