Monitoring of fruit fly populations using parapheromone in peach orchards

Monitoring of fruit flies carried out with parapheromone based attractant-insecticide (methyl eugenol-malathion) suspension and wooden block traps in peach orchard during 2009 and 2010 at Nauni and Kandaghat revealed that two fruit fly species, Bactrocera zonata (Saunders) and B. dorsalis (Hendel) entrapped in both the types of traps. At Nauni during 2009, the activity started in April but the population was low which increased thereafter and reached a peak during July (28th SW) with an average of 74.5 males/trap. During 2010 also same trend was recorded. At Kandaghat population fluctuation pattern was almost similar to Nauni but the fruit fly count was comparatively low. The population started increasing in May and reached its peak during July i.e. 27th and 25th Standard Meteorological Week (SMW), respectively during 2009 and 2010, with an average of 62.6 and 64.0 males/trap. Abiotic factors in most of the situations showed positive correlation with trap catch. The catch in wooden block traps was comparatively higher indicating the possibility of using these in the monitoring and mass trapping.