Field evaluation of α-copaene enriched natural oil lure for detection of male <i>Ceratitis capitata</i> (Diptera: Tephritidae) in area-wide monitoring programs: results from Tunisia, Costa Rica and Hawaii

Abstract In an 18-week trial in Tunisia, a 20-week trial in Costa Rica and two 24-week trials in Hawaii a formulation of an α-copaene enriched natural oil bulb captured more male Mediterranean fruit flies (medflies) Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) than traps baited with trimedlure (TML). In the Tunisian and Costa Rican trials 2 g of TML were placed on a dental wick and renewed weekly. In the Hawaiian trials fresh and field aged 4 g TML plugs were used. For one Hawaiian trial 4 g TML plugs were field weathered under Hawaiian conditions while for the ancillary trial 4 g TML plugs were aged in Florida. During periods of the Tunisian and Costa Rican trials where traps baited with the TML wick captured less than an average of one male medfly per trap per week, traps baited with the natural oil bulb formulation captured significantly more male medflies. During the same low population periods a higher percentage of traps baited with the natural oil bulb formulation that captured at least a single medfly was greater than the percentage of traps baited with TML capturing at least one male medfly. Based on the present data, the replacement interval for NO bulbs is 3–4 times longer than for 4 g TML plugs.