Area-wide suppression of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, and the Oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis, in Kamuela, Hawaii

Roger I. Vargas1a, Jaime C. Piñero2,5, Ronald F. L. Mau2, Eric B. Jang1, Lester M. Klungness1, Donald O. McInnis3, Ernest B. Harris3, Grant T. McQuate1, Renato C. Bautista4, and Lyle Wong4

1U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, USDA-ARS, P.O. Box 4459, Hilo, Hawaii, 96720, USA
2University of Hawaii at Manoa, College of Trop. Agric. & Human Resources. 3050 Maile Way, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96822, USA
3U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, USDA-ARS, 2727 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96822, USA
4Plant Pest Control Branch, Plant Industry Division, Hawaii Department of Agriculture, 1428 South King Street, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96814, USA
5Lincoln University of Missouri, Cooperative Research and Extension, Allen Hall 212, Jefferson City, Missouri, 65101, USA

Abstract

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service initiated an areawide fruit fly management program in Hawaii in 2000. The first demonstration site was established in Kamuela, Hawaii, USA. This paper documents suppression of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), and the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae), in a 40 km2 area containing urban, rural and agricultural zones during a 6 year period. The suppression techniques included sanitation, GF-120 NF Naturalyte Fruit Fly Bait sprays, male annihilation, Biolure® traps, and parasitoids against C. capitata and B. dorsalis. In addition, small numbers of sterile males were released against B. dorsalis. Substantial reductions in fruit infestation levels were achieved for both species (90.7 and 60.7% for C. capitata and B. dorsalis, respectively) throughout the treatment period. Fruit fly captures in the 40 km2 treatment area were significantly lower during the 6 year period than those recorded in three non-treated areas. The strategy of combining suppression techniques in an area-wide approach is discussed.

Keywords: bait spray, Integrated Pest Management, male annihilation, monitoring, Tephritidae

Correspondence: aroger.vargas@ars.usda.gov

Received: 30 October 2008 | Accepted: 25 March 2009 | Published: 17 August 2010

ISSN: 1536-2442 | Volume 10, Number 135

Vargas RI, Piñero JC, Mau RFL, Jang EB, Klungness LM, Mclnnis DO, Harris EB, McQuate GT, Bautista RC, Wong L. 2010. Area-wide suppression of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, and the Oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis, in Kamuela, Hawaii. Journal of Insect Science 10:135, available online: insectscience.org/10.135


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