Abstract
At present there are nine species of tephritid fruit flies in Mauritius and together they plague a wide range of hosts, from wild guavas to cultivated fruits and vegetables. The most destructive among them are: the natal fruit fly, Pterandrus rosa Karsh; the medfly Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann and the melon fruit fly Dacus Cucurbitae Coquillet. Studies with parapheromones indicate that trap colour has little if any effect on the efficiency of fly capture, the olfactory component completely dominating any visual effect. The efficiency of the traps with respect to height varies from species to species and with the vegetation. A height of 120 to 180 cm from the ground was found to be optimal for the natal fruit fly in wild guava zones. Traps placed at ground level on creeping plants were found to capture the highest number of the melon fruit fly. The response of the medfly in fruit tree orchards with height of traps was erratic, showing inconsistent trends with more than one peak.
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