Abstract
Detection of the Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly), Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae), relies heavily on traps baited with trimedlure, a male-specific attractant. Originally used as a liquid, trimedlure is now dispensed from solid polymeric plugs that reduce volatilization and increase the effective field longevity of the lure. Many of the previous bioassays that measured trimedlure longevity were conducted in Hawaii and adopted a simple “50% rule” for trimedlure plug replacement, i.e., trimedlure plugs should be changed out when their attractiveness (trap captures of male medflies) drops below 50% that observed for fresh trimedlure liquid. The goal of the present study was to assess the field effectiveness of trimedlure plugs in Florida and apply standard statistical analyses to the trapping data. Sterile marked male medflies were released in a citrus orchard with traps containing 3 trimedlure treatments: 2 mL fresh liquid, 2 g fresh plugs, or 2 g plugs aged for intervals of 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12 wk. A single release of approximately 40,000 males was performed for each of the weathering intervals. Weathered trimedlure plugs were as effective as fresh lures when aged 6 wk or less, but catch was significantly reduced for plugs weathered 8 or more wk. At 8 to 12 wk, remaining trimedlure content per plug was ≤ 0.4 g. Ancillary field trials in Hawaii compared male medfly captures in traps baited with fresh 2 or 3 g trimedlure plugs, or 2 or 3 g plugs weathered for 6, 8, or 10 wk. Two and 3 g plugs weathered for 6 wk were as attractive as fresh lures, but 3 g plugs were more effective than 2 g plugs at the longer weathering intervals. Results are compared with prior studies, and implications for medfly management strategies are discussed.
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