A New Visual Trap for Rhagoletis cerasi (L.) (Diptera: Tephritidae)

• Published in: Insects (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 5; no. 3; pp. 564 - 576
• Main Authors: Daniel, Claudia, Mathis, Samuel, Feichtinger, Georg
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI 18.07.2014; MDPI AG
• Subjects: Diptera; monitoring; Rhagoletis cerasi; Tephritidae; yellow sticky trap; yellow sticky trap; monitoring; Tephritidae; Diptera; Rhagoletis cerasi
• ISSN: 2075-4450; 2075-4450
• DOI: 10.3390/insects5030564

The European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi (L.) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is the most important pest of sweet cherries in Europe. The aim of our experiments was to develop a new, cost-efficient, lead chromate-free and more eco-friendly trap for monitoring and mass trapping of R. cerasi. Five different-colored yellow panels and three different trap shapes were compared to a standard Rebell(®) amarillo trap in three experimental orchards in 2012. Trap color F, with a strong increase in reflectance at 500-550 nm and a secondary peak in the UV-region at 300-400 nm, captured significantly more flies than the standard Rebell(®) amarillo trap. Yellow traps with increased reflectance in the blue region (400-500 nm) were least attractive. Trap shape was of minor importance, as long as the object was three-dimensional and visible from all directions. Based on economic and practical considerations, a cylinder-shaped trap "UFA-Samen Kirschenfliegenfalle" was developed for commercial use and is currently under on-farm evaluation.