The eastern cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cingulata (Loew), and the black cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis fausta (Osten Sacken) are the two most important pests of cultivated sweet and tart cherries Prunus spp.. In order to ensure maggot-free fruit to meet the stringent zero tolerance demanded by consumers, growers generally apply several applications of broad-spectrum insecticides, primarily organophosphates to prevent fruit injury. During 2000 and 2001, we investigated modifications of the highly attractive unbaited Rebell™ trap to determine whether flies were responding to trap shape or color. In 2000, we evaluated four treatments to detect the presence of R. cingulata flies. Treatments included the unbaited yellow Rebell™ trap (standard), baited yellow Rebell™ trap, unbaited transparent (Plexiglas) Rebell™ trap and baited transparent Rebell™ trap. Each baited trap had a polycon dispenser with 5g of ammonium acetate attached. In 2001, we studied the relationship between fruit-load and trap captures within R. fausta populations. Our results indicate that cherry fruit flies were responding to both trap-shape and color and that baited Rebell™ traps were significantly more attractive but less selective to R. cingulata and R. fausta flies. In treatments where cherries were removed from trees, trap captures were significantly reduced. Cherry trees with fruit and without leaves appeared to be as attractive or more attractive to R. fausta as trees with fruit and leaves of the same physiological state. We recommend baiting each Rebell™ trap with a polycon dispenser containing an ammonium attractant until a suitable cherry fruit fly plant volatile lure is identified.
Species 1: Diptera Tephritidae Rhagoletis cingulata (eastern cherry fruit fly)
Species 2: Diptera Tephritidae Rhagoletis fausta (black cherry fruit fly)
Keywords: Flies, Rebell Traps
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA