1Sun Agro Biotech Research Centre, 3/1978, Main road, Madanandapuram, Chennai-600125
2Division of Entomology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa Campus, New Delhi - 110012
3CAS in Botany University of Madras, Guindy Campus, Chennai-600 025
4Department of Zoology, University of Madras, Guindy Campus, Chennai-600 025
5World Noni Research Foundation, Perungudi, Chennai-600 096
*E-mail: venkatbio89@gmail.com
Online published on 22 January, 2015.
Presently noni is being promoted for commercial cultivation targeting the supply of fruits to the industry. Although fruit flies are known to infest noni (Morinda citrifolia), their seasonality and species spectrum have not been adequately understood. The present study evaluates the seasonal catches of fruit flies in traps kept in noni ecosystems with two lure sources namely methyl eugenol (ME) and cue lure (CL). It was found that overall in both the lure types there where catches in all months during the nine month period (August 2012-April 2013). The catches were greater in ME traps than in CL trap. The major fruit fly species caught in ME traps in descending order) were Bactrocera dorsalis followed by B. correcta then B. zonata while only B. cucurbitae was found in CL trap. These results has shown the common occurrence of four fruit fly species in noni.
Noni fruit flies, trap catches, seasonality, Bactrocera spp
