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ARS Home » Plains Area » Manhattan, Kansas » Center for Grain and Animal Health Research » Stored Product Insect and Engineering Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #310483
Title: Evaluation of potential attractants for six stored-product psocids (Psocoptera: Liposcelididae, Trogiidae)

Author
item Diaz-Montano, John
item Campbell, James - Jim
item PHILLIPS, THOMAS - Kansas State University
item Throne, James

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/9/2015
Publication Date: 3/22/2015
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/61701
Citation: Diaz-Montano, J., Campbell, J.F., Phillips, T.W., Throne, J.E. 2015. Evaluation of potential attractants for six stored-product psocids (Psocoptera: Liposcelididae, Trogiidae). Journal of Economic Entomology. 108(3):1398-1407. doi: 10.1093/jee/tov028.

Interpretive Summary: The psocids, also known as booklice, are insect pests of stored grains around the world. Monitoring is a critical part of Integrated Pest Management programs, but there are currently limited monitoring tools available for these pests. The response of six psocid species (Liposcelis entomophila, L. paeta, L. decolor, L. brunnea, L. corrodens, and Lepinotus reticulatus) to potential attractants such as grains, grain based oils, wheat germ, brewer’s yeast, and commercially available food lures was studied. It was found that brewer’s yeast, followed by wheat germ and wheat germ oil, were preferred by all of the tested psocid species. These results show the potential for brewer’s yeast to be used to improve psocid attraction to traps and ultimate make trapping a more effective monitoring tool for pest managers in grain warehouses and for improving psocid IPM programs.

Technical Abstract: Psocids have emerged as worldwide pests of stored commodities during the last two decades causing considerable economic losses by direct feeding. Psocids are difficult to control with conventional management tactics such as chemical insecticides and have developed resistance to several groups of insecticides. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate alternative management strategies, such as the use of attractants for monitoring and/or controlling psocids, which can be incorporated into Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs for psocids. Using a two-choice pitfall test, we studied the response of Liposcelis entomophila (Enderlein) (Psocoptera: Liposcelididae), L. paeta Pearman, L. decolor (Pearman), L. brunnea Motschulsky, L. corrodens (Heymons), and Lepinotus reticulatus Enderlein (Psocoptera: Trogiidae) to volatiles from different potential attractants including grains, grain-based oils, brewer’s yeast, wheat germ, and commercially available kairomone lures. Brewer’s yeast was the material that most consistently elicited the strongest response for the psocid species evaluated, followed by wheat germ and wheat germ oil. These results show there is high potential for incorporating these attractants into a psocid monitoring program.