Different combinations of pheromone trap, dispenser and chemical treatments for controlling the mango fruit fly, Bactrocera zonata Saunders (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Using pheromone traps is one of the standard methods to control the mango fruit fly, Bactrocera zonata (Saunders) (Diptera: Tephritidae). The lower efficiency of traps has made it inevitable to consider more efficient methods of controlling this pest. This study investigated the effect of integrated control treatments. The experiment was a randomized block design with split plots, including four main treatments, four sub-treatments, and five replications to control this pest. Using the pheromone traps alone (two types of traps: McPhail and Delta with two different dispensers: chipboard sheets (neopan chipboard sheets) and glass tubes), the combination of traps and shade-spraying, the combination of traps, and trunk spraying by poisonous bait (a mixture of insecticide and hydrolyzed protein), and finally the combination of traps, shade-spraying, and trunk spraying were compared. The results indicated that applying traps alone was the least effective, and the combination of shade-spraying, trunk spraying, and pheromone traps was the most effective treatment for controlling the pest. Concerning the pheromone traps and dispensers, the McPhail trap was more effective than the delta trap, and the chipboard dispenser was more effective than the glass tubes regarding the number of pest individuals captured and, consequently, the rate of damage reduced. According to the present study’s findings, combining different control measures with pheromone traps, replacing delta traps with McPhail ones, and chipboard dispensers with glass tubes would lead to appropriate control of B. zonata.

Keywords:

Bactrocera zonata , dispenser , Delta trap , McPhail , pheromone