Weathering Trials of Amulet Cue-Lure and Amulet Methyl Eugenol “Attract-and-Kill” Stations with Male Melon Flies and Oriental Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Hawaii

Abstract

Amulet C-L (cue-lure) and Amulet ME (methyl eugenol) molded paper fiber "attract-and-kill" dispensers containing fipronil were tested under Hawaiian weather conditions against Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett) (melon fly) and Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (oriental fruit fly), respectively. In paired tests (fresh versus weathered), C-L dispensers were effective for at least 77 d, whereas ME dispensers were effective for at least 21 d. Thus, C-L dispensers exceeded, whereas ME dispensers did not meet the label interval replacement recommendation of 60 d. Addition of 4 ml of ME to 56-d-old ME dispensers restored attraction and kill for an additional 21 d. This result suggested the fipronil added at manufacture was still effective. By enclosing and weathering ME dispensers inside small plastic bucket traps, longevity of ME dispensers was extended up to 56 d. Fipronil ME and C-L dispensers also were compared, inside bucket traps, to other toxicants: spinosad, naled, DDVP, malathion, and permethrin. Against B. dorsalis, fipronil ME dispensers compared favorably only up to 3 wk. Against B. cucurbitae, fipronil C-L dispensers compared favorably for at least 15 wk. Our results suggest that fipronil C-L dispensers can potentially be used in Hawaii; however, fipronil ME dispensers need to be modified or protected from the effects of weathering to extend longevity and meet label specifications. Nonetheless, Amulet C-L and ME dispensers are novel prepackaged formulations containing C-L or ME and fipronil that are more convenient and safer to handle than current liquid insecticide formulations used for areawide suppression of B. dorsalis and B. cucurbitae in Hawaii.

Response of Melon Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) to Weathered SPLAT-Spinosad-Cue-Lure

“…The Bactro-MAT C-L fipronil stations and a sprayable SPLAT-MAT ME formulation were licensed for use in Hawaii (Vargas et al 2005, 2008b, Mau et al 2007, and work is continuing on the development of a SPLAT C-L product. The improvements were also driven by the reluctance on the part of workers to mix lures with restricted insecticides in monitoring traps.…”

Evaluation of Dietary Toxicity of some Essential Oil Allelochemicals for The Management of Chilo Partellus (Swinhoe)

“…Eugenol and methyl eugenol toxicity was comparatively moderate against C. partellus when compared to other compounds. Both these compounds are known to be attractants to fruit flies, particularly methyl eugenol used in cuelure traps (Vargas et al 2005).…”

Attraction and mortality of oriental fruit flies to SPLAT‐MAT‐methyl eugenol with spinosad†

“…In this study we evaluated the performance of SPLAT, a new matrix formulation of biologically inert materials used to control the release of semiochemicals, in this case ME, in combination with the reduced-risk insecticide spinosad. Previously, carriers used throughout the Pacific in MAT included canec fiberboard blocks, cotton wicks, Min-U-Gel, and molded paper fiber (Vargas et al, 2000(Vargas et al, , 2005. For example, fiberboard blocks impregnated with ME and various organophosphate insecticides (e.g., naled and malathion) were previously used to eradicate B. dorsalis from Rota (Steiner et al, 1965), Saipan (Steiner et al, 1970), Okinawa (Koyama et al, 1984), and papaya fruit fly, Bactrocera papayae Drew & Hancock, from Australia (Cantrell et al, 2002).…”