Purpose Watermelon and cucumber, as prominent varieties of melons in China, are susceptible to infestation by fruit fly pests during their growth stages. This infestation not only leads to reduced yield but also compromises the quality of these crops, significantly impacting their production and commercialization. Therefore, it is imperative to explore effective control measures for fruit fly pests targeting watermelon and cucumber cultivation.
Method In pursuit of efficient and environmentally sustainable methods for controlling fruit flies, this study selected three commonly used food baits for fruit flies available in the market. Trials were conducted in watermelon and cucumber planting bases to assess their trapping effectiveness on different species of fruit flies prevalent in these agricultural settings.
Result The findings revealed that all three food baits exhibited an attractive effect on melon fruit flies, South Asian fruit flies, and citrus small fruit flies. Notably, bait 3 demonstrated superior trapping efficacy across all three species of fruit flies compared to bait 1 and bait 2. Specifically, its total trapping quantity was 2.93 times higher than that of bait 1 and 9.50 times higher than that of bait 2. Furthermore, both bait 3 and bait 1 displayed a greater trapping volume for female insects compared to male insects.
Conclusion This study successfully identified a food lure with significant attracting effects on both male and female adult fruit flies—particularly females—which aligns with the pressing production needs faced by farmers engaged in watermelon and cucumber cultivation.
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