These studies evaluated the potential of Confuse-OFM paraffin emulsion (Gowan Co.) and paraffin disk pheromone dispensing systems in Oriental fruit moth (OFM), Grapholita molesta (Busck), mating disruption programs in Michigan. Field trials on commercial farms compared the efficacy of Confuse-OFM, Checkmate OFM-F (Consep, Inc.) microencapsulated pheromone, Isomate-M100 (Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) ropes, and conventional spray programs for OFM control. Trap shutdown, shoot injury counts, fruit injury counts, and percent mated females caught in traps baited with terpinyl acetate and brown sugar were used to evaluate the relative efficacy of these products. Small plot studies were used to identify a minimum number of pheromone point sources necessary to achieve trap shutdown with Confuse-OFM and paraffin disks, using both pheromone lure-baited and virgin female-baited traps. Two deployment heights for Confuse-OFM were also investigated using small plots. A study was conducted, using GC analysis, to determine the longevity of the Confuse-OFM dispensing system in a field environment. The dispensing of pheromone in a paraffin medium provides a promising alternative to sprayable pheromone and ropes currently used for mating disruption.
Species 1: Lepidoptera Tortricidae Grapholita molesta (oriental fruit moth)
Keywords: mating disruption, paraffin
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA