Field evaluation of food baits against female melon fruit fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett) (Diptera: Tephritidae)

The attraction of the female melon fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coq.) (Diptera: Tephritidae) to three food baits were evaluated in snake gourd (Trichosanthes anguina L.) and ridge gourd (Luffa acutangula (L.)) ecosystems at both Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts during January to march 2020. Food bait admixtures were prepared by combining base baits (guava-B1, muskmelon-B2 and guava+ muskmelon-B3) and bait additives (yeast, food grade alcohol, cane sugar and ProtineX®). The result indicated that both ridge gourd and snake gourd at Coimbatore (23 fruit flies/trap/day) attracted more adult flies than at Tiruppur. Greater number of Z. cucurbitae were attracted to food bait traps in snake gourd field (24 fruit flies/trap/day) at both Coimabtore and Tiruppur. In common, the performance of guava bait admixture (21 fruit flies/trap/day) was relatively greater than other two baits by trapping more adult flies. At individual sites, the three food baits attracted equivalently higher number of females than males (about 70% females). The number of adult flies trapped at first week (42 fruit flies/trap/day) was high and gradually decreased in successive weeks and found low at 11th (2 fruit fly/trap/day) and 12th (1 fruit fly/trap/day) weeks. This management practice for Z. cucurbitae effectively reduced the pest population by attracting most females.