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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Mayaguez, Puerto Rico » Tropical Crops and Germplasm Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #228000
Title: Placement of cone emergence cages and its impact on monitoring of Phyllophaga vandinei (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

Author
item Jenkins, David
item Goenaga, Ricardo

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2008
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Cone emergence cages are important tools used to monitor the emergence of various insect pests that live at least part of their life underground. The traps are putatively designed to catch adults that are emerging from the soil after finishing the larval stage in the soil, but for the may beetle, Phyllophaga vandinei, many adults return to the soil after feeding at night and orient to vertical surfaces, such as tree trunks, stakes and the cone emergence traps. As a result, the traps remain valuable for monitoring populations of adult may beetles for years after trap placement, i.e., traps do not need to be moved every year. However, there has been some indication that trap placement is a very important determiner of the number adults trapped. Our study reveals that traps placed immediately to the west of a tree, adjacent to the trunk, catch significantly more adults than traps placed to the east of the tree, traps placed between trees within rows, or traps placed in a grassy field adjacent to the orchard. The reason for the prevalence of P. vandinei in traps placed west of trees is unknown and deserves additional studies but results suggest that trap placement should be carefully considered when conducting population studies with this insect.

Technical Abstract: Cone emergence cages were used to monitor the emergence of may beetles, Phyllophaga vandinei, in an orchard of mamey sapote in Isabela, P.R. More adult beetles emerged in traps placed to the west of the tree than traps placed to the east of a tree, between trees within rows or in the field adjacent to the orchard. This indicates that trap placement is critical in monitoring populations of P. vandinei.