Boric Acid as a Safe Insecticide for Controlling the Mediterranean Fruit Fly Ceratitis Capitata Wiedemann (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Abstract

In promising experiments, boric acid has been tested as a safe and environmentally friendly insecticide for controlling Ceratitis capitata Wiedeman, a mediterranean fruit fly diptera belonging the Tephritidae family. Obtaining encouraging results can partially solve insecticidal pollution caused by chemical insecticides. Boric acid was applied in five baits that were, water, 5 and 10% sugar solutions, and 2.5 and 5% protein solutions on just emerged and 24-hour-old flies. For each bait, boric acid was presented by successive concentrations of 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2%. After 24 hours, the aged-fly death percentage ranged from 12.2 to 69.4 % and from 48 to 99.4% after 48 hours for just-emerged flies. However, for 24-hour-old flies, the percentage of death ranged from 32.6 to 90.4% after 24 hours and 65 to 99.6% after 48 hours. The current study shows the existence of a a direct proportionality between death percentage and the concentration of boric acid in the five baits, as death percentage increased with boric acid concentration. In addition, different baits had some effect on death percentage, but without a noticeable correlation. To avoid direct contact with the host plant and the boric acid-based baits, it is strongly encouraged to utilize boric acid in medfly control methods like the mass trapping technique.