Background : Knowledge on responses of many Afrotropical fruit fly species to internationally recommended and new attractants has been scarce. In a 3 year project spanning between 2014 and 2017 under the ERAfrica_NI - 027 fruit fly project, a joint Africa and Europe part nership project , studies on the efficacy of existing and new attractants for A frotropical fruit fly pests were determined in various environments (commercial orchards and natural areas) in two northern provinces in South Africa. Methods : The efficacy of five food - based attractants and five male lures for monitoring of fruit fly species in commercial orchards and natural areas was determined over a one year period . The relative responses of fruit fly species to the attractants evaluated wer e quantified. The taxon coverage of each attractant was also measured in the different environments. The food - based attractants evaluated were three - component Biolure, ammonium acetate+ trimethylamine, ammonium acetate+ putrescine, Torula yeast and Questlu re (a protein based attractant). The male lures evaluated were trimedlure, enriched ginger oil (EGO) , cue lure, methyl eugenol and zingerone. The sensitivity of an EGO baited delta trap for detection of Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), Ceratitis rosa Karsch and Ceratitis cosyra (Walker) was quantified in mark - release - recapture trials in commercial orchards. Laboratory reared mature males of the three species were released concurrently at different distances (up to 200 m) from a centrally placed EGO ba ited trap . Results : The three - component Biolure was the most effective food - based attractant for females of B. dorsalis and key Ceratitis fruit fly pest species in South Africa. The new male lure zingerone was found to be attractive to two cucurbit infesti ng Dacus species. EGO attracted a wider spectrum of Ceratitis species than trimedlure. Ceratitis capitata , C. rosa and C. cosyra responded equally well to EGO i n mark - release - recapture trials . Males of the three species released at 200 m from an EGO baited trap were recaptured within one week after release . Conclusions : Trapping systems with three - component Biolure would be more effective at early detection of females of key Afrotropical Ceratit is pests and B. dorsalis . Area wide detection programmes targeting Ceratitis pests should include EGO baited traps so that a wider spectrum of Ceratitis species could be covered