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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 #299169
Title: Field evaluation of melolure, a formate analogue of cuelure and reassessment of fruit fly species trapped in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Author
item DOMININIAK, BERNARD - Nsw Department Of Primary Industries
item CAMPBELL, ANGUS - Nsw Department Of Primary Industries
item Jang, Eric
item RAMSEY, AMANDA - Scentry Biologicals
item FANSON, BENJAMIN - Macquarie University

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/8/2015
Publication Date: 6/1/2015
Citation: Domininiak, B., Campbell, A., Jang, E.B., Ramsey, A., Fanson, B. 2015. Field evaluation of melolure, a formate analogue of cuelure reassessment of fruit fly species trapped in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. J. Econ. Entomol. 108(3):1176-1181. doi: 10.1093/jee/tov048

Interpretive Summary: Detection of invasive pests represent a first line defense in protecting agriculture. For fruit flies, an array of traps in and around areas of potential introductions are routinely placed to serve as first line detection devices. Improved lures that attract the pest flies increase the chances that the pest will be detected early. In this study, we evaluated a new lure (melolure) which has been reported to be better than cue-lure, the standard for many fruit flies. Our results in Australia against the Queensland fruit fly did not show significant increases in trap captures using this new lure as compared to cue lure. However, there is some evidence that the presence of the lure may enhance the detection of Queensland fruit fly and further research is needed to determine this.

Technical Abstract: Fruit fly surveillance programmes rely on the use of chemical lures to monitor and control Tephritid fruit flies incursions. Significant economic advantages could be achieved by increasing the effectiveness of these chemical lures. In Australia, tephritids are usually attracted to either cuelure (CL) or methyl eugenol (ME). ME is a very effective lure, but CL is less effective. A new formate analogue of CL, melolure (ML), has increased volatility resulting in improved efficacy with the melon fruit fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae. Here, we tested the efficacy of ML with fruit flies in Sydney as part of the National Exotic Fruit Fly monitoring program. This monitoring program has 73 trap sites across Sydney with each trap site comprising separate Lynfield traps containing CL, ME, and Medfly lure. In 2008, an additional Lynfield trap with ML plugs was added to seven sites. In 2009 and 2010, an additional Lynfield trap with ML wicks was added to eleven trap sites and traps were monitored fortnightly for two years. Capture rates for ML traps were similar to CL traps for Dacus absonifacies and D. aequalis, but ML traps consistently caught fewer B. tyroni than CL traps. However, trap sites with both CL and ML traps had increased capture rates for D. absonifacies and D. aequalis, and a marginally significant increase for B. tyroni. A preliminary experiment found that ML plugs were less effective than ML wicks. Implications for monitoring programmes are discussed.