Attractive lures for fruit flies in an organic guava orchard

ABSTRACT Fruit flies are the biggest obstacle in guava cultivation, with the monitoring of population a fundamental aspect for their management. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of attractive lures for fruit flies in guava trees, produced in an organic system. McPhail traps were installed with 400 mL of solution, in four repetitions, and distributed in randomized blocks in six treatments: Isca Mosca® (5%); Isca Samaritá Tradicional® (5%); Torula® yeast; Bio Anastrepha® (5%); Ceratrap® and guava juice (50%), with 3 weekly reviews. Data on capture were subjected to analysis of variance, and averages were compared (Tukey 5%). The values of fly trap per day (FTD) were computed. The correlation between flies and meteorological variables were evaluated, as well as the monthly cost of lures. A total of 37,917 individuals from the genus Anastrepha and 122 species of flies Ceratitis capitata were collected, being Anastrepha spp. the main genus of fruit fly in the region. The Ceratrap product proved to be superior, followed by Torula, Isca Mosca, and Bio Anastrepha; Isca Samaritá and guava juice presented the lowest results. The standard trapping of females was like the total. The uniformity of attraction presented a drop in all treatments, and Ceratrap was more constant after seven days. The correlations between meteorological factors and population variation were positive and significant only for precipitation. The most expensive treatments (Ceratrap and Torula) were also the most efficient and selective, and the Ceratrap product required less manpower.