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Trapping Network In The Pacific Islands A comprehensive quarantine surveillance network of trapping sites has been established throughout the Pacific region. All Pacific Island Countries and Territories countries and territories have permanent trapping sites. In total, there are 892 sites with Cue-lure traps, 1197 sites with methyl eugenol traps and 27 sites with Trimedlure traps:
Host Fruit Surveys Host fruit surveys involve collecting samples of commercial / edible and wild fruits and incubating them in the laboratory for two to three weeks to determine whether they are infested with fruit flies. They yield information on the host range of each fruit fly species, the economic importance of each species on different hosts, the host stage of maturity when infestation occurs, comparative level of susceptibility to fly attacks for different host species and different varieties within a host species and diversity and impact of natural parasitoids. They also help to sample fly species not attracted to male lures. Regular sampling of high risk commodities is an essential component of quarantine surveillance. Sampling should include, among others, guava, breadfruit, mango, papaya, avocado, banana, carambola, tropical almond, Tahitian chestnut, citrus, Malay apple and other Syzygium species, capsicum and chilli, tomato, eggplant and cucurbits. Host fruit surveys are regularly carried out in American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji Islands, French Polynesia, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu. Collected fruits are incubated over a layer of moist sawdust for at least two weeks in ventilated containers. In broad host or extensive surveys, fruits are collected and set up in bulk. This method yields a lot of information, but does not indicate the percentage of fruits attacked and number of larvae per individual fruit. This extra damage assessment information is provided by specific collection of fruits or intensive surveys, in which large samples (e.g., 100 fruits) of commercially important fruits are set up and incubated individually in containers for at least two weeks. Alternatively, fruits may be held in bulk for 5 days, examined and those infested are transferred to individual containers and held until flies emerge for a further 7-9 days.
Page updated on: 23 October, 2007
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