Jackson trap efficiency capturing Bactrocera dorsalis and Zeugodacus cucurbitae with male lures with and without insecticides

Authors: Manoukis, Nicholas; LEATHERS, J - California Department Of Food And Agriculture; BEUCKE, K - California Department Of Food And Agriculture; Carvalho, Lori

Submitted to: Journal of Applied Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/14/2022
Publication Date: 1/6/2023
Citation: Manoukis, N., Leathers, J., Beucke, K., Carvalho, L.A. 2023. Jackson trap efficiency capturing Bactrocera dorsalis and Zeugodacus cucurbitae with male lures with and without insecticides. Journal of Applied Entomology. 147(3):231-238. https://doi.org/10.1111/jen.13103.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jen.13103

Interpretive Summary: This experiment aims to improve the traps and lure/insecticide combinations used in California to protect the state against Tephritid fruit flies, invasive quarantine pests of major concern to agriculture. We tested the effects of three important components of traps on efficiency of capture of two important fruit fly species ("oriental fruit fly" and "melon fly") in cages and in the field: The insecticide used, the sticky substance used to keep the captured insects on the panel of the trap, and the use of single or combination lures. Results indicate that the current liquid lure/naled combinations on cotton wicks used in California for surveillance of these flies can be effectively replaced by plastic polymer plugs for the lure and pre-packaged DDVP strips with no loss of trap efficiency for eight weeks of use or longer. A new “high tack” adhesive showed no advantage over the current standard against these flies and both have low efficiency when used without an insecticide in the trap. Combination lure + DDVP varied when compared with the current standard liquid lure + naled.

Technical Abstract: Jackson traps baited with male lures with or without insecticides are essential components of surveillance and monitoring programs against many pest tephritid fruit flies. The relative ability of a trap to capture a fly that approaches it, sometimes termed “trap efficiency”, is dependent on the trap/lure/toxicant combination and is important to assess when considering alternative combinations of these components. In this study, we tested the effects of three important components of Jackson traps on efficiency of capture of two important fruit fly species, using the “standard” (i.e., as they are used in the state-wide surveillance program in California) and alternatives: Insecticide (Naled, DDVP or None), type of adhesive on the sticky panel Seabright Laboratories Stickem Special Regular or Stickem Special HiTack), and use of a single or combination lure. Experiments were conducted in large outdoor carousel olfactometers with known numbers of Bactrocera dorsalis and Zeugodacus cucurbitae and by trapping wild populations of the same two species. Lures were aged out to eight weeks to develop a comprehensive dataset on trap efficiency of the various combinations. Results indicate that the current liquid lure/naled combinations on cotton wicks used in California for surveillance of these flies can be effectively replaced by plastic polymer plugs for the lure and pre-packaged DDVP strips with no loss of trap efficiency for eight weeks of use or longer. The “high tack” adhesive showed no advantage over the current standard against these flies and both have low efficiency when used without an insecticide in the trap. Combination lure + DDVP varied when compared with the current standard liquid lure + naled: Olfactometer assays showed similar efficiency between them for B. dorsalis, but higher efficiency for the wafer against Z. cucurbitae. Field result showed similar or slightly higher performance of the wafer compared with the standard for B. dorsalis, but a much lower catch of Z. cucurbitae. Crowding and trap filling with B. dorsalis may have been responsible for the latter result, which is likely irrelevant for surveillance applications where small numbers of flies are more likely. We conclude that improvements to trapping procedures in California in terms of handling and program flexibility can be attained by a change to solid lures and DDVP “vapor strips” instead of liquid formulations without a loss of trap efficiency.