106(1)_str11

ISSN 1392-3196 / e-ISSN 2335-8947
Zemdirbyste-Agriculture, vol. 106, No. 1 (2019), p. 81–86
DOI  10.13080/z-a.2019.106.011

Trapping peculiarities, flight and mating dynamics of sea buckhorn fruit fly (Rhagoletis batava) in Lithuania

Dominykas ALEKNAVIČIUS, Vincas BŪDA

Abstract

The sea buckthorn fruit fly Rhagoletis batava Hering, 1938 is the most important pest of sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) and causes big losses of berry yield. Recently, the fly has been rapidly spreading in European buckthorn plantations. The objective of the research was to establish seasonal flight period and diurnal mating period of R. batava as well as to compare the efficiency of traps differing in colour and type for trapping fruit flies under field conditions. In Lithuania, annual flight period of R. batava lasts approximately six weeks, it starts at the end of June and ceases in August with a peak from the middle of July till the middle of August on average. Both beginning of the flight period and peak activity may vary by about 20 days between years. Mating period of sea buckhorn fruit flies lasts during all light period of a day without a clearly pronounced peak. Among the 7 colours of traps tested, the most attractive was yellow, in which catches were 1.5–7.8 times more abundant compared to the traps of the other colours. The ratio of R. batava females caught by McPhail traps was higher compared to that in sticky traps. Location of traps on feminine bushes increases captures of sea buckthorn fruit flies by approximately 50% compared to the traps located on masculine bushes.

Key words: daily mating rhythm, flight season, fruit fly, pest monitoring, trap colour, trap efficacy.

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