Bulletin of Insectology (2016) 69, 221-224

Haixia Zheng, Jintong Zhang, Shixiang Zong, Shuai Feng, Hongxia Liu and Qiuyi Hu (2016)
Field evaluation of the sex pheromone components of a Chinese population of Paleacrita vernata
Bulletin of Insectology 69 (2), 221-224
Abstract: The spring cankerworm, Paleacrita vernata Peck (Lepidoptera Geometridae), is a pest of trees and shrubs across North America and China. In Canada, the components of the sex pheromone in spring cankerworms have been identified as 3(Z),6(Z),9(Z)nonadecatriene (3Z,6Z,9Z-19:Hy), 3(Z),6(Z),9(Z)-eicosatriene (3Z,6Z,9Z-20:Hy) and 6(Z),9(Z)-nonadecadiene (6Z,9Z-19:Hy). However, field evaluation of these compounds was not conducted in China. In this paper, the main components of the female sex pheromone were synthesized in the laboratory and long-term trapping experiments were tested for a thorough evaluation of the attractiveness of pheromone blends. It showed that the most attractive mixture appeared to be approximate 8:2:1 blend of 3Z,6Z,9Z-19:Hy, 3Z,6Z,9Z-20:Hy and 6Z,9Z-19:Hy. 3Z,6Z,9Z-19:Hy had considerable activity alone, while 3Z,6Z,9Z-20:Hy tested individually had very weak activity. The 6Z,9Z-19:Hy compound had hardly any attractive abilities by itself. But an addition of 6Z,9Z-19:Hy to a basic bait comprised of 3Z,6Z,9Z-19:Hy and 3Z,6Z,9Z-20:Hy in a 4:1 ratio significantly increased trap captures. The candidate compounds structurally related to sex pheromone were neither attractive nor inhibitory to male moths. It finds that traps baited with 3Z,6Z,9Z-19:Hy (800 µg septum-1), 3Z,6Z,9Z-20:Hy (200 µg septum-1) and 6Z,9Z-19:Hy (100 µg septum-1) can be used to capture P. vernata males in the field in China.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
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Database assignments for author(s): Shixiang Zong

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
pheromones/attractants/traps

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Paleacrita vernata	Caragana (crop)	China (NE)