Attraction and mortality of melon flies (Bactrocera cucurbitae) to SPLAT-MAT-Cue-Lure or Melo-Lure with spinosad

Studies were conducted in Hawaii in 2007 and 2008 to quantify attraction and feeding responses resulting in mortality of male melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett), to SPLAT-MAT-cue-lure (C-L) or melo-lure with spinosad in comparison with Min-U-Gel-C-L with naled (Dibrom). Initial attraction studies in Hawaii between cue-lure and melo-lure showed few significant differences. Subsequently only C-L studies were pursued in California. C-L treatments were weathered for 1, 2, 4, and 8 wk in California, USA, and shipped to Hawaii for bioassays. In field tests involving bucket traps to attract and capture wild males, and in attraction/toxicity studies conducted in 1 m3 cages using released males of controlled ages, SPLAT-MAT-C-L with spinosad performed similarly to or outperformed the standard formulation of Min-U-Gel-C-L with naled for material aged for up to 8 wk. In laboratory tests in which individual males were exposed for 5 min to the different C-L treatments, mortality induced by SPLAT-MAT-C-L with spinosad recorded at 24 h did not differ from that caused by Min-U-Gel- C-L with naled at 1, 2, and 4 wk. Spinosad has low contact toxicity, when mixed with SPLAT offers a reduced risk alternative for control of B. cucurbitae, without many of the negative effects to humans and nontargets of broad spectrum contact poisons such as naled.