Comparison of olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae(Gmelin)) (Diptera: Tephritidae) captures in several commercial traps in California

The trapping efficiency of three commercially available traps for monitoring the olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae (Gmelin)) was tested in California. ChamP yellow sticky traps and IMPT plastic McPhail-type traps were tested in three locations during 2 years. The McPhail traps captured significantly more flies than other trap types. In the second year, three variants of AM yellow sticky traps were included in testing. The AM yellow sticky panel was more efficient than the ChamP panel. The ChamP and AM traps were baited with an ammonium bicarbonate food lure and Spiroketal pheromone lure, and the McPhail traps were baited with a torula yeast food lure. Under the conditions of this study, it appears that the aqueous food lure used in the McPhail traps was more attractive to olive fruit flies than ammonia lures. Traps were also deployed in irrigated and unirrigated olive blocks at one location for 1 year, and more olive fruit flies were caught in the irrigated trees than in the unirrigated. The ChamP traps were initially used for olive fruit fly monitoring at the onset of their invasion into California, but the use of McPhail traps is now recommended.