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Title: Effective sampling range of a synthetic protein-based attractant for Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Author
item Epsky, Nancy
item ESPINOZA, H - Honduran Foundation For Agricultural Research (FHIA)
item Kendra, Paul
item ABERNATHY, R - University Of Colorado
item MIDGARDEN, D - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
item Heath, Robert

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/3/2010
Publication Date: 10/1/2010
Citation: Epsky, N.D., Espinoza, H.R., Kendra, P.E., Abernathy, R., Midgarden, D., Heath, R.R. 2010. Effective sampling range of a synthetic protein-based attractant for Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae). Journal of Economic Entomology. 103(5): 1186-1895.

Interpretive Summary: The Medfly poses a serious threat to fruit and vegetable production and export worldwide, and food-based trapping systems are the basis for detection and control approaches for this pest. Knowledge of sampling range, i.e. the maximum distance from which an insect can reach an attractive source in a given period of time, is needed for effective use of these systems. However, this information is difficult to obtain using traditional release and recapture approaches. Therefore scientists at the Subtropical Horticulture Research Station in Miami, Florida, in collaborations with scientists with FHIA in Honduras, with the University of Colorado and with APHIS-IS conducted research in Honduras to use spatial statistics data from field-collected fruit flies to determine sampling range of food-based synthetic attractants for Medflies. They determined that the standard female-targeted trapping system for Medflies has a sampling range of 30-40 m. This information will be used by commercial growers and action agencies for improved use of these traps for pest detection and monitoring; and by researchers as an improved method for estimating sampling range of traps and attractants for these and other pest insects.

Technical Abstract: Studies were conducted in Honduras to determine sampling range for female-targeted food-based synthetic attractants for pest tephritid fruit flies. Field studies were conducted in shaded coffee and adults of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), were captured. Traps (38 traps over 0.5 ha) were placed in a combination of standard and high density trapping grids to facilitate geostatistical analysis, and traps were sampled over 8 consecutive wk. Separate tests were conducted with Multilure traps baited with ammonium acetate and putrescine lures alone (two component attractant) or in combination with trimethylamine lures (three component attractant). Sampling ranges, as determined from spatial range obtained from experimental variograms that fit a spherical model, were approximately 60 m and 30 m for the two component and three component attractants, respectively, for female C. capitata and 25 m for both attractants for male C. capitata. Release/recapture studies using field-captured mixed sex C. capitata released within 24 h of capture, found a sampling range of 30-40 m for traps baited with the three component attractant, results similar to those obtained from experimental variograms. Geostatistical analysis of field-captured insects in appropriately designed trapping grids may provide a supplement or alternative to release/recapture studies to estimate sampling range for semiochemical-based trapping systems.