Efficiency of Wooden Blocks for Attracting Peach Fruit Fly Males in Relation with Weather Conditions Effect on Loss of Methyl Eugenol under Field Conditions

Abstract

The peach fruit fly, Bactrocera zonata  (Saunders) is one of  the most harmful tephtitid flies that infesting many commercial fruits causing a significant economic damage. The current study aims to evaluate the performance of open air blocks, plastic traps and cylindrical net traps for attracting and killing B. zonata males. Also, the study extends to assess the loss rate of methyl eugenol and Sumithion mixture(MES) under different weather conditions. The study was carried out in orchards at Fayoum governorate under different weather conditions throughout 4 successive climatic seasons including autumn (2016), winter (2016/2017), spring (2017), and summer (2017). Throughout autumn season, the net traps were significantly the most attracting with mean of 70.69 flies/trap/day followed by open air blocks, and plastic traps with respective means of 43.49 and 36.18 flies/trap/week. While, during summer season, the fresh blocks captured significantly the highest numbers of males followed by weathered open air blocks, plastic traps and net traps with the respective means of 194.87, 59.90, 38.20 and 29.26 flies / trap /week . The blocks were impregnated with a mean quantity of 10.34 cm3/ block during successive seasons, the MES loss rate of open air blocks during summer season was the highest and fastest averaging 55.13,67.51 and 71.67 % of its initial impregnated quantities after 4, 8 and 12 weeks of  exposure respectively. While, during winter season, the loss rate % was the lowest and slowest averaging 8.49, 15.22 and 22.42 % of its initial impregnated quantities after 4, 8 and 12 weeks of exposure, respectively. The blocks of plastic traps were the lowest for losing MES followed by that fixed internally in cylindrical net traps during successive climatic seasons. Temperature correlated significantly with the loss rate for all tested blocks and was the significant variable factor that affecting the linear regression during autumn, winter and spring seasons, while, R.H. % was effective during summer season. Results indicated that the open air blocks are still the best for B.zonata males attraction up to 4 weeks for male annihilation technique (MAT) applications, however, there is a necessity for saving an alternative dispenser has the ability to lose its content of MES in regular release.