Journal of Economic Entomology (2010) 103, 744-753

Clement Akotsen-Mensah, Robert Boozer and Henry Y. Fadamiro (2010)
Field evaluation of traps and lures for monitoring plum curculio (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Alabama peaches
Journal of Economic Entomology 103 (3), 744-753
Abstract: The plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is a key pest of peaches, Prunus persica (L.) Batsch, in North America. We evaluated the effectiveness of two widely used trap types (pyramid versus Circle traps) and commercially available synthetic lures for monitoring the pest in two peach orchards in Alabama during 2008 and 2009. The lures evaluated alone or in combinations included benzaldehyde (BZ) (a component of fruit odor), plum essence (PE) (a mixture of fruit odor extracted from food grade plum), and grandisoic acid (GA) (a male-produced aggregation pheromone of plum curculio). In general, pyramid traps captured more plum curculio adults than Circle traps, particularly during the first generation. Trap performance was improved numerically by the addition of BZ, PE, or GA alone (single lures) and was significantly enhanced by the addition of the combined BZ + PE lure. In both first and second generations, the combined BZ + PE lure increased plum curculio captures (significant in some trials) over unbaited traps and traps baited with single lures by ~ 1.5-21-fold and had the highest response indices (RIs), which is indicative of high attractiveness. The combined BZ + GA lure and the three-component BZ + PE + GA lure also captured numerically more plum curculio adults than unbaited traps or traps baited with single lures but the differences were rarely significant. Analysis of ratios of interaction suggests the possibility of synergistic interactions between BZ and PE and between BZ and GA; however, additive effects were concluded due to high sample errors. These results are discussed in relation to the physicochemical properties of the lures and the potential of using baited monitoring traps to aid plum curculio management decisions in peach orchards.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Henry Y. Fadamiro

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

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Conotrachelus nenuphar	Peach/nectarine (Prunus persica)	U.S.A. (SE)