Effect of apple-orchard structure on interception of Rhagoletis pomonella (Diptera: Tephritidae) flies by odor-baited traps

Abstract We released marked mature male flies of the apple maggot, Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh), inside and outside of square blocks of apple trees, Malus domestica Borkh. (Rosaceae), to test the effect of orchard structure on the interception of flies by odor-baited red-sphere traps. The blocks were composed of large trees planted at low density, medium-sized trees planted at medium density, or small trees planted at high density. The experiment was carried out in six commercial apple orchards during summer in 1997 and 1998. Released flies moving into blocks were intercepted in large proportions by baited perimeter traps, thus preventing fly penetration into sphere-protected blocks. In 1997, proportions of intercepted flies were higher for traps in blocks of small and medium-sized trees than for traps in blocks of large trees. In 1998, a year with an unusually low fruit load, interception remained high, but there were no differences in proportions of flies intercepted by perimeter traps among blocks of trees of different sizes. Overall we conclude that the tendency of apple growers in Massachusetts to replace large trees planted at low density with small or medium-sized trees planted at high or medium density will not adversely affect behavioral control programs for apple maggot flies. In fact, this practice may enhance the effectiveness of these programs through increased interception of immigrant adults.