Rapid Delimiting of Pest Infestations: A Case Study of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly

We consider the problem of quickly determining extent of pest insect infestations, such as the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata (Wied.)) infestation in California. We assume that trapping is the primary method of detection. Analytical techniques are used to provide a relationship between single trap performance as measured in the laboratory and the performance of groups of traps in the field. Monte Carlo simulation techniques are used to compare the efficiency of various trap placement patterns. Depending upon the objective adopted, the optimal choice of trap pattern may be a rectangle or a cross.