Attraction and Feeding Responses of Melon Flies and Oriental Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) to Various Protein Baits with and without Toxicants

摘要

Studies were conducted to determine attraction and feeding propensity of oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), and melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillet) to different protein bait mixtures with and without the insecticides spinosad and malathion. The type of protein bait (Provesta~R 621autolyzed yeast extract, Mazoferm~R E802, GF-120~R Fruit Fly Bait, or Nu-Lure~R Insect Bait) had a major influence on B. dorsalis and B. cucurbitae attraction and feeding, which was strongest to freshPro vesta, GF-120, and Mazoferm. There was no significant response to bait aged for 4 d. In feeding propensity studies, highest response was observed for Mazoferm. On the basis of attraction and feeding responses Provesta (attraction) and Mazoferm (feeding) outperformed the standard Nu-Lure. A mixture of Provesta and malathion was significantly less attractive to B. dorsalis and B. cucurbitae, compared to a mixture of Provesta and spinosad. Our studies suggest that protein-starved B. dorsalis flies were much more likely to feed on protein compared to protein-fed flies. Spinosad has low contact toxicity, and, when mixed with protein baits, offers a reduced risk alternative for control of B. dorsalis and B. cucurbitae, without many of the nontarget effects of broad spectrum contact poisons such as malathion.