Comparison of trap designs for use with aggregation pheromone and synthetic co-attractant in a user-friendly attract and kill system to control Carpophilus spp. (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae)

Abstract  Three field experiments were conducted in stone fruit orchards in the Goulburn Valley, northern Victoria, Australia to identify a user-friendly trap for use in attract and kill stations for control of Carpophilus spp. (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae). A funnel trap design was compared with two types of delta trap in one experiment and two types of Lucitrap in another experiment. All traps were baited with synthetic co-attractant and synthetic pheromone. The funnel trap was the most effective type of trap tested. The funnel traps caught significantly more beetles than either the delta traps with bio-attractant or delta traps wrapped with insecticide impregnated banana wrap. No difference was observed between catches in either delta trap design. Lucitraps without covers caught significantly more beetles than Lucitraps with covers but funnel traps caught significantly more beetles than either type of Lucitrap. Beetle numbers caught in the funnel traps were three to five times higher than in Lucitrap. The use of funnel traps in attract and kill stations to protect stone fruit crops by suppressing the Carpophilus spp. population gave superior control to 'grower normal practice of spraying insecticides' both in terms of Carpophilus spp. numbers and in terms of reduction in percentage of fruit damaged.     

Suppression of populations of Australian sheep blowfly, Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), with a novel blowfly trap

The Australian sheep blowfly, Lucilia cuprina , initiates more than 85% of fly strikes on sheep in Australia with an estimated average annual cost of A$280 million to the Australian sheep industry. LuciTrap^® is a commercially available, selective trap for L. cuprina consisting of a plastic bucket with multiple fly entry cones and a synthetic attractant. The impact of LuciTrap on populations of L. cuprina on sheep properties in five Australian states was evaluated by comparing L. cuprina populations on paired properties with and without LuciTraps over seasons when significant fly populations could be expected. Twenty-four comparisons (trials) were conducted over 4 years. During times of 'higher fly density' (when the 48 h geometric mean of trap catches on the control property was greater than five L. cuprina ), the overall geometric mean trap catches for control and trapped properties differed significantly ( P  < 0.001) with mean trap catches of 19.4 and 7.74 L. cuprina , respectively. The selectivity of the LuciTrap was confirmed with 59% of all trapped flies being L. cuprina . Chrysomya spp. and Calliphora spp. constituted 9.3% and 1.1% of the catches with a variety of other flies (mainly Sarcophagidae and Muscidae ) providing the remainder (31%). Lucilia sericata was only trapped in Tasmania and made up 7.7% of the Lucilia spp. catch in that state. Seventy-two per cent of the trapped L. cuprina were female. The deployment of LuciTrap on sheep properties at one trap per 100 sheep from the beginning of the anticipated fly season suppressed the populations of L. cuprina by 60% compared with matched control properties. The LuciTrap is a selective and easy to use fly trap and constitutes an effective, non-insecticidal tool for use in integrated management programs for L. cuprina .     

Evaluation of yellow rectangle traps coated with hot melt pressure sensitive adhesive and sticky gel against Rhagoletis indifferens (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Sticky yellow rectangle traps have been used for many years to capture Rhagoletis (Diptera: Tephritidae) fruit flies. Traditional sticky yellow traps are coated with a sticky gel (SG) that can leave residues on the hands of users. An alternative to SG on traps are hot melt pressure sensitive adhesives (HMPSAs), which are less messy. The main objective here was to evaluate two rectangle traps of two yellow colors, the Alpha Scents Yellow Card coated with HMPSA (Alpha Scents, West Linn, OR), and the Pherocon AM trap coated with SG (Pherocon; Trécé, Adair, OK), for capturing western cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis indifferens Curran. Flies captured on both traps and held in the laboratory and field did not escape their surfaces. Flies caught on HMPSA were damaged when removed from traps without citrus solvent, whereas flies caught on SG could be removed intact without solvent. In field tests, Alpha Scents traps baited with an ammonium bicarbonate lure captured 1.4-2.2 times more R. indifferens than Pherocon traps baited with the same lure. Results of an experiment that eliminated differences in surface sticky material type, overall size, and surface sticky area between Alpha Scents and Pherocon traps suggested, although did not show conclusively, that more flies were caught on the Alpha Scents than Pherocon traps because of their different yellow color and/or lower fluorescence and not the HMPSA. Overall, the Alpha Scents trap is a viable alternative to the Pherocon trap for detecting R. indifferens.     

Field evaluation of female attractants for monitoring Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) under a range of climatic conditions and population levels in Western Australia

Field trials were conducted in Western Australia to compare captures of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), in a standard male-targeted trap (Lynfield trap baited with Capilure) with a synthetic, female-targeted attractant marketed as BioLure. BioLure was also compared with other fenale attractants (orange ammonia, liquid protein bait) and tested in plastic McPhail, Tephri, and Lynfield traps. The possibility of using one trap to monitor female and male C. capitata populations was also tested by combining BioLure in a trap with the male attractant, Capilure. The results of these experiments show that BioLure outperformed the female-targeted system currently used for monitoring female C. capitala (liquid protein in MePhail trap). More male C. capitata were caught in the standard male-targeted trap, but more females were caught in traps baited with BioLure irrespective of trap type, climate, host tree, or population level. Combined lure traps caught equivalent total numbers of C. capitata to the standard male-targeted trap, but fewer females were captured. Tephri traps caught more flies than McPhail traps, but McPhail traps caught equivalent proportions of females. We compared the performance in commercial orchards of the standard male-targeted trap with a female-targeted trap (McPhail with BioLure). We found that the male trap detected C. capitata more often, caught more flies, triggered the economic threshold more often (66% of the time) and was more cost effective. The male-targeted trap is recommended for use on commercial orchards if cost is limiting. However, using both male and female-targeted traps increases the chance of detecting flies and triggering the economic threshold level. The synthetic female attractant is recommended for replacement of protein hydrolysate lures and may be used in either Tephri or McPhail traps.     

Methods for monitoring outdoor populations of house flies, Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae).

Relative collections of house flies were compared on two Florida dairy farms using several monitoring methods: sticky cylinders, baited jug traps (Farnam Terminator and Victor Fly Magnet), and bait strips (Wellmark QuikStrike). Bait strips were placed over collecting pans and under 61 cm square plywood roofs to protect the toxicant from sunlight ("sheltered QuikStrike traps"). Sticky cylinders collected the fewest flies (515-679 flies/trap/day) and sheltered QuikStrike traps the most (5,659-8,814 flies/trap/day). The sheltered QuikStrike traps are promising tools for disease surveillance programs. The two baited jugs collected a similar and intermediate number of flies, with collections highest during the first 2 days after placement (2,920-5,462 flies/trap/day). Jug trap collections were low after 4 days of use in the field, apparently due to deterioration in the attractiveness of the bait over time. Jug traps collected mostly females, whereas sticky cylinders and sheltered QuikStrike traps collected mostly males. Exposure of jug trap bait (Farnam) to fly cadavers for 3 days did not increase attractiveness of the bait. Combinations of the Farnam and Victor attractants were more attractive than either attractant alone and 25-43% more attractive than expected based on the sum of collections in the single-attractant jug traps. A 25% solution of farm-grade blackstrap molasses was as effective as either of the two proprietary baits tested, offering a low-cost alternative for fly population monitoring.     

Comparison of two synthetic food-odor lures for captures of feral Mexican fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Mexico and implications regarding use of irradiated flies to assess lure efficacy

Feral Mexican fruit flies, Anastrepha ludens (Loew) (Diptera: Tephritidae), were trapped in a citrus orchard in Mexico by using two types of synthetic food-odor lures, the AFF lure (Anastrepha fruit fly lure, APTIV, Inc., Portland, OR) and the BioLure (two-component MFF lure, Suterra LLC, Inc., Bend, OR). In Multilure traps (Better World Manufacturing, Inc., Miami, FL) containing water, BioLures captured about the same numbers of flies as AFF lures. In Multilure traps containing antifreeze solution, BioLures captured 2 and 5 times more flies than AFF lures in two experiments. BioLures, and AFF lures did not differ in attractiveness when used on sticky traps (Intercept trap, APTIV, Inc.; and sticky cylinder trap). Multilure traps captured >4 times as many flies as sticky traps with the exception that captures of females did not differ between Multilure and sticky traps baited with AFF lures. The percentage of females captured in Multilure traps was greater when traps were baited with BioLures compared with AFF lures, but the reverse was true for sticky traps. Sticky cylinder traps captured a higher percentage of females than Multilure traps. The most effective trap/lure combination was the Multilure trap baited with BioLure and antifreeze. In comparison with tests of these two lures in Texas, results were similar for Multilure traps, but they differed for sticky cylinder traps in that AFF lures were consistently more attractive than BioLures in Texas, but not in Mexico.     

Colour discrimination by the sheep blowfly Lucilia sericata

Abstract. In laboratory trials designed to examine the alighting response of the blowfly Lucilia sericata Meigen to colour, yellow sticky cloth targets caught the largest number of both males and females, followed by pale blue, black, green, dark blue and red. The number caught by any colour showed a strong positive relationship with the percentage of its spectral reflectivity in the 450–580 nm wavelength band. In field trials, targets baited with the synthetic attractant 'swormlure' caught significantly fewer L.sericata than targets baited with liver and sodium sulphide, suggesting that the former bait is a relatively poor attractant for this species, at the release rates used in the present study. However, there was no effect of target colour on catch, neither was there any interaction between colour and odour bait type. The results, from both the laboratory and field trials, suggest that the strength of responses by Lsericata to visual cues are weak relative to responses to odour. Responses to hue are readily overridden by a range of factors such as brightness and contrast with the background and are therefore likely to be difficult to detect or manipulate reliably in trapping systems in the field.     

Visual and olfactory stimuli and fruit maturity affect trap captures of Oriental fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae)

An effective lure-and-kill trap is a potentially important instrument in monitoring and controlling oriental fruit flies, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel). A number of experiments were performed in an orchard of commercial guava, Psydium guajava L., to determine how fly captures are affected by combining visual and olfactory stimuli, and by the timing of trap deployment relative to host phenology. Baiting sticky Ladd traps with hydrolyzed liquid protein significantly increased the number of captured flies. Mostly male flies were caught in the absence of mature guava fruit, whereas mostly female flies were caught when ripe fruit was abundant. These results suggest that an effective oriental fruit fly trap should include both visual and olfactory lures, and that proper timing of trap deployment can be an important factor in monitoring female abundance in oriental fruit fly populations.     

Tsetse and other biting fly responses to Nzi traps baited with octenol, phenols and acetone

Octenol (1-octen-3-ol), acetone, 4-methylphenol, 3-n-propylphenol, and other potential attractants (human urine, stable fly faeces), as well as guiacol, creosol (potential repellents), were tested as baits for biting flies in North America using standard phthalogen blue IF3GM cotton Nzi traps, or similar commercial polyester traps. Baits were tested during the summers of 2001-04 at a residence in Canada and during January-August 2001 at a dairy in the U.S.A. Behaviour in the presence of octenol was also studied by intercepting flies approaching a trap through the use of transparent adhesive film. Analogous bait and/or trap comparisons were conducted in natural settings in June 1996 in Kenya and in September-December 1997 in Ethiopia. In Canada, catches of five of six common tabanids (Tabanus similis Macquart, Tabanus quinquevittatus Wiedemann, Hybomitra lasiophthalma [Macquart], Chrysops univittatus Macquart, Chrysops aberrans Philip) and the stable fly Stomoxys calcitrans L. were increased significantly by 1.2-2.1 times with octenol (1.5 mg/h). Catches of T. quinquevittatus and S. calcitrans were 3.5-3.6 times higher on a sticky enclosure surrounding a trap baited with octenol. No other baits or bait combinations had an effect on trap catches in North America. In Ethiopia, standard Nzi traps baited with a combination of acetone, octenol and cattle urine caught 1.8-9.9 times as many Stomoxys as similarly baited epsilon, pyramidal, NG2G, S3, biconical and canopy traps, in order of decreasing catch. When baits were compared, catches in Nzi traps of six stable fly species, including S. calcitrans, were not affected by octenol (released at approximately 1 mg/h), or cattle urine (140 mg/h), used alone or in combination with acetone (890 mg/h). Acetone alone, however, significantly increased the catches of common Stomoxys such as Stomoxys niger niger Macquart, Stomoxys taeniatus Bigot, and S. calcitrans by 2.4, 1.6 and 1.9 times, respectively. Catches of Glossina pallidipes Austen were increased significantly in traps baited with acetone, urine or octenol, or any combination, relative to those in unbaited traps (1.4-3.6x). Catches of Glossina morsitans submorsitans Newstead were increased significantly by 1.5-1.7 times, but only when baits were used individually. Unlike other studies with East African tsetse, catches of both tsetse species with the complete bait combination (acetone, urine and octenol) did not differ from those in unbaited traps. Experiments with an incomplete ring of electric nets surrounding a Nzi trap, and a new approach using a sticky enclosure made from transparent adhesive film, revealed diverse responses to artificial objects and baits among biting flies. In Kenya, daily trap efficiency estimates for traps baited with either carbon dioxide (6 L/min) or a combination of acetone, cattle urine and octenol were 21-27% for G. pallidipes, 7-36% for Glossina longipennis Corti, 27-33% for S. n. niger, and 19-33% for Stomoxys niger bilineatus Grünberg, assuming 100% electrocution efficiency. Actual trap efficiencies may have been lower, given observed outside : inside electric net catch ratios of 0.6 : 1.6. Observed ratios averaged 54% of expected values, with 10 of 15 possible ratios less than the minimum possible value of 1.0.     

Capture of Mediterranean fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in dry traps baited with a food-based attractant and Jackson traps baited with trimedlure during sterile male release in Guatemala

Captures of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), in Jackson traps baited with trimedlure were compared with captures in cylindrical open-bottom dry traps baited with a food-based synthetic attractant (ammonium acetate, putrescine, and trimethylamine). Tests were conducted in Guatemala during a sterile male release program in an area where wild flies were present in low numbers. More wild and sterile females were captured in food-based traps, and more wild and sterile males were captured in trimedlure traps. The food-based traps captured almost twice as many total (male plus female) wild flies as the trimedlure traps, but the difference was not significant. Females made up approximately 60% of the wild flies caught in the food-based attractant traps; the trimedlure traps caught no females. The ratio of capture of males in trimedlure traps to food-based traps was 6.5:1 for sterile and 1.7:1 for wild flies. Because fewer sterile males are captured in the food-based traps, there is a reduction in the labor-intensive process of examining flies for sterility. The results indicate that traps baited with food-based attractants could be used in place of the Jackson/trimedlure traps for C. capitata sterile release programs because they can monitor distributions of sterile releases and detect wild fly populations effectively; both critical components of fruit fly eradication programs by using the sterile insect technique.     

Improving monitoring tools for spotted wing drosophila,Drosophila suzukii

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) were trapped in the field using colored plastic sphere traps coated with insect Tangle‐trap. Red and black spheres captured significantly more D. suzukii than white spheres. Translucent deli‐cup traps deployed in cherry orchards and baited with yeast, the Alpha Scents lure, or the Scentry lure captured significantly more flies than the Trécé lure and Suzukii bait; all attractants had poor selectivity for D. suzukii. No‐choice evaluations of attractants conducted in field cages corroborated the cherry orchard field study, though translucent deli‐cup traps provisioned with the yeast bait captured significantly more flies than those baited with the Alpha Scents lure. Red sphere traps baited with the Scentry lure captured 3–6× more flies than the deli‐cup trap baited with the same lure, and 3–4× more flies than the deli‐cup trap baited with yeast bait, demonstrating that a trap integrating both visual and olfactory cues is a superior tool for monitoring D. suzukii. Moreover, this simple sticky, dry trap design requires far less labor and maintenance than does a liquid‐based deli‐cup trap.     

Are light traps baited with kairomones effective in the capture of Lutzomyia longipalpis and Lutzomyia intermedia? An evaluation of synthetic human odor as an attractant for phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae)

Phlebotomine sand flies are often captured with human bait and/or light traps, either with or without an animal bait. More recently, synthetic attractants have been used as bait in traps to improve the capture of phlebotomine sand flies as well as other insects of medical and veterinary importance. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of the kairomone 1-octen-3-ol (octenol) and the synthetic human odor BG-Mesh LureTM (BGML - lactic acid, caproic acid and ammonia) baited in modified CDC light traps on the capture of phlebotomine sand flies. The experiments followed the 5x5 Latin square design. Among the species caught, Lutzomyia intermedia apparently presented a dose-dependent response to octenol. The response obtained with the BGML, alone or in combination with octenol (5 mg/h), indicated some degree of attractiveness of these baits to different phlebotomine sand fly species. Octenol seems to be more attractive to L. intermedia than to Lutzomyia longipalpis, while the BGML presented a higher success in capturing L. longipalpis. When the components of the BGML were used separately, there was no increase in catching the female of L. intermedia. Apparently, there was no synergistic effect between the octenol and the BGML. In conclusion, the octenol and the BGML were demonstrated to be possible baits to attract some phlebotomine sand fly species.     

Monitoring oriental fruit moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) with the Ajar bait trap in orchards under mating disruption

Studies in Oregon, California, Pennsylvania and Italy evaluated the relative performance of the Ajar trap compared with several other traps for the capture of Grapholita molesta (Busck), in pome and stone fruit orchards treated with sex pheromone dispensers for mating disruption. The Ajar is a delta‐shaped trap with a screened jar filled with an aqueous terpinyl acetate plus brown sugar bait solution (TAS) that opens inside the trap and is surrounded by a sticky liner. The TAS‐baited Ajar trap was evaluated with and without the addition of a sex pheromone lure and compared with a delta trap baited with a sex pheromone lure and a bucket trap filled with the TAS bait. Although the Ajar trap had a 90% lower evaporation of the TAS bait than the bucket trap, both of them caught similar numbers in the majority of the field tests of both sexes of G. molesta. The addition of the sex pheromone lure did not increase moth catches by the TAS‐baited Ajar trap. The TAS‐baited Ajar trap caught significantly greater numbers of moths than the sex pheromone‐baited delta trap in 18 of the 20 orchards. Few hymenopterans were caught in orange TAS‐baited Ajar traps, but the catch of flies and other moths relative to the target pest remained high. Flight tunnel and field tests evaluated the effect of several screen designs on the catches of G. molesta and non‐target species. All exclusion devices significantly reduced the catch of larger moths. However, designs that did not reduce the catch of male G. molesta did not reduce the catch of muscid flies. Exclusion devices with openings <7.0 mm significantly reduced the catch of female G. molesta. The addition of (E)‐β‐farnesene, (E)‐β‐ocimene or butyl hexanoate septa lures to TAS‐baited Ajar traps significantly increased total moth catch. The addition of (E)‐β‐ocimene also significantly increased female moth catch.     

Monitoring oriental fruit moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) with sticky traps baited with terpinyl acetate and sex pheromone

Studies in Argentina and Chile during 2010–2011 evaluated a new trap (Ajar) for monitoring the oriental fruit moth, Grapholita molesta (Busck). The Ajar trap was delta‐shaped with a jar filled with a terpinyl acetate plus brown sugar bait attached to the bottom centre of the trap. The screened lid of the jar was inserted inside the trap, and moths were caught on a sticky insert surrounding the lid. The Ajar trap was evaluated with and without the addition of a sex pheromone lure and compared with delta traps left unbaited or baited with a sex pheromone lure and a bucket trap filled with the same liquid bait. Studies were conducted in a sex pheromone‐treated orchard in Argentina and an untreated orchard in Chile. In Chile, the Ajar trap without the sex pheromone lure caught significantly fewer males, females and total moths than the bucket trap, and fewer males and more females than the sex pheromone‐baited delta trap. Total moth catch did not differ between the Ajar trap without a sex pheromone lure and the sex pheromone‐baited trap. Adding a sex pheromone lure to the Ajar trap significantly increased total moth catches to levels not different from those in the bucket trap. However, the Ajar trap with the sex pheromone lure caught significantly more males and fewer females than the bucket trap. In Argentina, the Ajar trap with or without the addition of a sex pheromone lure caught similar numbers of both sexes and total moths as the bucket trap. The sex pheromone‐baited delta trap caught <4% of the number of moths as these three traps. The bucket trap in both studies caught significantly more non‐targets than the delta and Ajar traps. Moth catches in the Ajar trap declined significantly after 2–3 weeks when the bait was not replaced.     

The potential for control of the blowfly Lucilia sericata using odour-baited targets

Abstract A deterministic simulation model is used to explore the potential for control of the sheep blowfly, Lucilia sericata , using odour-baited targets. The simulations show that the ambient temperatures of 15^oC or 20^oC, 13% and 24% of the females present in a population would need to be killed per day, respectively, to prevent the population growing from its initial spring density during the summer blowfly season. In contrast, if both sexes could be sterilized, so that sterilized males were also able to disrupt the fertility of unsterilized females, only 6.5–13% of both sexes would need to be attracted and sterilized at 15^oC or 20^oC respectively. To examine whether these numbers of individuals could be attracted by targets baited with liver and sodium sulphide, mark-release-recapture studies in sheep pastures were used to quantify sticky target efficiencies. The percentage of the Lsericata population caught on any one day was shown to be positively related to average ambient temperature. At 15^oC each sticky target caught approximately 13% and at 20^oC, 41% of the females within a 20 m radius. The results indicate that, at ambient temperatures between 15 and 20^oC, if distributed at a density of approximately 5/ha, targets baited with liver and sodium sulphide could effectively suppress a population of L.sericata. Lower densities of targets would be required if they were able to sterilize both sexes rather than kill or if more attractive synthetic semiochemical baits could be developed.     

Effect of trap size, placement, and age on captures of blueberry maggot flies (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Ammonium acetate and protein hydrolysate baited and unbaited green spheres (3.6, 9.0, and 15.6 cm diameter) were evaluated for effectiveness in capturing blueberry maggot flies, Rhagoletis mendax Curran. Early in the season, baited spheres (9.0 cm diameter) captured significantly more R. mendax flies than spheres of 3.6 and 15.6 cm diameter. As the season progressed, the differences in trap captures became less pronounced among the 3.6-, 9.0-, and 15.6-cm-diameter spheres. In other experiments, the effects of trap positions and age on captures of blueberry maggot flies were assessed. Traps were positioned 15 cm above the bush canopy, 15 cm inside the canopy (from top of the bush), and 45 cm from the ground. Traps placed within the canopy captured 2.5 and 1.5 times as many flies compared with traps placed above the canopy and 45 cm from the ground, respectively. When sticky yellow Pherocon AM boards and green sphere traps were allowed to age in field cages, freshly baited (0 d) yellow sticky boards captured significantly more blueberry maggot flies than boards aged for 11, 28, and 40 d, respectively. No significant differences were observed among boards aged for 11, 28, and 40 d. However, when baited 9-cm sticky spheres were aged in field cages, there were no significant differences between freshly baited spheres and spheres aged for 11 and 28 d, respectively. Spheres aged for 40 d differed significantly from freshly baited ones. The study demonstrated that the baited 9-cm-diameter sphere was more effective in capturing blueberry maggot flies than spheres of 3.6 and 15.6 cm diameter. When this trap is deployed in the center of the bush canopy approximately 15 cm from the top of the bush, it is attractive and accessible to R. mendax flies. The data also indicated that a baited 9-cm sphere has a longer effective life span than Pherocon AM boards when deployed under the same field conditions.     

Attraction of the West Indian fruit fly to mango fruit volatiles

In this study, we investigated the attraction of West Indian fruit fly, Anastrepha obliqua (Macquart) (Diptera: Tephritidae), to volatiles of three mango [Mangifera indica L. (Anacardiaceae)] cultivars in field cage tests. The number of flies captured with Multilure traps baited with Amate mature green mangoes was significantly higher than that captured in traps baited with Coche and Ataulfo fruits. There was no significant difference between the number of flies captured in traps baited with Coche or Ataulfo mangoes. Gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry analysis of mango fruit volatiles identified 24, 22, and 19 compounds for Amate, Ataulfo, and Coche mango cultivars, respectively. A principal component analysis of the volatiles revealed that the Amate mango was more distant from the Ataulfo mango, and the latter cultivar was closer to the Coche mango. The compounds myrcene, α‐pinene, β‐selinene, and trans‐β‐ocimene were the most abundant in Amate mangoes, whereas 3‐carene, β‐selinene, terpinolene, and α‐pinene were the predominant compounds of Ataulfo cultivars. In the Coche mango, the predominant compounds were 3‐carene, β‐selinene, terpinolene, and limonene. Traps baited with a blend of myrcene, α‐pinene, and trans‐β‐ocimene captured more A. obliqua females and males than control traps. Flies were more attracted to the Super Q volatile extracts of Amate mango than to the three‐component blend formulated in a ratio of 1:1:1. However, there was no significant difference between the number of flies caught by traps baited with Amate mango extracts and that caught by traps baited with the three‐blend component when this was formulated according to the relative proportions in the mango extracts. Traps baited with myrcene, the major component, caught fewer flies than traps baited with Amate mango extracts.     

Comparative efficacy of three suction traps for collecting phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in open habitats

The efficacy of three suction traps for trapping phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) was compared. Traps were baited with Co₂ and used without any light source. CO₂‐baited CDC traps were evaluated either in their standard downdraft orientation or inverted (iCDC traps). Mosquito Magnet‐X (MMX) counterflow geometry traps were tested in the updraft orientation only. Both updraft traps (iCDC and MMX) were deployed with their opening ～10 cm from the ground while the opening of the downdraft (CDC) trap was ～40 cm above ground. Comparisons were conducted in two arid locations where different sand fly species prevail. In the Jordan Valley, 3,367 sand flies were caught, 2,370 of which were females. The predominant species was Phlebotomus (Phlebotomus) papatasi, Scopoli 1786 (>99%). The updraft‐type traps iCDC and MMX caught an average of 118 and 67.1 sand flies per trap night, respectively. The CDC trap caught 32.9 sand flies on average per night, significantly less than the iCDC traps. In the Judean desert, traps were arranged in a 3×3 Latin square design. A total of 565 sand flies were caught, 345 of which were females. The predominant species was P. (Paraphlebotomus) sergenti Parrot 1917 (87%). The updraft traps iCDC and MMX caught an average of 25.6 and 17.9 sand flies per trap per night, respectively. The CDC trap caught 7.8 sand flies on average per night, significantly less than the iCDC traps. The female to male ratio was 1.7 on average for all trap types. In conclusion, updraft traps deployed with their opening close to the ground are clearly more effective for trapping sand flies than downdraft CDC traps in open habitats.     

Visual targets for capture and management of house flies, Musca domestica L.

House flies and stable flies were collected on a Florida dairy farm using a commercial Alsynite sticky cylinder trap that was either used alone or covered with white, blue, or black outdoor awning fabric. Collections of both species of flies were highest on exposed Alsynite (house flies, 506.2 flies/day; stable flies, 19.1) followed by blue fabric (house flies, 308.1 flies/day; stable flies 12.5). Responses of both species to white and black fabric were 70% lower than to either of the former materials. When blue fabric was used to cover 50% of the surface area of Alsynite cylinders, house fly responses were significantly higher (290.2 flies/day) than to blue fabric alone (165.2); stable fly responses to the bi-colored target were significantly higher (152.6) than to Alsynite alone (93.8). Comparison of fly counts in the blue-covered versus uncovered Alsynite with traps of a single material indicated that house fly attraction to blue fabric was enhanced by the presence of clear Alsynite, whereas stable fly attraction to Alsynite was enhanced by the presence of blue fabric. The presence of blue+Alsynite visual targets increased collections of house flies in pans of dry fly bait but not in baited jug traps. Visual targets treated with 1.2% bifenthrin controlled >50% and 90% of house flies in large cages by days two and four after placement, respectively.     

Evaluation of synthetic food-based attractants for female Mediterranean fruit flies (Dipt., Tephritidae) in McPhail type traps

During summer 1997 field experiments were conducted on the island of Chios, Greece, to compare captures of female Mediterranean fruit flies (medflies), Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), in traps baited with either synthetic female-targeted lures or a standard protein bait (NuLure and borax). The synthetic lures contained ammonium acetate,1,4 diaminobutane (putrescine), and trimethylamine. Two trap types (International Pheromone's McPhail Trap (IPMT) and the Tephri trap) were tested as either wet or dry. Wet IPMT traps baited with the synthetic attractants were the most attractive of all trap combinations tested and captured 2.1 times more female medflies and 1.8 times more total medflies than traps baited with NuLure and borax. Traps containing the synthetic attractant captured approximately 4.6 times fewer nontarget insects than NuLure baited traps. Vapona used in IPMT traps was repellent to medflies and dry traps with lower concentrations of Vapona were approximately 1.5 times less attractive to female medflies than traps containing water. Even with a decrease in attractiveness, the dry traps were significantly more effective for females and more practical for mass trapping and monitoring than the currently used traps baited with protein solutions.