Development of synthetic food baits for mass trapping of Bactrocera zonata S. (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Abstract

The peach fruit fly, Bactrocera zonata (Saunders)(Diptera: Tephritidae) is one of the most damaging pest of fruits and is mainly managed by baits. The existing baits are less effective to manage its population and are active against only one sex. In the current study, response of male and female population of B. zonata to protein hydrolysate, jaggery, guava pulp, potassium hydroxide, papaya powder, and kachri powder was analyzed. The additive effects of ammonium compounds, ammonium acetate, trimethylamine, and putrescine as food attractants was also evaluated. A total of 32 food baits types were prepared and installed using plastic bottle traps. All the tested bait formulations attracted a higher number of male B. zonata as compared to females. The obtained results also indicated that protein hydrolysate along with jaggery, KOH, papaya, and kachri powder, and guava pulp showed minimum attractiveness to B. zonata adults. However, three local ammonium compounds mixed with base baits increased the capture of adults per trap per month and subsequent both the years. A triplet mixture of ammonium acetate, trimethylamine, and putrescine mixed with base baits showed a synergistic effect for the attraction of more B. zonata adults both males and females as compared to two or single component-based baits under field conditions. The locally available ammonium-based baits increased the attractiveness of B. zonata adults to a level comparable with GF-120 (Spinosad-based protein bait). The three-mixture compound, protein hydrolysate + jaggery + ammonium acetate + trimethylamine + putrescine for both sexes, was as effective as the key standard food bait attractant at pH level 6.82.