Abstract:
The Indianmeal Moth is a well-documented stored product pest throughout the
world and its control through IPM has taken on greater meaning through reduced use of chemical insecticides. To study mating disruption (MD) in the field, a controlled experiment was set up using synthetic “ZETA” (Z-9, E-12-tetradecadienyl acetate), the commercially available sex pheromone for P. interpunctella, loaded into MSTRS® (pronounced, “misters”), passive release bags to disrupt the mating behavior of the male. A “switching” experiment was done using two similar chicken houses in which adult moths were released weekly and monitored by trapping with virgin females. Reproduction was monitored with oviposition dishes placed in both chicken houses. Mating disruption was implemented in one house while the other remained as an untreated check during the 4-week treatment period. MSTRS® bags were removed and placed in the other chicken house following one week of recovery. The protocol was repeated three times throughout the summer. Male responses to females and reproduction were significantly suppressed by MD. Mean male trap catch during MD was 1.6 (± 7.2 SE) vs. 44.6 (± 5.3 SE) in non MD checks. The mean larval count in oviposition dishes during the four week period before the MD was 181.8 (± 26.3 SE), whereas the mean larval count during MD was 82.5 (± 35.4). This controlled experiment indicates that mating disruption can be used to suppress Indianmeal moth populations
Species 1: Lepidoptera Pyralidae Plodia interpunctella (Indian meal Moth)
Keywords: mating disruption
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