Use of Preservatives in Vegetable Protein-Based Food Attractants for Monitoring Anastrepha fraterculus (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Peach Orchards.

Studies have demonstrated that the addition of preservatives mixed with food attractants have provided a more expressive attractiveness for fruit fly adults. The objective of the study was to evaluate the capture of Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann, 1830) adults when the addition of borax and/or benzalkonium chloride preservative in BioAnastrepha and Isca Samaritá Tradicional food attractants compared to CeraTrap (control, no preservatives added) in peach orchards. As well as, verifying the effect over non-target insects. BioAnastrepha, Isca Samaritá Tradicional and CeraTrap attractants enabled the capture of A. fraterculus adults when used by themselves in McPhail traps. However, by adding borax and benzalkonium chloride, BioAnastrepha and Isca Samaritá Tradicional food attractants significantly increased the number of adults captured. Additionally, the number of A. fraterculus adults captured by BioAnastrepha attractant + borax was similar to CeraTrap attractant over time. Regarding non-target insects, the highest percentages of subjects captured belong to the Coleoptera (4.4 to 11%) and Diptera orders (24.1 to 34.6%) (Drosophilidae family). Nevertheless, insects from the Hymenoptera order [(Formicidae (0.14 to 0.96%), Vespidae (0.02 to 0.3%), and Apidae (0.04 to 0.9%)] families. Neuroptera (0.02 to 0.98%) and Lepidoptera (0.09 to 0.7%) were also captured, although those amounted to less than 1% of the A. fraterculus total. Adding borax and benzalkonium chloride to BioAnastrepha and Isca Samaritá Tradicional food attractants potentialize the effect of A. fraterculus capture in monitoring traps. Also, adding preservatives made attractants more durable, consequently, the need to replace attractants was not as frequent.