Field evaluation of Medfly (Dipt., Tephritidae) female attractants in a Mediterranean agrosystem (Balearic Islands, Spain)

Field evaluation of female-targeted trapping systems for the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata (Wied.) was carried out in a Citrus orchard in Majorca (Spain). Traps and lures included: IPMT and Tephri traps, both baited with a three-component food-based synthetic attractant 3FA (composed of putrescine, ammonium acetate and Trimethylamine) as well as IPMT-baited with Nu-Lure, and Delta traps baited with Trimedlure. The 3FA food-based synthetic attractant was set up either wet (containing water) or dry (without water) in IPMT and Tephri traps. Two experiments were conducted, the first during autumn/winter conditions and high Medfly population levels, and the second during spring conditions and low population levels. The results obtained show that the 3FA was very effective at capturing females at high and low population levels. In the first experiment the best performance was shown by the Tephri trap baited with 3FA in combination with water, and in the second the best was also the Tephri trap but with dry treatment. The high number of non-targeted insects captured by the first treatment together with servicing difficulties would indicate that the 3FA/dry-baited Tephri trap is the best choice in the area of the study. On the other hand the 3FA captured a percentage of mated females equivalent to those obtained with Nu-Lure. The Trimedlure proved to be an adequate tool to detect the earliest Medfly males in increasing spring population. The implications and advantages of using the 3FA female attractants in sterile insect technique programmes and mass trapping approaches, are discussed.