Spinosad bait treatments as alternative to malathion to control the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) in the Mediterranean basin

Current Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) control in Spain is based primarily on applications of organophosphate insecticides, especially malathion, mixed with protein baits. In Spain, one of the current research lines is focused on finding more environmentally friendly insecticides. One such alternative is the insecticide spinosad. We compared two formulations and various concentrations of spinosad bait treatments (10% Spintor Cebo(R) and 0.05, 0.1, and 0.15% Spintor 480 SC(R)+0.5% Nu-lure) under laboratory conditions and found all treatments to be effective in causing high mortality of C. capitata adults within 6 days of exposure to 0-, 3-, or 6-day-old residues. Field trials demonstrated that 5% Spintor Cebo(R), 0.1% Spintor 480 SC(R)+0.5% Nu-lure, and 0.5% Malafin 50(R)+0.5% Nu-lure reduced C. capitata adults similarly and protected fruit from C. capitata damage to a similar extent. Both spinosad treatments will be promising as a replacement for malathion in bait sprays.