Island Of Tahiti Research Articles

The elusive genus Olifantiella (Bacillariophyta): South Pacific assemblage and Indo-Pacific biogeography

Abstract The biraphid genus Olifantiella (Bacillariophyta), which was recently discovered from the Mascarene Islands (Indian Ocean), is also present in coral reef environments of the islands of Tahiti and Moorea (South Pacific) as an epiphyte on the mangrove Rhizophora stylosa. The genus Olifantiella may be considered elusive because all of its currently known species are very small and difficult to identify under a light microscope. Several Olifantiella taxa first described from Rodrigues Island are also present in the South Pacific, along with three new taxa: O. societatis sp. nov., O. sp., and O. pilosella var. rhizophorae var. nov. Olifantiella societatis resembles O. paucistriata but the buciniportula opening of the former is oblong and faces one stria only. Olifantiella societatis and O. sp. show distinctive features of the genus Olifantiella but are very rare. A description of the buciniportula in O. pilosella is given. Although it is still unclear, the role of the buciniportula may be related to the excretion of mucilaginous material. The diversity of Olifantiella taxa between the Mascarene and Society archipelagos is similar with 6–7 species, five of which are common to both. Olifantiella mascarenica and O. pilosella are the most common members of the genus in the Mascarene Islands and the South Pacific, respectively. Olifantiella has only been previously described from the Indo-Pacific Basin, but it may be a widespread tropical genus. This genus has probably been overlooked in the past or misidentified as Navicula because of its overall naviculoid shape and small size. Electron microscopy remains essential in determining the identity of very small diatoms such as Olifantiella.

Climate change, Pacific climate drivers and observed precipitation variability in Tahiti, French Polynesia

CR Climate Research Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsSpecials CR 63:157-170 (2015) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/cr01288 Climate change, Pacific climate drivers and observed precipitation variability in Tahiti, French Polynesia M. Hopuare1,2,*, M. Pontaud2, J.-P. Céron3, P. Ortéga1, V. Laurent4 1GePaSud Laboratory, 98702 Tahiti, French Polynesia 2CNRM GAME UMR 3589, Météo France/CNRS, 31057 Toulouse, France 3Direction de la Climatologie, Météo France, 31057 Toulouse, France 4Direction Inter Régionale de Polynésie Française, Météo France, 98702 Tahiti, French Polynesia *Corresponding author: marania.hopuare@meteo.fr ABSTRACT: This study addresses the low-frequency variability of precipitation and the detection of climate change over Tahiti, a small orographic island in French Polynesia in the tropical South Pacific. The analysis of new homogenized rainfall amounts over the period 1961-2011 shows no significant trend related to climate change, but highlights the interactions between ENSO, the South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ) and rainfall during the latest positive phase of the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) (1977-1999). During this particular phase, the SPCZ is closer to Tahiti and induces positive large-scale precipitation. On interannual time scales, more frequent and strong El Niño events favour a northward SPCZ migration. This northern position causes a surface flux over Tahiti Island, which forces orographic precipitation on the windward side. During the negative phase of IPO, no clear link is established between SPCZ, ENSO and rainfall variability. KEY WORDS: Rainfall variability · Climate change · ENSO · South Pacific Convergence Zone · SPCZ · Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation · IPO · Tahiti Full text in pdf format PreviousCite this article as: Hopuare M, Pontaud M, Céron JP, Ortéga P, Laurent V (2015) Climate change, Pacific climate drivers and observed precipitation variability in Tahiti, French Polynesia. Clim Res 63:157-170. https://doi.org/10.3354/cr01288 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in CR Vol. 63, No. 2. Online publication date: April 29, 2015 Print ISSN: 0936-577X; Online ISSN: 1616-1572 Copyright © 2015 Inter-Research.

Dinoflagellate diversity among nudibranchs and sponges from French Polynesia: Insights into associations and transfer

Symbioses with the dinoflagellate Symbiodinium are widespread among marine invertebrates and protists, especially in nutritionally demanding habitats, such as tropical coral reefs, where they play a major role in ecosystem survival. Moreover, apart from corals and sea anemones, many of the Symbiodinium species and clades involved in these partnerships remain to be characterized. This study provides new insights into nudibranch and sponge associations with Symbiodinium by sequencing regions of the Symbiodinium 28S rDNA and the host mitochondrial COI oxidase. Specimens were sampled between 2011 and 2013 from locations around the islands of Moorea and Tahiti, French Polynesia. Our results revealed that some of the sponges and nudibranchs harbored typical Symbiodinium from clade B or C while others harbored new, undescribed Symbiodinium-like dinoflagellates. A detailed analysis of the different life stages of the nudibranch Phestilla lugubris and of its specific coral prey, Porites rus, suggests a prey-predator horizontal transfer of the symbiont and its vertical inheritance from the parent to the eggs.

The evolution of precipitable water and precipitation over the Island of Tahiti from hourly to seasonal periods

The Island of Tahiti (French Polynesia) has a complex meteorological context governed by the South Pacific convergence zone on a large scale and the topography of a high volcanic island on the orographic scale. The island is subject to heavy rainfall (up to 8000 mm year–1 in some areas), mainly during the rainy season (November to April), generating significant geo-morphological changes and property damage each year. To better understand the underlying complex mechanisms leading to precipitation over a broad range of timescales (from hourly to seasonal), we have analysed eight years of data (2001–2008) coming from five sources: a radiometer, radiosoundings, a GPS, Era-Interim reanalysis, and two rain gauges, all located close to or inside the Matatia valley, a small typical Tahitian valley. In particular, we have decomposed the precipitable water distribution into two statistical distributions corresponding to the dry and wet seasons. The time evolution of precipitable water in the dry season is characterized by a log-normal distribution, while the precipitable water time evolution in the wet season is characterized by a reverse log-normal distribution. The bimodality of the probability distributions describing the dynamical processes involved in the Tahiti climate is confirmed by the study of the diurnal evolution in absolute humidity, precipitable water, and precipitation.

Cyclones influence native plant diversity on 22 remote high islands of French Polynesia and Pitcairn (eastern Polynesia)

I examined the relative influence of eight spatial characteristics on native plant diversity in 22 volcanic high islands of eastern Polynesia. The characteristics used as potential predictors in this study included island area, highest elevation, distance to the nearest continent, distance to the nearest archipelago, distance to the nearest similar island, index of isolation, distance to the largest and highest island of Tahiti, and distance to the “cyclonic alley.” Among characteristics studied, native plant diversity (indigenous and endemic species) was primarily linked with the island area and highest elevation of the islands. Contemporary cyclones were an important predictor of indigenous plant diversity in the remote islands surveyed. In the study area, this result suggests that cyclones, moving from the west Pacific Ocean basin to the eastern Polynesian islands, have provided more indigenous species to the remote high islands located close to the cyclonic alley. Isolation did not appear as a significant predictor of native plant diversity in the high islands surveyed, possibly due to a stepping-stone-island effect and the proximity of the cyclonic alley. These findings suggest that isolation could be tempered by a cyclonic-transport-flow effect in the study area, thus reducing the effective distance of the remote islands from the mainland source pool for seed dispersal.

Chemical variability of the Tahitian Marchantia hexaptera Reich.

Marchantia hexaptera Reich. is a liverwort species, which is endemic to French Polynesia, where it occurs on the islands of Tahiti and Moorea. The major purpose of this study was to compare the compositions of the volatiles present in Tahitian M. hexaptera populations, to determine the chemical homogeneity within the species. This the first study of the chemistry and chemical variation within any species of Marchantia from the Pacific region. GC/MS analysis of 10 specimens collected in Mt. Marau area showed some differences between samples, indicating the existence of chemical polymorphism. Based on the differences in chemical profiles, three chemotypes of Tahitian M. hexaptera were recognized. Chemotype I produces germacrane-type sesquiterpene alcohol, 1(10),4-germacradien-6α-ol, which seems to be good chemical marker of this species. The cuparane-type sesquiterpene alcohol, cyclopropanecuparenol is characteristic for Chemotype II, while the presence of the huge amount of an unidentified sesquiterpenoid, 222 [M]+, 82 (100), 67 (60) is characteristic for Chemotype III. The volatiles composition of specimens belonging to Chemotype II is very similar to that of the Japanese and European M. polymorpha L. The recognized chemical differences were not related to altitude. The chemotypes can occur in the same or overlapping areas. These results were further supported by principal components analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA).

Mutiny and aftermath: James Morrison's account of the mutiny on the Bounty and the island of Tahiti

Mutiny and aftermath: James Morrison's account of the mutiny on the Bounty and the island of Tahiti

Cocconeis pinnata W. Gregory ex Greville (Bacillariophyta): Lectotypification and an emended description after examination of type material and South Pacific specimens

A marine species of Cocconeis (Bacillariophyta) from coral reef lagoon of Tahiti Island (Society Archipelago, South Pacific) was identified as Cocconeis pinnata W. Gregory ex Greville. Neither drawings nor micrographs of the raphe valve (RV) of C. pinnata are available in the literature. The examination of Gregory's type material (several slides annotated 'Arran 57' from Greville's collection housed in BM, British Museum, London, U.K.) allowed us to complete and emend the C. pinnata description. Lectotypification of C. pinnata is proposed. Since the raw material used by Gregory was not found, no scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation of type material can be provided. Except for Hustedt (1933) and a few later reports, all descriptions and illustrations agree with the original description. LM and SEM observations demonstrate that the sternum valve (SV) stria arrangement of specimens from Tahiti match those of the type. The description of the RV by Grunow in Van Heurck (1880) refers to a stria pattern very similar to that of C. pseudomarginata W. Gregory. The RV of C. pinnata, as revealed in LM and SEM, has a dense striation and no internal marginal rim. Both valves of C. pinnata have areolae with remarkable arborescent volae, which is a new feature for Cocconeis. Cocconeis pinnata is cosmopolitan, from cold-temperate to tropical areas. Several taxa have been formerly assigned to C. pinnata, though they are probably varieties of C. costata.

Cosmogenic Erosion Rate Estimation from Detrital Olivine without Soil Characterization: The Case of the Matatia Basin (Tahiti Island)

Erosion rate studies conducted in volcanic islands bring key information about landscape dynamics and also for risk assessment and management policies. In this study we discuss how inadequate characterization of soils in volcanic island could lead to an underestimation of cosmogenic 3He erosion rates inferred from river sediments. Measurements in the Matatia basin (Tahiti) show that detrital olivine provides an average erosion rate of 252±37 t/km2/yr in good agreement with the erosion rate of 310±9t/km2/yr inferred from initial topography reconstruction. Additional measurements along the river allowed us to locate the zones of fastest erosional. However, soils olivine abundance measurements in the Matatia basin are planned in order to better constrain erosion rates inferred from cosmogenic 3He measurements in detrital olivine, and in order to quantify catastrophic erosion processes like landslide, rock falls etc.

A New Species of Anagrus (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) from Tahiti, with Notes on Egg Parasitoids of Proconiine Sharpshooters (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Proconiini) in the World

One new fairyfly (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) species, Anagrus (Anagrus) iti sp. n., described from Tahiti Island, French Polynesia, was reared from eggs of the invasive glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca vitripennis (Germar) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), which is native to southeastern USA and northeastern Mexico. An overview of the taxonomic and biological studies on the egg parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae, Mymaridae, and Trichogrammatidae) of various proconiine sharpshooters (Cicadellidae: Cicadellinae: Proconiini) in the New World is given. Of particular importance are the natural enemies of H. vitripennis, a notorious vector of the phytopathogenic bacterium, Xylella fastidiosa; with reference to its egg parasitoids and biological control in the non-native range are also provided.

An account of Astartiella species from tropical areas with a description of A. societatis sp. nov. and nomenclatural notes

During a survey of the diatom community associated with coral reefs at Tahiti Island, Society Archipelago, South Pacific, two species belonging to Astartiella Witkowski, Lange-Bertalot & Metzeltin, including A. societatis Riaux-Gobin, Witkowski & Romero sp. nov. a species morphologically similar to A. bremeyeri (Lange-Bertalot) Witkowski & Lange-Bertalot, were found from the teguments of a large Holothuria atra Jaeger (Echinodermata). The second species, A. punctifera (Hustedt) Witkowski & Lange-Bertalot, occurred on nearby marine sediments. These species were compared with other Astartiella taxa recorded at similar latitudes in the Indian Ocean, namely Juan de Nova, Scattered Islands and Mascarene Archipelago. Nomenclatural issues along with the proposed transfer of Achnanthes heterostriata Hustedt to Astartiella are discussed.

Initiation and recession of the fluvial knickpoints of the Island of Tahiti (French Polynesia)

In this paper, we study the origin and evolution of the 42 knickpoints spanning the Island of Tahiti, a large extinct shield volcano in the South Pacific Ocean (French Polynesia), by combining DEM analysis and numerical modeling. These knickpoints are located along rivers (107 in total) with a total length exceeding 6km and with a total drainage of >3km2. The knickpoint locations do not correspond to lithology, tributary confluence, or uplift. We argue that these knickpoints have been initiated by a sudden sea level drop of 135m 20ky ago, and that the littoral cliffs circling two-thirds of Tahiti are the result of marine erosion that took place 7ky ago from a stand level that was 5m higher than now. The head-to-toe height of the knickpoints increases with respect to the knickpoints' distance from the ocean. The major process controlling the knickpoints is plunge-pool incision and the n=2 stream-power model works well for modeling the profile form. The mean retreat rate of the knickpoints corresponds very well with a drainage-area dependant model with velocities ranging from 0.17 to 1.2m/y.

Comparison of 14C and U-Th Ages in Corals from IODP #310 Cores Offshore Tahiti

Shallow-water tropical corals can be used to calibrate the radiocarbon timescale. In this paper, we present a new data set based on the comparison between 14C ages and U-Th ages measured in fossil corals collected offshore the island of Tahiti during the Integrated Oceanic Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 310. After applying strict mineralogical and geochemical screening criteria, the Tahiti record provides new data for 2 distinct time windows: 7 data for the interval between 29 and 37 cal kyr BP and 58 for the last deglaciation period, notably a higher resolution for the 14–16 cal kyr BP time interval. There are 3 main outcomes of this study. First, it extends the previous Tahiti record beyond 13.9 cal kyr BP, the oldest U-Th age obtained on cores drilled onshore in the modern Tahiti barrier reef. Second, it strengthens the data set of the 14–15 cal kyr BP period, allowing for better documentation of the 14C age plateau in this time range. This age plateau corresponds to a drop of the atmospheric 14C synchronous with an abrupt period of sea-level rise (Melt Water Pulse 1 A, MWP-1 A). The Tahiti 14C record documents complex changes in the global carbon cycle due to variations in the exchange rates between its different reservoirs. Third, during the Heinrich event 1, the Tahiti record disagrees with the Cariaco record, but is in broad agreement with other marine and continental data.

The first precinctive Carabidae from Moorea, Society Islands: new Mecyclothorax spp. (Coleoptera) from the summit of Mont Tohiea

Seven species of Mecyclothorax Sharp from Moorea, Society Islands are newly described; Mecyclothorax perraulti sp. n., Mecyclothorax pahere sp. n., Mecyclothorax menemene sp. n., Mecyclothorax mahatahi sp. n., Mecyclothorax popotioaoa sp. n., Mecyclothorax mapo sp. n., and Mecyclothorax fatata sp. n. These constitute the first Mecyclothorax species described from Moorea, and the first carabid beetle species shown to be geographically restricted to that island. Each of the newly described species is most similar to a different species on the island of Tahiti, suggesting that none of the seven Moorean taxa are evolutionary end-products of autochthonous speciation within Moorea. The occurrence of precinctive Mecyclothorax species on both Moorea and Tahiti demonstrates that radiation of Mecyclothorax in the Society Islands has been facilitated by speciation events implicating both islands. Whether this speciation has been preceded by vicariance or dispersal is discussed, with the generality of a dispersal hypothesis tested using information from Society Island Nabidae (Hemiptera). Salient morphological characters for taxa in the Society and Hawaiian Islands are compared to those representing a broad survey of southwest Pacific Mecyclothorax spp. This comparison supports the independent founding of each radiation in the Societies and Hawaii from an Australian ancestral propagule, likely drawn from the ecologically general, geographically widespread Mecyclothorax punctipennis (Macleay).

Le Texte et le corps: la pensée dialectique de Diderot dans Le Supplément au voyage de Bougainville

By using a dialogical method in Le Supplément au voyage de Bougainville (1772), Diderot contrasts two places: the civilized European world and the primitive island of Tahiti. The dialogical structure of his work entails a questioning of the concept of libertinage through the theme of the corporeal. Indeed, the dialectical method he employs in the text unifies his vision on what the body represents. This work will demonstrate that for Diderot the body can be defined as three entities: the text, the physical, and the social. All these three categories are intertwined for him. Using them as a leitmotiv enables him to call into question the moral and social conventions of his own country.

Reinstatement ofRhipicephalus(Boophilus)australis(Acari: Ixodidae) With Redescription of the Adult and Larval Stages

Rhipicephalus australis Fuller, the Australian cattle tick, is reinstated and the adults and larvae redescribed from material collected in Australia. This long ignored boophilid was previously known as R. microplus Canestrini for specimens reported in Australia and New Caledonia. The adults of R. australis are easily recognized by a combination of characters, such as the ventro-medial spurs in the palpal segments of the male, and the abundant, plumose, pale white setae on the dorsum of the female. Other details, such as coxal and adanal shields are more variable among different populations and may lead to incorrect determinations. Larvae of R. australis are clearly smaller than those of R. microplus. The use of principal components analysis on body measurements leads to a clear separation of larvae of both taxa. A phylogenetic analysis based on 12S- and 16S-rDNA gene sequences supports the conspecificity of the neotype material on which the reinstatement of the species is proposed, and of the specimens used for previous interspecific crosses. R. australis is now known to be present in Australia, New Caledonia, the island of Borneo, Philippines, Sumatra, Java, New Guinea, Cambodia, and Tahiti. Both R. microplus and R. australis coexist in some countries in southeastern Asia. Given the extreme importance of these ticks for the cattle industry, field data on their distribution in the region are required to know the actual range of these species and to understand the evolution of the group.

An invasive tree alters the structure of seed dispersal networks between birds and plants in French Polynesia

AbstractAim We studied how the abundance of the highly invasive fruit‐bearing tree Miconia calvescens DC. influences seed dispersal networks and the foraging patterns of three avian frugivores.Location Tahiti and Moorea, French Polynesia.Methods Our study was conducted at six sites which vary in the abundance of M. calvescens. We used dietary data from three frugivores (two introduced, one endemic) to determine whether patterns of fruit consumption are related to invasive tree abundance. We constructed seed dispersal networks for each island to evaluate how patterns of interaction between frugivores and plants shift at highly invaded sites.Results Two frugivores increased consumption of M. calvescens fruit at highly invaded sites and decreased consumption of other dietary items. The endemic fruit dove, Ptilinopus purpuratus, consumed more native fruit than either of the two introduced frugivores (the red‐vented bulbul, Pycnonotus cafer, and the silvereye, Zosterops lateralis), and introduced frugivores showed a low potential to act as dispersers of native plants. Network patterns on the highly invaded island of Tahiti were dominated by introduced plants and birds, which were responsible for the majority of plant–frugivore interactions.Main conclusions Shifts in the diet of introduced birds, coupled with reduced populations of endemic frugivores, caused differences in properties of the seed dispersal network on the island of Tahiti compared to the less invaded island of Moorea. These results demonstrate that the presence of invasive fruit‐bearing plants and introduced frugivores can alter seed dispersal networks, and that the patterns of alteration depend both on the frugivore community and on the relative abundance of available fruit.

The molecular basis of the plumage colour polymorphism in the Tahiti reed-warbler Acrocephalus caffer

Th e endemic Tahiti reed-warbler Acrocephalus caff er occurs in two distinct morphs, a typical or ‘ yellow ’ morph and a melanic or ‘ dark ’ morph, which are found together in the valleys of the eastern and central parts of the island of Tahiti (Society Islands, French Polynesia). We investigated the molecular basis of the plumage colour polymorphism in this species using sequences of the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R), a gene often found associated to melanism in birds. We found that the MC1R genotype was perfectly associated with plumage colour in the Tahiti reed-warbler, with the same nonsynonymous substitution that showed a correlation with phenotype in the Caribbean bananaquit Coereba fl aveola . An heterozygous reed-warbler at this site presented a melanic phenotype, suggesting that the melanic allele is dominant. All other Polynesian reed-warbler species, which do not have a melanic morph, shared the ‘ yellow ’ nucleotide at this position. Th ese results suggested that the same mutation point was linked to a melanic polymorphism in two unrelated passerine birds. Polymorphism in colour is a widespread phenomenon in birds and in other vertebrates: it is generally defi ned by the presence within a species of individuals of the same sex and age that have diff erent genetically determined coloration (Buckley 1987). Th e term ‘ morph ’ was fi rst proposed by Huxley (1955) and is generally used for the discrete categories of plumage. In their review of avian polymorphism, Galeotti et al. (2003) showed that changes in the distribution of the melanic pigments, with the defi nition of a ‘ dark ’ or melanic morph, is the most frequent polymorphism

Population dynamics of three Bactrocera spp. fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) and two introduced natural enemies, Fopius arisanus (Sonan) and Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), after an invasion by Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) in Tahiti

Oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), invaded French Polynesia in 1996. In 2002 a natural enemy, Fopius arisanus (Sonan), was released and established. By 2009 mean (±SD) F. arisanus parasitism for fruit flies infesting Psidium guajava (common guava), Inocarpus fagifer (Polynesian chestnut) and Terminalia catappa (tropical almond) fruits on Tahiti Island was 64.8±2.0%. A second parasitoid, Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead), was released and established in 2008. Although widespread, parasitism rates have not been higher than 10%. From 2003 (parasitoid establishment) to 2009 (present survey) numbers of B. dorsalis, Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt), Queensland fruit fly, and Bactrocera kirki (Froggatt) emerging (per kg of fruit) declined. For example, for P. guajava there was a decline of 92.3%, 96.8%, and 99.6%, respectively. Analysis of co-infestation patterns (1998–2009) of B. dorsalis, B. tryoni, and B. kirki, suggest B. dorsalis is now the most abundant species in many common host fruits. Establishment of F. arisanus is the most successful example of classical biological control of fruit flies in the Pacific outside of Hawaii and can be introduced if B. dorsalis spreads to other French Polynesian islands, as was the recent case when B. dorsalis spread to the Marquesas Islands. These studies support F. arisanus as a prime biological control candidate for introduction into South America and Africa where Bactrocera carambolae Drew and Hancock and Bactrocera invadens Drew, Tsuruta, and White, respectively, have become established.

Evaluation of Cue-Lure and Methyl Eugenol Solid Lure and Insecticide Dispensers for Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) Monitoring and Control in Tahiti

Performance of solid male lure (cuelure (C-L)/raspberry ketone (RK) against Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt), and methyl eugenol (ME) against oriental fruit fly, B. dorsalis (Hendel)) both formulated with insecticide, were evaluated in Tahiti Island (French Polynesia), as alternatives to current monitoring and control systems using liquid formulations of attractant and organophosphate insecticides. Captures of B. tryoni in traps with BactroMAT CL stations, Mallet C-L, Mallet MC wafers (containing both ME and RK), and Specialized Pheromone and Lure Application Technology (SPLAT) C-L were as high as with the standard liquid C-L formulation until 8 weeks, but thereafter the effectiveness of Mallet C-L baited traps declined. Captures of B. dorsalis with Mallet ME wafers outperformed any other ME formulation. Traps baited with ME and RK combined in a single Mallet MC wafer captured as many B. tryoni and B. dorsalis as traps baited with a single liquid lure. This suggested that solid Mallet dispensers with RK are longer lasting than those with CL. For control applications, the weathered SPLAT-MAT-ME-spinosad lure and kill formulation was equal to fresh material for up to 4 weeks. SPLAT C-L was more persistent than weathered SPLAT-MAT-ME under Tahitian climatic conditions, which suggested that SPLAT-MAT-ME may need to be reapplied at shorter intervals and in greater amounts for suppression of B. dorsalis than is required to suppress B. tryoni with SPLAT-MAT-C-L. Mallet ME and MC wafers and SPLAT-MAT-ME/C-L were more convenient and safer to handle than standard liquid insecticide formulations, and should be considered for monitoring and control programs in Pacific island nations. The Mallet MC wafer could be used in a single trap in place of two separate traps for detection of both ME and C-L responding fruit fly species, and thereby reduce trap and labor costs. In addition to the SPLAT-MATME or C-L for control, the Mallet MC wafer in a single trap should be tested further in Florida fruit fly programs.