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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Wooster, Ohio » Application Technology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #94953
Title: TRAPPING SCARAB BEETLES (COLEOPTERA, SCARABAEIDAE, MELOLONTHINAE): TESTS ON ORCHARD PESTS IN HUNGARY

Author
item TOTH, M - HUNGARIAN ACAD. SCIENCE
item SZARUKAN, T - U. HAMBURG
item Klein, Michael

Submitted to: International Organization for Biological Control
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/4/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Several scarab beetles (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) cause damage to roots, foliage, flowers or fruits of orchard trees in Hungary. Sex attractants have recently been discovered for two of our leaf-feeding scarab pests, Anomala dubia and A. vitis. Large numbers of males of these two species can be trapped. However, for mass trapping efforts, the capture of females would be much more promising. In order to identify attractants for female beetles, a number of aromatic, plant-derived, compounds were evaluated in field trapping trials. The compounds tested had earlier been found to be attractive to other scarabs in other parts of the world. In field tests in Hungary, none of the compounds showed any effect on Anomala spp. However, early in the spring during the first year of this study, cinnamyl alcohol regularly attracted specimens of the scarab Epicometis (Tropinota) hirta. E. hirta feeds on flowers and can cause severe damage to blossoming orchad trees in outbreak years. Some E. hirta specimens were also captured in traps baited with trans-anethol. In follow up studies the next year, mixtures of cinnamyl alcohol and trans-anethol proved to be superior in attracting E. hirta as compared to the single components alone. In tests with traps of different colour, light blue and white traps captured the highest numbers of E. hirta as compared to yellow or transparent ones. Light blue traps baited with the mixture of cinnamyl alcohol and trans-anethol were capable of attracting and catching large numbers of beetles, and the application of such traps for mass trapping is promising since the majority of specimens captured were females. Data on other scarab beetles captured in the course of the tests are also discussed.