BIONOMICS AND MANAGEMENT STUDIES OF BACTROCERA ZONATA (SAUNDERS) (DIPTERA: TEPHRITIDAE)

A series of experiments were conducted in the field as well as in the laboratory of agricultural research institute, dera ismail khan to study the bionomics of bactrocera zonata (saunders) infesting guava and its management with neem oil (azadirachta indica a. juss.) and diptrex (80 sp) in 2008. the preoviposition period of b. zonata ranged from 6-9 days and eggs hatched in 2 days. larval, pupal and oviposition period ranged from 7-9, 11-13 and 50-60 days, respectively. the flies were least responsive to guava fruits treated with neem oil as compared to untreated fruits. the flies settled on the untreated fruits (53.3%) were significantly higher than those settled on the fruits treated with 0.1% (2.2%), 0.3% (3.4%), 0.5% (3.5%) and 0.8% (14%) neem oil. pupal recovery as well as adult emergence from the fruits treated with 0.8% and 0.5% neem oil was significantly lower than that from the fruits treated with 0.3% and 0.1% neem oil and in the untreated fruits. the neem oil at any concentration did not affect the sex ratio of the test insect. in the field, the bait (protein hydrolysate) when mixed with neem oil showed significantly improved activity as compared to diptrex 80 sp. the pupal recovery from fruits harvested from neem oil treated plots was low followed by synthetic insecticides and untreated check. the trend of pupal recovery in the neem oil treatment decreased with the increase in the neem concentration.