Skip to main content
ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Wapato, Washington » Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #179200
Title: SEASONAL FLIGHT PATTERNS OF CODLING MOTH (LEPIDOPTERA: TORTRICIDAE) MONITORED WITH PEAR ESTER AND CODLEMONE-BAITED TRAPS IN SEX PHEROMONE-TREATED APPLE ORCHARDS

Author
item Knight, Alan
item Light, Douglas

Submitted to: Environmental Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/15/2005
Publication Date: 10/1/2005
Citation: Knight, A.L., Light, D.M. 2005. Seasonal flight patterns of codling moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) monitored with pear ester and codlemone-baited traps in sex pheromone-treated apple orchards. Environmental Entomology. 34(5):1028-1035.

Interpretive Summary: Codling moth is the major insect pest of apple orchards. Effective management of this pest depends on accurate monitoring of its population density during the season. Lures baited with its sex pheromone are widely used to monitor male population density. However, these lures are not always effective in orchards treated with sex pheromone dispensers for mating disruption of codling moth. The pear ester isolated from pear has been identified as a useful chemical that can monitor both sexes of codling moth. Before this new lure can be implemented more information is needed on its ability to monitor codling moth in orchards. Research conducted by the Yakima Agricultural Research Laboratory has shown that the pear ester can effectively monitor codling moth in apple orchards treated with sex pheromone dispensers. In our studies traps baited with pear ester often caught more moths than similar traps baited with sex pheromone lures. A standardized approach using pear ester-baited traps has been proposed following this study that may increase the accuracy of this new approach.

Technical Abstract: Traps baited with ethyl (E, Z)-2, 4-decadienoate (pear ester) or (E, E)-8,10-dodecadienol (codlemone) were used to monitor codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in 102 apple, Malus domestica Borkhausen, orchards. All orchards were treated with 500 – 1,000 Isomate-C PLUS dispensers per ha during 2000 - 2002. Traps baited with pear ester caught their first moth on average significantly later than the paired codlemone-baited trap, but timing of peak moth catch during each moth flight coincided with both types of lures. The timing of first male moth capture in pear ester-baited traps was significantly earlier than the first female moth; and the percentage of male moths in the total numbers of moths captured ranged from 55 to 60% over the three seasons. The percentage of female moths caught by pear ester-baited traps that were mated exceeded 80% each year. Pear ester-baited traps caught similar numbers of moths as codlemone-baited traps during 2000. However, the density of sex pheromone dispensers per ha was increased in most orchards in 2001-02; and pear ester outperformed codlemone-baited traps in both years.