Response of Anastrepha obliqua (Diptera: Tephritidae) to visual and chemical cues under seminatural conditions.

The West Indian fruit fly, Anastrepha obliqua (Macquart), is considered one of the most important pests of several fruit crops in Latin America. Studies on the sensorial ecology of A. obliqua may contribute to the improvement of a trapping system for monitoring this fruit fly species. In this study, we investigated the responses of both sexes of A. obliqua to different visual cues and to the combination of visual and chemical cues in field cages tests. Both sexes were more attracted to lime-green, orange, and yellow spheres than to red, black, or white spheres. Flies were more attracted to three-dimensional models than to flat models. A. obliqua was more attracted to 8-, 10-, and 12-cm-diameter spheres than to 4- and 6-cm-diameter spheres. Flies were more attracted to lime-green spheres baited with mombin fruit odor, Spondias mombin L., than to spheres offering either visual or cues alone.