RELATIVE ATTRACTIVENESS OF ENRICHED GINGER ROOT OIL AND TRIMEDLURE TO MALE MEDITERRANEAN FRUIT FLIES (DIPTERA: TEPHRITIDAE)

Authors

  • Todd E. Shelly
  • Elaine Pahio

Abstract

This study describes field experiments that compare the relative attraction of male Mediterranean fruit flies (or medfly), Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), to trimedlure and ginger root oil, which contains the natural attractant a-copaene. The ginger root oil was embedded in a paste-like matrix, and the concentration of a-copaene was enhanced 20-fold above natural levels (hence the term “enriched” ginger root oil or EGRO). In tests conducted in a mixed fruit orchard in Waimanalo, Hawaii, 8 Jackson traps (4 baited with trimedlure, 4 baited with enriched ginger root oil) were placed in a circle (40 m radius) about a central point from which 500 males were released per replicate. Trap catches were scored 48 h after male release. In experiments using fresh (non-aged) lures, the amount of trimedlure used per trap was constant (1 ml), but the amount of EGRO-containing paste used in traps was 1, 10, or 20 drops. Significantly more males were captured in the trimedlure traps than the EGRO traps over all doses of EGRO. Similar experiments conducted in a small citrus grove yielded the same results. Additional experiments revealed that female medflies showed no attraction to either trimedlure- or EGRO-baited traps and that immature and mature males showed equal, short-range attraction to trimedlure and EGRO-baited traps.

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Published

2002-12-01

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Section

Literature Review Articles