Improvement of Attractant Dispensing Systems for the Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) Sterile Release Program in Chiapas, Mexico

Several experiments using Jackson traps with various wick loadings of trimedlure (TML) failed to show evidence of repellency at high concentrations, although an asymptotic type response curve was evident. TML-impregnated cotton dental rolls demonstrated fairly linear evaporation rates. Rubber septa showed promise as an alternative type of dispenser. Capilure, a more slowly evaporating formulation of TML, proved to be less attractive than TML. Trapping strategies and future lines of research are discussed with reference to the medfly program being conducted in Chiapas, Mexico.