We evaluated an
attract-and-kill system consisting of imidacloprid-treated (Provado 1.6F)
sugar-starch spheres against Caribbean Fruit Fly, Anastrepha suspensa
(Loew) (CFF), and its parasitoid, Diachasmimorpha longicaudata
(Ashmead). Experiments were conducted in the laboratory with collapsible 30 X
30 X 30cm3 fine screen mesh cages. Mass reared sterile CFF were used
for the study and flies were exposed to 14:10 L:D, 250C temp and 60%
RH. Four sphere treatments consisting of 2, 4, and 8% AI imidacloprid and an
untreated sphere (no imidacloprid) were evaluated for their effectiveness
against CFF. Behavioral observations were made at 2, 4, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours
after flies were released into the cages. Mortality rates were significantly
higher in the treatments containing imidacloprid compared with the control. CFF
males appear to be more susceptible to treated spheres than females. In a
separate experiment, two treatments consisting of an imidacloprid-treated
sugar-starch sphere with 2% AI and an untreated control sphere were evaluated
against D. longicaudata. Significantly fewer D. longicaudata
were killed with untreated control spheres compared with spheres that contained
2% AI imidacloprid. Early results may
indicate that although imidacloprid-treated spheres may reduce insecticide
residues on fruit, imidacloprid treated spheres are likely to have minimal
negative effects on non-target organisms.
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