Ceratitis capitata trapped in New Zealand
On 1996-05-02, two male fruit flies identified as Ceratitis capitata (EPPO A2 quarantine pest) were collected from a trimedlure trap in Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand. In the Auckland area, 1992 trimedlure traps are placed at approximately 400 m intervals. These traps are inspected every 14+1 days as part of the New Zealand ongoing fruit fly surveillance programme. As a result of the captures, an A-zone of 200 m radius around the finds and a B-zone of 1.5 km around the finds were defined. These zones lie within the central Auckland suburb of Mount Roskill (and thus concern home gardens and not commercial orchards). On 1996-05-04, additional traps were placed in both the A and B zones. In the A zone, trimedlure traps have been placed in fruit host trees with at least 1 trap on each of the 78 properties comprising the A zone. In addition, 47 bait traps (primarily to detect the presence of females) were placed in fruiting host trees in the A zone. On 1996-05-12, additional 21 trimedlure traps were placed in an area of waste ground located within the A zone (total of 106 trimedlure traps in the A zone). In the B zone, traps have been placed in fruiting host trees (where possible) at a density of 20-30 traps/km2 (total of 231 lure traps in the B zone). Fruit monitoring, involving the regular collection of ripe fruit from specified hosts from all A zone properties and examination for larvae, was also initiated.
On 1996-05-05, 14 more C. capitata (5 males in five trimedlure traps, 3 males and 6 females in two bait traps) were collected from seven properties neighbouring the property where the original two males were caught (i.e. within the A zone). As a result, spot spraying of protein bait mixed with malathion insecticide was carried out in both A and B zones (with a minimum of 100 ml bait spots/ha, with all host trees treated).
On 1996-05-06, 13 more C. capitata (11 males in five trimedlure traps, 1 male and 1 female in a bait trap) were collected from four properties, situated within 200 m of the property where the original two males were caught (i.e. within the A zone). As a result of fruit monitoring, a larval infestation was located in a feijoa tree in one the properties immediately adjacent to the one where original captures were made.
Subsequent finds of larva-infested fruits have brought the total number of larvae to 85, extracted from twelve fruits (8 feijoa, 2 tangelos and 2 grapefruits). There have been no larval finds since 1996-05-23.
As of now (1996-06-13), the total number of trapped C. capitata is 41 (31 males and 10 females). All fruit flies have been found within the A zone. The last adult was trapped on 1996-05-15.
Sources
Ministry of Agriculture of New Zealand, 1996-06.