Field Evaluation of Certain Dispensers for Methyl Eugenol, as Attractant of Bactrocera zonata and Trimedlure, as Attractant of Ceratitis capitata

Abstract

The peach fruit fly (PFF), Bactrocera zonata (Saunders) and Mediterranean fruit fly (MFF), Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae) are considered the major insect pests infesting many fruit crops in Egypt as well as worldwide. The present work aimed to maximize the efficiency of PFF and MFF trapping systems by estimating two types of dispensers (hard and soft woodpulp fluff) in comparison with the standard used cotton wicks impregnated with methyl eugenol (for PFF) and trimedlure (for MFF) in separate traps and determine their stability under field conditions of a mandarin orchard located in Mansoura district, Dakahlia governorate, Egypt for over 14 successive weeks. Results obtained on methyl eugenol to attract PFF males showed that during the first month, there were non-significant differences among the three tested dispensers (HWF, SWF and cotton wicks), whereas, during the second and third months, SWF dispenser was the recommended one. This was because of the significantly higher efficiency of SWF dispenser in attracting PFF males during the second and third months, and its relatively higher stability with time under field conditions. When trimedlure was used to attract MFF males, the dispensers of HWF was significantly better during the successive three months followed by SWF and cotton wicks, respectively, and HWF showed a relatively higher stability with time under field conditions.

Keywords:

Bactrocera zonata, Ceratitis capitata, dispensers, methyl eugenol, trimedlure.