Novel insecticides and bait stations for the control of Anastrepha fruit flies in mango orchards

Agricultural pests represent a limiting factor for safety food production. Environmental friendly alternatives to the use of synthetic pesticides are required. Here we evaluated the effect of a novel insecticide and a new designed bait station using Anastrepha ludens sterile flies in release–recapture tests in mango orchards. Seven treatments were distributed in 35 plots of one hectare each in a five blocks arrangement. Spinosad (GF-120), malathion and abamectin, Fly-catch bait station (FC): baited with 95% water, 4% hydrolyzed protein (Captor 300) and 1% malathion, 1.5 L plastic bottle bait station (PB) baited with 250 mL of CeraTrap, Papaya Leaf Mimic station: Sprayed with GF-120, untreated plots (control) were used as treatments. Half of the trees of each plot received the treatment. Approximately 5000 flies per plot were released at 15-day intervals, in four consecutive replicates. For monitoring, two Multilure traps/plot baited with BioLure were revised weekly. Wild populations of A. serpentina and A. obliqua were censored. Abamectin sprays and the FC induced the highest reduction in A. ludens captures (up to 50% with respect to the untreated plots). No clear effects were observed in the wild populations, since more flies were captured in some treatments than in the untreated plots, but here the initial population density and distribution was unknown. Traps in the FC treatment captured less nontarget insects than other treatments. Overall, the results indicate that the abamectin and the attract-and-kill bait stations, especially the FC, can be useful alternatives for the control of Anastrepha flies.