SYSTEMS TO MONITOR AND SUPPRESS CERATITIS-CAPITATA (DIPTERA, TEPHRITIDAE) POPULATIONS

A synthetic food-based attractant, and a painted cylindrical dry trap that protects the synthetic lures from the environment, were developed to replace liquid protein-baited traps. This trapping system was test ed for capture of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wie demann). The dry trap is constructed of acetate Blm with a painted ban d that provides a visual cue; it contains internally-placed toxicant p anels to kill flies that enter the trap. Field trials conducted in Gua temala suggested that a solid-colored material could be substituted fo r the painted trap body. Sire also evaluated a sticky insert made from commercially produced adhesive paper as a replacement for the toxican t panels. Unlike paintable sticky adhesives, tile sticky material on t he adhesive paper insert does not adhere to the skin of personnel who service the traps. An open-bottom trap made of green opaque plastic wi th a sticky insert captured more C. capitata than the closed-bottom pa inted trap with a toxicant panel. When used in conjunction with steril e insect release technology, the open-bottom dry trap baited with food -based synthetic attractant often caught wild C. capitata in numbers e qual to those caught by trimedlure-baited Jackson traps, but the dry t rap caught many fewer sterile C. capitata.