Improving Chemo Taxis Effects of Methyl Eugenol Bait against Two Fruit Fly Species in Jujube Orchards Located in Tandojam, Pakistan

Abstract

This study was designed to use different food additives to improve the efficacy of the Male Annihilation Technique (MAT) against fruit flies. The experiment was carried out at the Jujube Section, Agriculture Research Institute, Tandojam, Pakistan, during the beginning of jujube season (January to April) 2017. Methyl eugenol was tested in the presence of different food essences i.e. lemon (T1), strawberry (T2), almond (T3) and orange (T4), whereas; methyl eugenol (T5) without any essence was used as control. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four blocks. Two fruit fly species; Bacterocera zonata and B. dorsalis were identified from the captured individuals. Our data revealed that the mean number of B. zonata collected was 1914.88, while the mean number of B. dorsalis collected was 148.69. The most efficient trap was T1 (Methyl eugenol + lemon essence), whereas; the lowest number of captures was observed at control traps. Furthermore, the highest numbers of flies from both species were recorded during the month of April, while the lowest number of captures was observed in January. The highest number of B. zonata and B. dorsalis were 334.14±9.39 and 17.25±0.75, respectively. In terms of treatment, the highest number of B. dorsalis was recorded with the lemon flavor (46.68); whereas, the lowest was observed in the control (17.02). There was a positive association between temperature and wind velocity for both B. zonata and B. dorsalis, whereas there was negative association with humidity. On the basis of the above mentioned results it is concluded that different food essences can enhance the capability of methyl eugenol to attract the fruit flies.