Development of a trap for collecting Cochliomyia hominivorax (diptera: caliphoridae) flies

Abstract

The insect Cochliomyia hominivorax (Diptera: Caliphoridae) causes primary cutaneous myiasis, and the use of traps is an alternative to monitor this fly in the field. Thus, the objective of this work was to develop a low-cost trap for collecting C. hominivorax in the field. Three experiments were conducted, with six replications, in the experimental field of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa -Agropecuária Oeste), in Ponta Porã, State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Traps were developed using two-liter polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles cut in half, with 30 grams of bovine liver and water covering 90 % of the liver mass placed in the bottom half, using the upper half as a cover funnel to keep the captured flies in the bottom half. The experiments consisted of evaluations of different opening diameter of the trap entrance (3, 4, 6 and 7 mm) with traps installed at 1.16 m from the ground (Experiment 1), heights of installation of the traps (0.00, 0.40, 0.80, 1.20, 1.60 and 2.00 m from the ground) (Experiment 2) and bottle colors (yellow, blue, white, green, red and transparent) (Experiment 3). The collected data were subjected to Tukey's test (p < 0.05). The ideal traps for collecting C. hominivorax in the field were those with opening diameter of 6 mm, height installation of 1.20 m from the ground, using transparent PET bottles.