Comparative efficacy of bottle and sticky traps baited with cue-lure for sustainable suppression of melon fruit fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett)

Abstract

The melon fruit fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett), is a key pest infesting cucurbit crops in India, causing severe yield losses. Management of this pest is complex due to larvae feeding inside the fruit and increasing insecticide resistance. This study aimed to evaluate the optimum cue-lure concentration and compare the performance of bottle traps versus sticky traps for fruit fly suppression. Field experiments were carried out during the kharif seasons of 2023 and 2024 in a sponge gourd field in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. Treatments included various cue-lure concentrations combined with bottle, yellow, and blue sticky traps. Statistical analysis showed that bottle traps with 95% cue-lure were the most effective in attracting fruit flies, while the 6:4 (alcohol:cue-lure) ratio provided nearly equivalent trapping efficiency. Bottle traps consistently outperformed sticky traps, and yellow sticky traps caught significantly more flies than blue ones. The results suggest that sticky traps can serve as chemical-free alternatives suitable for organic farming. The study recommends using cue-lure-baited bottle traps at a density of 10–15 traps per acre for mass trapping and replacing sticky traps every two weeks during key crop stages. These approaches offer cost-effective solutions for small-scale farmers and promote sustainable fruit fly management. © 2025 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.