Population fluctuations of economically important male Dacine fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) at Savar, Dhaka

Abstract

Population fluctuations of male fruit flies were monitored using Hawaii traps baited with parakairomone lures (methyl eugenol, cue lure and zingerone) for one year (Nov 2017–Oct 2018) at ten different sites at Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. A total of 73,188 flies were collected, which belong to 16 species and dominated by Bactrocera dorsalis (56.99%), Zeugodacus cucurbitae (22.90%), Z. tau (14.30%) and B. rubigina (3.40%). B. zonata, B. correcta and Dacus longicornis were collected in much smaller numbers. Population fluctuations of B. dorsalis, with peaks in July, was positively correlated with minimum temperature (r=0.68), maximum temperature (r=0.50), rainfall (r=0.86) and host availability. It was similar to B. zonata and B. rubigina. Z. cucurbitae population peaked in March and have no clear correlation with maximum temperatures and rainfall. Captures of Z. tau and D. longicornis were inversely related to rainfall, having abundance peaks in the dry winter months.