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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 #285425

Title: Performance of Methyl Eugenol + Matrix + Toxicant combinations under field conditions in Hawaii and California for trapping B. dorsalis (Diptera:Tephritidae).

Author
item Jang, Eric
item RAMSEY, AMANDA - Scentry Biologicals
item Carvalho, Lori

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/29/2012
Publication Date: 4/1/2013
Citation: Jang, E.B., Ramsey, A., Carvalho, L.A. 2013. Performance of Methyl Eugenol + Matrix + Toxicant combinations under field conditions in Hawaii and California for trapping B. dorsalis (Diptera:Tephritidae).. Journal of Economic Entomology. 106(2):727-734.

Interpretive Summary: The oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) is a major pest of many fruit crops worldwide. Current detection programs by federal and state agencies in the US employ a grid of traps consisting of liquid methyl eugenol (lure) and naled (toxicant) applied to cotton wicks and hung inside the trap. In recent years efforts have been made to incorporate these chemicals into various solid-type matrices that could be individually packaged to reduce human exposure to the chemicals and improve handling. New solid formulations containing methyl eugenol and either naled or DDVP toxicants were compared to the standard formulations on cotton wicks in large scale field evaluation in Hawaii. Two “reduced risk” toxicants (spinosad and Rynaxypyr®) were also evaluated. In one test the solid lure-toxicant-matrix combinations were sent to California to be “weathered” under California conditions and then sent back to Hawaii for evaluation. The polymer matrices with lure and toxicant were found to be as attractive as baited wicks and have the same longevity of attraction regardless of being weathered in Hawaii or in California. The new ingestible toxicants were also effective, although further testing of these ingestible lure+toxicant+matrix products is necessary.

Technical Abstract: New solid formulations containing methyl eugenol and either naled or DDVP toxicants were compared to the standard formulations on cotton wicks in large scale field evaluation in Hawaii. Two “reduced risk” toxicants (spinosad and Rynaxypyr®) were also evaluated. In one test the solid lure-toxicant-matrix combinations were sent to California to be “weathered” under California conditions and then sent back to Hawaii for evaluation. The new ingestible toxicants were also effective, although further testing of these ingestible lure+toxicant+matrix products is necessary.