Effectiveness of Sustainable Home-Made Mcphail Traps in Mass Capturing of Longicorn Beetle, Trichoferus griseus (Fabricius) Adults under the Rain-Fed Conditions of Matrouh Governorate - Egypt

Abstract

Longicorn beetle, Trichoferus griseus (Fabricius, 1792) (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) is one of the most damaging fig tree pests at the Egyptian Northwestern Coast (ENC). The current paper discusses the first experience in masstrapping of T. griseus adults by McPhail traps made with re-used PET water bottles. Traps were lured by unmarketable fig fruits immersed in a small amount of water with a bit of any insecticide. This kind of trap is considered competitive for low cost, easily handled and the re-use of PET bottles lowers the wasted plastic that may have good environmental impacts. Also the use of non-tradable fig-fruits as lure advantages the management of wastes. This study confirms the knowledge on T. griseus bionomics in ENC. Sixty traps were installed at a rate of 15 traps/site and 1 trap/tree. The traps were succeeded to catch 714 adults throughout the whole study period. The mean catches/trap recorded its highest value at Barrani site and the lowest at Marsa Matrouh. Throughout the whole study period, July month showed the highest capture. Seasonal fluctuation of T. griseus adults showed the peaked range from June till October. Although the present findings suggest the efficacy of the traps in mass-trapping of adult borer, we consider the need of further studies and insights to improve trap performance. All the studies will concur to demonstrate the mass-trapping effectiveness in the proposed fig IPM strategy. Finally, local growers, after short training period, enjoyed and disseminated among them how to manage the traps independently.