Analysis of factors influencing population density of the peach fruit fly (PFF), Bactrocera zonata (Saunders) (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Assiut, Northern Upper Egypt

Abstract

The results of this study showed that the attracted males exhibited a different response to the examined factors at two trap heights and during both study seasons (2011 and 2012) of study. However, statistical analysis indicated that the maturity level of guava fruits was the most effective variable in attracting males to methyl eugenol (ME)-baited traps hung at 1 and 2 m heights and had an effect on the average number of attracted males at the two height levels. The common rank of the independent variables according to the average number of males attracted to both height levels seemed to be as follows: guava maturation level (42.33%), maximum soil temperature (5.28%), maximum relative humidity (5.05%), minimum relative humidity (1.79%), minimum soil temperature at 5 cm depth (1.51%), maximum temperature (1.05%) and minimum temperature (0.48%). Our results suggest that trapping system consists of fly trap baited with 0.5 ml ME must be used at dawn period (the first appearance of light in the morning followed by sunrise) as peach fruit fly (PFF) males had highest activity at dawn period between 5 and 7 a.m. Traps must be hung from guava trees at 1 m height as this height was shown to be the most suitable for capturing high numbers of PFF males. The results indicate also that PFF adults could be emerged from pupae buried in the sand soil at a depth of 40 cm. At 50 cm, adults failed to emerge. Statistical analysis proved negative correlation between the emerged flies and the column weight of sand over the pupae.

Keywords:

• peach fruit fly
• population
• weather factors
• soil depth

Acknowledgement

The authors are grateful to Dr Youssef Awad Darwish, Professor of Economic Entomology, Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut University, for his valuable comments and critical reading of this manuscript.