MONITORING THE BLUEBERRY MAGGOT, RHAGOLETIS MENDAX (DIPTERA: TEPHRITIDAE), WITH PHEROCON ® AM TRAPS

The blueberry maggot, Rhagoletis mendax Curran, is the most important insect pest of lowbush blueberries. Concern for maggot does not generally result from direct crop losses, but from its presence in harvested fruit which can affect marketability. Fortunately, the blueberry maggot is not a problem in all lowbush blueberry areas (Wood 1979), but where it does occur, producers are advised to apply one or two sprays annually. General recommendations often result in the unnecessary use of insecticides, especially in years when populations are at low levels because of natural control and management practices. Such misuse could be prevented if monitoring techniques were developed that provide information on seasonal adult prevalence.