A simple and effective cylindrical sticky trap for fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae)

A sticky trap for fruit flies was developed that is 2.5x more effective than yellow panel traps of equal surface area for capture of Mexican fruit flies (Anastrepha ludens (Loew)). The trap consists of a slightly conical yellow cardboard cylinder coated on the outside surface with trapping adhesive. In trapping efficacy, these stand-alone cylinders were equivalent to plastic Liquibaitor trap tops with similar cylinders fitted over the trap top with the sticky surface facing outward. Liquibaitor trap tops with cylinders mounted on the inside with their sticky surfaces facing inward were ineffective, and Liquibaitor tops with cylinders both inside and outside were not more effective than those with the sticky surface only on the outside. Besides the increased attractiveness of the stand-alone cylinders with the sticky surface outside, advantages of this design are that lures can be suspended from the trap hanger inside the cylinder where they do not contact the sticky surface, sticky cylinders can be changed in the field without disturbing lures that are suspended from the hangers, and traps can be stacked like Dixie cups for storage and transport.