Comparative study on the efficiency of different dispenser blocks in trapping mango fruit flies using methyl eugenol

Abstract

Mango fruit fly is a serious pest that damages mango fruits by laying eggs inside them, leading to significant yield losses. Methyl eugenol is a potent male attractant commonly used in traps to monitor and manage fruit fly populations. The present study was conducted at the Centre of Excellence for Mango, Dapoli, to evaluate the efficacy of ten different dispenser materials cork, lantern wick, drumstick wood, bhend wood, shivan wood, pangara wood, plywood, coco peat, sphagnum moss, and cotton in attracting fruit flies when soaked with a 6:4 ratio of methyl eugenol and ethanol. The study was carried out over a period of 32 weeks, during which weekly observations were taken, and mean fruit fly counts were calculated for every 8-week period. Results revealed that drumstick wood consistently captured the highest number of fruit flies across all installments, followed by cotton and sphagnum moss. This study highlights the importance of choosing suitable dispenser materials to enhance the effectiveness of methyl eugenol traps in integrated pest management programs for mango cultivation.