FIELD EVALUATION OF BAIT COMPONENTS IN ATTRACTING MELON FLY, BACTROCERA CUCURBITAE (COQ.) (TEPHRITIDAE: DIPTERA) IN SUB HIMALAYAN FOOT HILLS OF NORTH -EASTERN INDIA

Efficacy of some locally available food lures such as molasses, sugar, country liquor and date palm juice (fresh and fermented) as bait components in attracting melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coq.) were tested. Cypermthrin 10EC, chlorpyrifos 20 EC, spinosad 45SC, malathion 50EC, chlorpyrifos 50% + cypermethrin 5% and endosulfan 35 EC in cuelure bait were also used in bucket trap in a separate experiments. Both trials were conducted at the field of Instructional Farm, Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Cooch Behar, West Bengal, India during 2007-2008. Results showed that the number of adult flies attracted per bait per day varied significantly in different baits being highest (3.22) in molasses followed by fermented date palm juice (3.18) and country liquor (2.11), whereas the lowest (0.67) was recorded in sugar. Highest number of flies was trapped in malathion traps (12.33) which had non-significant difference with chlorpyrifos + cypermethrin (11.67) and spinosad (10.67). Initial high number of flies trapped in various traps in both experiments decreased gradually over time.