Flight Response of Aphytis melinus (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) and Scirtothrips citri (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) to Trap Color, Size, and Shape 1

Abstract

Aphytis melinus DeBach responded significantly more to green and yellow traps than to white, blue, fluorescent yellow, clear, black, or red; Scirtothrlps citri (Moulton) responded significantly more to fluorescent yellow, than to any of the other colored polyvinyl rectangular traps. A. melinus did not distinguish between opaque and translucent colored rectangles nor between different trap shapes. S. citri responded significantly more to translucent yellow and green than to opaque yellow and green. S. citri also preferred triangular, elliptical, and rectangular shapes over circular and square ones. Smaller traps were significantly more efficient in trapping A. melinus than the 386.1-cm2 rectangular traps; however, there was no significant difference between S. citri catches on the basis of number per unit area.