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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Hilo, Hawaii » Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center » Tropical Crop and Commodity Protection Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #216327
Title: Evaluation of SPLAT with Spinosad and Methyl Eugenol or Cue-Lure for "Attract-and-Kill" of Oriental and Melon Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Hawaii

Author
item Vargas, Roger
item STARK, JOHN - UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
item HERTEIN, MARK - DOW AGRO SCIENCES
item MAFRA NETO, AGENOR - ISCA TECHNOLOGIES
item COLER, REGINALD - ISCA TECHNOLOGIES
item PINERO, JAIME - UNIVERITY OF HAWAII

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/1/2008
Publication Date: 6/15/2008
Citation: Vargas, R.I., Stark, J.D., Hertein, M., Mafra Neto, A., Coler, R., Pinero, J. 2008. Evaluation of SPLAT with Spinosad and Methyl Eugenol or Cue-Lure for "Attract-and-Kill" of Oriental and Melon Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Hawaii. Journal of Economic Entomology.

Interpretive Summary: Spinosad is a toxicant that has been proven to be more environmentally benign than organophosphate pesticides currently used for fruit fly control programs on the U.S. mainland. SPLAT(TM) ME and C-L sprayable formulations containing spinosad were compared to other formulations containing the pesticide naled for oriental fruit fly and melon fly, respectively. Aging studies found that both spinosad formulations compared favorably over a twelve week period to the standard formulation. Our current studies indicate that SPLAT ME and SPLAT C-L sprayable “attract and kill” dispensers containing spinosad are more convenient and safer to handle than current liquid insecticide formulations used for area-wide suppression of melon fly and oriental fruit fly in Hawaii.

Technical Abstract: SPLAT(TM) ME (methyl eugenol) and C-L (cue-lure) “attract and kill” sprayable formulations containing spinosad were compared to other formulations under Hawaiian weather conditions against Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), oriental fruit fly, and B. cucurbitae (Coquillett), melon fly, respectively. Field tests were conducted with three different dispensers (Min-U-Gel, Acti-Gel, and SPLAT) and two different insecticides (naled and spinosad). SPLAT ME with spinosad was equal in performance to the standard Min-U-Gel ME with naled formulation up to 12 wk. SPLAT C-L with spinosad was equal in performance to the standard Min-U-Gel C-L with naled formulation during weeks 7 to12, but not during weeks 1 to 6. In subsequent comparative trials, SPLAT ME + spinosad compared favorably to the current standard of Min-U-Gel ME + naled for up to 6 wk and was superior from weeks 7 to 12 in two separate tests conducted in a papaya (Carica papaya L.) orchard and a guava (Psidium guajava L.) orchard, respectively. SPLAT C-L + spinosad was equal in performance to Min-U-Gel C-L + naled for up to 12 wk. In outdoor paired weathering tests (fresh vs weathered), C-L dispensers (SPLAT + spinosad, SPLAT + naled, and Min-U-Gel + naled) were effective up to 70 d. Weathered ME dispensers with SPLAT + spinosad compared favorably with SPLAT + naled and Min-U-Gel + naled, and were equal to fresh dispensers for 14 to 21 d, depending on location. Our current studies indicate that SPLAT ME and SPLAT C-L sprayable “attract and kill” dispensers containing spinosad are more convenient and safer to handle than current liquid insecticide formulations used for area-wide suppression of B. dorsalis and B. cucurbitae in Hawaii.