Study on natural enemy composition and effectiveness to control pupa and adult of Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) in star apple (Chrysophyllum cainito) using entomopathogenic fungi

Abstract

Study on natural enemy composition and effectiveness to control pupae and adult of Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) damage on star apple using entomopathogenic fungi conducted from August 2020 to August 2021 at Southern Horticultural Research Institute and star apple orchards in Chau Thanh district, Tien Giang province. The results research on natural enemy composition of fruit flies at 10 star apple orchards recorded that there were nine natural enemy species such as Paecilomyces lilacinus, big-headed ant (Pheidole megacephala), fire ant (Solenopsis invicta), and parasitoid wasp (Diachasmimorpha longicaudata) appeared commonly with the frequency of 32.20%, 37.14%, 39.28%, and 48.00%, respectively. Followed by black earwig (Chelisoches morio), jumping spider (Plexippus paykulli), Metarhizium sp. and weaver ant (Oecophylla smaragdina) occurred less commonly with a frequency of 7.86%, 12.86%, 15.40%, and 20.00%, respectively. Beauveria sp. was very rarely with a frequency of 3.40%. Experimentally evaluating the ability to control B. dorsalis pupae and adults by entomopathogenic fungi indicated that P. lilacinus, Metarhizium sp., and TKS - BTMET (Metarhizium sp. + Beauveria sp. + Paecilomyces sp.) product were equally effective to control fruit fly adults with effectiveness of 79.12%, 69.22%, and 66.30%, respectively.