Evaluation of Local Food Baits for Monitoring Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Guava Orchards in Maputo,...

Fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) are major pests of crops that require effective monitoring for management. This study evaluated locally available food baits for monitoring fruit flies in guava orchards in Maputo, Mozambique. It also assessed infestation levels and examined the relationship between trap catches and the ratio adult/kg of fruit. Four treatments (palm sap, molasses, torula yeast, and water) and four replications were used. Tephri traps were installed on four trees per block and inspected weekly, while guava fruits from both trees and the ground were collected and incubated to estimate infestation indices. Three genera (Bactrocera, Dacus, and Ceratitis) were recorded, with a high relative abundance (90.37%) for Bactrocera dorsalis. Torula and palm sap were the best attractants, with no significant difference between them. Guava fruits showed high infestation (208.5 ± 13.3 adults/kg). Trap catches of B. dorsalis were positively correlated with adults/kg, suggesting 42.5% of infestation variation and highlighting the influence of factors outside the orchard on infestation indices. The results show that palm sap is a promising low-cost alternative bait and highlight the importance of considering area-wide management of fruit flies.