The development of a lure and kill system for control of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Abstract

The Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann (Diptera: Tephritidae) is a polyphagous pest of global economic importance. As a result, many systems have been proposed to reduce their impact and population spread, each of which has its limitations. Lure and kill systems are extensively used to combat medfy infestations. However, widely used bait spray applications indiscriminately contaminate the target area with insecticide, having harmful effects on beneficial and other non-target organisms. Alternative systems rely on traps that lure flies in where they are killed, these require regular maintenance and rely on either a single sex attractant (which only have limited effect on the female population) or the use broad spectrum attractants that attract and kill beneficial, pest controlling, insects. This work allows the development of a lure and kill control strategy based on insecticide formulated electrostatic powders that can be autodisseminated through a pest population. Laboratory survival experiments were used to compare the LT50s of two insecticides (chlorpyrifos and spinosad) formulated with different powders (EntostatTM and Entomag™) and to show secondary transfer of insecticide from contaminated males to females through courtship. The combination of EntostatTM powder and 2% spinosad gave the best performance allowing sufficient time for transfer between conspecifics before mortality and rapid mortality to secondary contaminated females. Field studies were undertaken to establish a suitable prototype electrostatic powder container. The proposed system would have benefits over other existing systems, as the targeted nature of the application method limits contamination of produce and the environment with insecticide. Secondly, the autodissemination nature of the system would target female members of the pest population not initially attracted to the insecticide. Three stations were tested, with the traditional delta design proving to be the most effective, with higher numbers of medly contacts on the area that would house the insecticidal agent, suggesting greater numbers of primary transmission from this design.

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