Mass Trapping of Live Male Bactrocera dorsalis Hendel (Diptera: Tephritidae): Interaction between Trap Types and Period of Trapping

Mass trapping of insects involves the use of specific traps or devices that are designed to attract and capture a large number of adult insects, thereby reducing their population in the agricultural environment. This approach aims at disrupting the breeding cycle and proliferation of the target insect to minimize crop damage and economic losses. This study evaluated the efficiency of three trap types (Ecoman, Tephri, and Bucket funnel) and period of the day (morning, afternoon, and evening) in mass trapping of live male Bactrocera dorsalis and the survival of such catch over a period. The traps were deployed on selected trees following 3 × 3 factorial experiments. All the Bactrocera dorsalis caught in the traps were males. Ecoman traps caught the highest number of B. dorsalis in the mornings and evenings while Tephri traps caught the highest B. dorsalis in the afternoons. There was no significant difference in the survival of B. dorsalis in the three trap types after 24 hours. Correlation analysis showed that climatic factors played a significant role in trap catches. Bactrocera dorsalis caught in the evenings recorded higher percentage survival in all the three trap types than those caught during the morning and afternoon. The Ecoman trap was most efficient in trapping B. dorsalis. Hence, this study recommends the Ecoman trap for mass trapping live male B. dorsalis meant for further experiments such as irradiation studies.