Monitoring Population of the African Invader Fly, Bactrocera invadens (Drew, Tsuruta & White) [Diptera: Tephritidae] with Methyl Eugenol and Nulure on Citrus in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State. Nigeria

Fruit flies cause economic yield losses in fruit production through direct damage to fruits. They also limit export market opportunities through the imposition of strict quarantine regulations by importing countries. This study was conducted in lkwuano Local Government Area (LGA) of Abia State, Nigeria to determine the incidence of the new invasive fruit fly, Bactrocera invadens, on Citrus. Adult B. invadens were monitored in four randomly Selected locations (Oboro, Ibere, Ariam, and Oloko) in the LGA using Lynfield traps baited with para-pheromone (Methyl eugenol) or synthetic food bait (Nulure). Mass trapping showed the presence of the new fruit fly in the study area. Oboro had a significantly (P< 0.05) higher mean number of trapped B. invadens (82.7) than other locations. The results indicate the possibility of using para-pheromone for mass trapping the fruit fly to reduce infestation on Citrus plants.