Effectiveness of food attractants for capturing pest drosophilids in strawberry crops

Abstract

The increase in populations of Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae), as well as fruit damage, has been observed in small fruit crops in recent seasons, with a particular emphasis on strawberry cultivation. In addition, the invasive species Zaprionus indianus (Diptera: Drosophilidae) and Z. tuberculatus represent a real threat to these crops, as the presence of all three species amplifies damage and loss of the final product. Apple cider vinegar has commonly been recommended and used for monitoring and capturing these insects in strawberry crops, although without a reliable efficiency parameter. In this context, the aim of this study was to evaluate the capture rates of different attractants for drosophilid flies in strawberry cultivation. The attractants evaluated were: pure apple cider vinegar, a mixture containing pure apple cider vinegar, red wine, and sugarcane molasses, and water as a control. The attractants were baited in 500 mL PET traps and installed in a commercial strawberry crop using a randomized block design. Evaluations were conducted weekly from January to March 2025. After collection, the insects were sorted and identified at the species level. The results showed that the attractant containing the vinegar, red wine, and molasses mixture yielded the highest total number of captured insects (69.8%) and the highest mean capture rates throughout the experiment for all target species, significantly differing from the standard apple cider vinegar treatment. Therefore, a new option for monitoring and capturing pest drosophilids can be recommended for this purpose.