Entomology, Ornithology & Herpetology: Current Research
Open Access
ISSN: 2161-0983
+44 1478 350008
ISSN: 2161-0983
+44 1478 350008
Nabil M Ghanim
Peach fruit fly, Bactrocera zonata (Saunders) (Diptera: Tiphritidae) is considered as one of the most economically important pests for several kinds of fruits and vegetables. In order to reduce the cost of male annihilation technique (MAT) for controlling B. zonata, dilution of methyl eugenol with paraffin oil had been evaluated to reduce the quantity of methyl eugenol. Five concentrations of methyl eugenol (10, 25, 50, 75 and 100%) were tested with three insecticides belonging to different groups of pesticides; fentrithion, spinosad and a mixture of thiamethoxam+abamactin. Methyl eugenol-fentrithion mixture at 100% of methyl eugenol showed that the weekly mean numbers of captured males all over 10 successive weeks were significantly higher (87.3 individuals/block) than those obtained at 75% (45.9), 50% (32.4), 25% (34.2) and 10% (9.0). There were no significant differences between concentrations 50, 75 and 100% of methyl eugenol in spinosad mixture, while their effects on captured males were significantly higher than that obtained when 10% and 25% were used. Mean numbers of captured males subjected to methyl eugenol-thiamethoxam+abamactin mixture averaged 8.8, 19.0, 24.9, 24.9 and 48.0 individuals/block at 10, 25, 50, 75 and 100%, respectively. Statistically, the mean number of captured males over the tested period at 100% of methyl eugenol was significantly higher than those obtained at 10, 25, 50 and 75%. Males of B. zonata were more attracted to methyl eugenol-spinosad mixture compared with methyl eugenol-(fentrithion and thiamethoxam+abamactin) mixtures. As a conclusion, dilution of methyl eugenol in paraffin oil till 50% in MAT by using spinosad (as an insecticide) did not significantly affect the captured males and had a high effect against B. zonata population.