Less is more: Fewer attract-and-kill sites improve the male annihilation technique against Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae).
The Male Annihilation Technique (also termed the Male Attraction Technique; "MAT") is often used to eradicate pestiferous tephritid fruit flies, such as Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel). MAT involves the application of male-specific attractants combined with an insecticide in spots or stations...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2024-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0300866 |
| _version_ | 1797242851794354176 |
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| author | Thomas Fezza Todd E Shelly Abbie Fox Kyle Beucke Eric Rohrig Charlotte Aldebron Nicholas C Manoukis |
| author_facet | Thomas Fezza Todd E Shelly Abbie Fox Kyle Beucke Eric Rohrig Charlotte Aldebron Nicholas C Manoukis |
| author_sort | Thomas Fezza |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Male Annihilation Technique (also termed the Male Attraction Technique; "MAT") is often used to eradicate pestiferous tephritid fruit flies, such as Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel). MAT involves the application of male-specific attractants combined with an insecticide in spots or stations across an area to reduce the male population to such a low level that suppression or eradication is achieved. Currently, implementations of MAT in California and Florida targeting B. dorsalis utilize the male attractant methyl eugenol (ME) accompanied with a toxicant, such as spinosad, mixed into a waxy, inert emulsion STATIC ME (termed here "SPLAT-MAT-ME"). While highly effective against ME-responding species, such applications are expensive owing largely to the high cost of the carrier matrix and labor for application. Until recently the accepted protocol called for the application of approximately 230 SPLAT-MAT-ME spots per km2; however, findings from Hawaii suggest a lower density may be more effective. The present study adopted the methods of that earlier work and estimated kill rates of released B. dorsalis under varying spot densities in areas of California and Florida that have had recent incursions of this invasive species. Specifically, we directly compared trap captures of sterilized marked B. dorsalis males released in different plots under three experimental SPLAT-MAT-ME densities (50, 110, and 230 per km2) in Huntington Beach, CA; Anaheim, CA; and Sarasota-Bradenton, FL. The plots with a density of 110 sites per km2 had a significantly higher recapture proportion than plots with 50 or 230 sites per km2. This result suggests that large amounts of male attractant may reduce the ability of males to locate the source of the odor, thus lowering kill rates and the effectiveness of eradication efforts. Eradication programs would directly benefit from reduced costs and improved eradication effectiveness by reducing the application density of SPLAT-MAT-ME. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T18:45:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-dd8f02658a2a42c6a1f4a30c1926eb46 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T18:45:48Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-dd8f02658a2a42c6a1f4a30c1926eb462024-03-27T05:32:38ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032024-01-01193e030086610.1371/journal.pone.0300866Less is more: Fewer attract-and-kill sites improve the male annihilation technique against Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae).Thomas FezzaTodd E ShellyAbbie FoxKyle BeuckeEric RohrigCharlotte AldebronNicholas C ManoukisThe Male Annihilation Technique (also termed the Male Attraction Technique; "MAT") is often used to eradicate pestiferous tephritid fruit flies, such as Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel). MAT involves the application of male-specific attractants combined with an insecticide in spots or stations across an area to reduce the male population to such a low level that suppression or eradication is achieved. Currently, implementations of MAT in California and Florida targeting B. dorsalis utilize the male attractant methyl eugenol (ME) accompanied with a toxicant, such as spinosad, mixed into a waxy, inert emulsion STATIC ME (termed here "SPLAT-MAT-ME"). While highly effective against ME-responding species, such applications are expensive owing largely to the high cost of the carrier matrix and labor for application. Until recently the accepted protocol called for the application of approximately 230 SPLAT-MAT-ME spots per km2; however, findings from Hawaii suggest a lower density may be more effective. The present study adopted the methods of that earlier work and estimated kill rates of released B. dorsalis under varying spot densities in areas of California and Florida that have had recent incursions of this invasive species. Specifically, we directly compared trap captures of sterilized marked B. dorsalis males released in different plots under three experimental SPLAT-MAT-ME densities (50, 110, and 230 per km2) in Huntington Beach, CA; Anaheim, CA; and Sarasota-Bradenton, FL. The plots with a density of 110 sites per km2 had a significantly higher recapture proportion than plots with 50 or 230 sites per km2. This result suggests that large amounts of male attractant may reduce the ability of males to locate the source of the odor, thus lowering kill rates and the effectiveness of eradication efforts. Eradication programs would directly benefit from reduced costs and improved eradication effectiveness by reducing the application density of SPLAT-MAT-ME.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0300866 |
| spellingShingle | Thomas Fezza Todd E Shelly Abbie Fox Kyle Beucke Eric Rohrig Charlotte Aldebron Nicholas C Manoukis Less is more: Fewer attract-and-kill sites improve the male annihilation technique against Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae). PLoS ONE |
| title | Less is more: Fewer attract-and-kill sites improve the male annihilation technique against Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae). |
| title_full | Less is more: Fewer attract-and-kill sites improve the male annihilation technique against Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae). |
| title_fullStr | Less is more: Fewer attract-and-kill sites improve the male annihilation technique against Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae). |
| title_full_unstemmed | Less is more: Fewer attract-and-kill sites improve the male annihilation technique against Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae). |
| title_short | Less is more: Fewer attract-and-kill sites improve the male annihilation technique against Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae). |
| title_sort | less is more fewer attract and kill sites improve the male annihilation technique against bactrocera dorsalis diptera tephritidae |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0300866 |
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