Eradication of oriental fruit fly from the Mariana Islands by the methods of male annihilation and sterile insect release

Sterile oriental fruit flies,Dacus dorsalis Hendel, emerging on Guam from 36 million irradiated pupae placed at the loci of infestations established with traps baited with methyl eugenol eradicated the abnonnally small population present after host crops were destroyed by typhoons Karen in 1962 and Olive in 1963. The several reintroductions that occurred in 1964 and 1965 before effective quarantines were established were eradicated by the same method before September 1965. Similar releases on Saipan and Tinian were not successful; too many flies died before reaching sexual maturity, perhaps because sufficient natural food was lacking near the emergence sites (honeydew-producing insects were suppressed by the typhoons) and because of damage by overheating during movement from Guam to field cages on Saipan. Eradication was finally achieved on these islands in 1965 by distributing fiberboard squares impregnated with methyl eugenol and naled every 2-week period for 41/2 months (method of male annihilation). The Mariana Islands, which have been infested with the oriental fruit fly for at least 35 years, have now been free of the species for more than 4 years.