CAPTURE OF MEDITERRANEAN FRUIT-FLIES (DIPTERA, TEPHRITIDAE) USING COLOR INSERTS IN TRIMEDLURE-BAITED JACKSON TRAPS

Tests of the capture of wild Mediterranean fruit flies, Ceratitis capi tata (Wiedemann), were made using a commercially produced adhesive pap er available in several different colors as an insert in trimedlure-ba ited Jackson traps. Colors tested included fluorescent orange, fluores cent yellow fluorescent light green, dark green, black, and White. The se inserts were compared with the standard white inserts, which use st icky material that is manually applied. Tests were conducted in both c itrus groves and coffee fields in Guatemala, and in a coffee field in Hawaii. Generally, inserts made with the fluorescent colors captured m ore flies than those with nonfluorescent colors. Traps with light gree n inserts captured a higher percentage of total flies than did traps w ith the standard white inserts in 3 of the 4 trials. Traps containing either yellow or orange inserts captured significantly more flies than the standard white insert in 2 of the 4 trials. Traps containing blac k inserts tended to catch a relatively low percentage of flies. There were differences in host species, host fruit availability, and fruit f ly population levels among the various trials. These factors may influ ence the role of color cues in the capture of male flies by trimedlure -baited traps.