Methyl eugenol, a fruit-fly attractant, from the browning leaves of Proiphys amboinensis (amaryllidaceae)

The chemicals from the brown part of the leaves of Proiphys amboinensis consist of a mixture of methyl eugenol, 5-allyl-1,2,3-trimethoxybenzene, 3,4,5-trimethoxyacetophenone, aliphatic hydrocarbons and long-chain carboxylic acids. Male fruit flies of the Bactrocera dorsalis complex ( B. carambolae and B. papayae) are attracted to these parts of the leaves because of the presence of the major component, methyl eugenol. This report constitutes the first example of a leaf exhibiting attractant properties in its progress in turning brown.