The present study was conducted to synthesize 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl-3-methoxy)-4-hydroxy-2-butanone, a compound with similar structure to cue lure [4-(4-Acetyoxyphenyl)-2-butanone], using vanillin as a started material. The synthesis process was completed in two steps. The first step was the condensation reaction of Claisen Smidth between vanillin and acetone on alkaline conditions to produce 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl-3-methoxy)-3-buten-2-one, and the second step was the hydration reaction using zeolite catalysts activated by HCl, to produce 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl-3-methoxy)-4-hydroxy-2-butanone. Characterization of the compounds was performed using IR and 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The evaluation of 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl-3-methoxy)-4-hydroxy-2-butanone as fruit flies’ attractant was carried out in yard areas planted with guava and start fruit, in the Klidon village, Sukoharjo, Sleman Yogyakarta, with methyl eugenol as a standard. The observations were made for 24 hours. The synthesis product was obtained in the form of a white-orange solid with a melting point of 79-81ºC and 60% yield. The field test showed that 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl-3-methoxy)-4-hydroxy-2-butanone was potential as fruit flies’ attractant, indicated by the presence of lured fruit flies around the test location.