Nature of Damage:
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The oviposition puncture made by the female on the fruit serves as entry to fermenting organisms.
On hatching, the maggots feed on pulp of fruits. As a result, a brown patch appears around the place of oviposition and the infested fruits start rotting. Affected fruit drop down prematurely.
External appearance of the infested fruits in ripening look quite normal but on cutting, large number of wriggling maggots are found inside the fruits. The direct loss is to the consumers while the farmers loose the credit or goodwill for the area under mango cultivation.
The dark puncture caused by the oviposition of the adult fly is not very conspicuous as its colour blends with the dark green colour of the fruit. It is very clearly visible in some yellow and pale brown varieties.
The maggots on hatching feed on the pulp of the fruit for few days and a brown rotten patch appears on the fruit surface.
The mesocarp becomes dirty brown. Infested fruits finally fall on the ground. The fruit is affected from May to August.
Management:
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Collection and destruction of fallen fruits to check the carry over of the pest.
Deep ploughing around the trees to expose and kill the pupae. Harvesting the fruits at early stage of maturity to avoid the infestation.
The adult flies may be trapped and killed by poison-baiting or bait spray. 20 gram Malathion 50 % WP or 5 ml diazinon 20 % EC + 2 gm molasses in 2 liters of water for coarse spraying or to be kept in flat containers.
The bait spray with the help of broom containing 150 g protein hydrocylate + 150 g molasses + 100 ml malathion 50 % EC in 100 lit of water. Spray application of fenthion 100 EC @ 0.1 % (10 ml in 10 lit water) twice at 15 days interval in the month of May in the severely infected area.
The surrounding vegetation in the vicinity should also be sprayed with insecticides.
Spraying with 0.1 % fenthion + 0.1 % methyl eugenol three times at one month interval starting from the month of march on one tree among 12 trees and only 0.1 % fenthion on rest of the trees.
Plantation of Ocimum sp. (Tulsi) and keeping it sprayed with fenthion 100 EC @ 0.1 % (10 ml in 10 lit water) help in attraction and killing of male fruit fly.
Fumigation of fruits in close containers with 0.5 ml EDB for 12 hours or 1 ml EDB for 4 hours Per 50 kg fruits kill the maggots in the fruits.
Mass trapping male fruit fly using plastic or tin container of one litre capacity baited with methyl eugenol and fenthion. Put at least 6 traps per acre. Mass action at farmers’ level is necessary for bringing down the fruit fly population in an area. Use of methyl eugenol impregnated wooden block 5 to 6 per ha. (Methyl eugenol 40 ml + Ethyl alcohol 60 ml +DDVP 10 ml. Deep in the solution for 24 hrs to dry under the ceiling fan).
Install khokha trap: A mega trap will be prepared from an any packaging material (khokha) in which solution of methyl eugenol can be absorbed. Make circular (9 cm diameter) or rectangular (9 cm x 12 cm) holes in the walls of khokha. A solution will be prepared by mixing methyl eugenol 40 ml + ethyl alcohol (or any other solvent) 60 ml + Dichlorvos 76 EC 10 ml. This solution will be impregnated on the inner walls of mega trap with the help of brush. For one square feet area 2 ml solution is needed. Recharge with the solution at weekly interval. During recharge, half of the quantity i.e. 1 ml/sq. ft is needed. Two to three mega traps (prepared from khokha of 1 ft length, 1 ft breadth and 1 ft deep) are required per hectare. These traps will be kept for mass trapping of fruit fly in fruit orchard at various locations.
