Commercial lure comparison for monitoring of Cryptophlebia spp. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) associated with macadamia in Hawaii

Authors: Acebes-Doria, Angelita; Gayle, Stephanie; Cha, Dong; DE ROCQUIGNY, NATHALIE - University Of Hawaii; SHORT, BRENT - Trece, Inc

Submitted to: Hawaiian Entomological Society Proceedings
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/17/2022
Publication Date: 3/31/2023
Citation: Acebes-Doria, A.L., Gayle, S.M., Cha, D.H., De Rocquigny, N., Short, B.D. 2023. Commercial lure comparison for monitoring of Cryptophlebia spp. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) associated with macadamia in Hawaii. Hawaiian Entomological Society Proceedings. 55:1-9.

Interpretive Summary: A trapping study comparing commercial lures and trap colors for key moth pests of macadamia in Hawaii, Cryptophlebia ombrodelta and C. illepida, was conducted to help refine monitoring and management strategies for these pests. Study was conducted at two commercial orchard sites on the Island of Hawaii. Findings showed that C. ombrodelta can be best monitored using Trécé® MNB lure while C. illepida can be effectively trapped using either Trécé® OFM L2 and OFM Combo Dual lures. For targeted monitoring of Cryptophlebia moths, white delta traps are recommended (as opposed to orange delta traps) to minimize captures of other moth species. Results from these findings informed future studies on Cryptophlebia ecology and management.

Technical Abstract: Cryptophlebia ombrodelta and C. illepida (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) are two key pests of macadamia in Hawai‘i. Current options for monitoring and management of these pests are limited. Male Cryptophlebia moth activity can be reliably monitored using sex pheromone lures, however current information on the relative attractiveness of commercial lures is lacking. Thus, we compared four commercially manufactured pheromone lures for attraction to the two Cryptophlebia species, relative to non-baited control. Two different trap colors were also assessed. The study was conducted at two commercial macadamia orchards located in Kea‘au and Kapa‘au, Hawai‘i from November 2021 to January 2022 using delta traps. Traps were deployed along the border of the orchard at each study location and serviced weekly. At both sites, 58–94% of captured moths were male C. ombrodelta, while only 1–28% were male C. illepida. In Kea‘au, the PHEROCON MNB lure was most attractive to C. ombrodelta, followed by the PHEROCON OFM Combo Dual lure, while C. ombrodelta captures in the other lures did not vary from that of the non-baited control. Similarly, in Kapa‘au, C. ombrodelta was most attracted to PHEROCON MNB lure and captures in other lures were equal to that of the control. In Kea‘au, C. illepida numbers were highest in traps baited with PHEROCON OFM L2 and OFM Combo Dual lures, followed by PHEROCON and Alpha Scents’ MNB lures. Trap color did not affect the capture rates of Cryptophlebia. Results suggest that commercially available lures can be used to effectively monitor these moth pests. Implications of the results to the development of research approaches to study Cryptophlebia ecology and management strategies are also discussed.