Performance of Pimenta dioica L. Leaf Extract As an Attractant for Bactrocera invadens in Sweet Orange Plantations in Ghana

This study was conducted with the primary objective of comparing the attractiveness of crude aqueous leaf extracts of an exotic spice plant Pimenta dioica L. with two commonly used attractants: methyl eugenol and sweet orange citrus (Citrus sinensis Osbeck) juice for the Africa invader fruit fly Bactrocera invadens Drew, Tsuruta & White (Diptera: Tephritidae) in a citrus plantation. No significant differences were observed among the tested concentrations (5, 10, 15 and 20% wt/vol) for most of the sampling days indicating that none of the concentrations was superior over the other in attracting B. invadens. The performance of the extracts was comparable with the synthetic methyl eugenol, particularly, during the first four days of placing the attractants in the field. Traps baited with synthetic methyl eugenol lure mixed with cypermethrin in a ratio of 4:1 v/v captured and killed significantly more adult B. invadens compared with traps baited with matured sweet orange citrus juice of about 10% brix. We have therefore shown for the first time that field populations of adult male B. invadens can be attracted to crude aqueous leaf extracts of P. dioica. These results suggest that leaf extracts of P. dioica can be used to detect and control B. invadens in citrus plantation