Monday, December 11, 2006 - 9:47 AM
0335

Responses of clothes moths (Lepidoptera: Tineidae) to synthetic pheromones: Behavior and ecology

Charles E. Koneman, koneman@okstate.edu1, Thomas W. Phillips, tom.phillips@okstate.edu2, Christian Nansen, chrnansen@yahoo.com3, and Ian Baxter, ian.baxster@Exosect.com3. (1) Oklahoma State University, Entomology & Plant Pathology, P. Noble Res. Center, Stillwater, OK, (2) Oklahoma State University, Entomology and Plant Pathology, 127 Noble Research Center, Stillwater, OK, (3) Exosect Limited;, Leylands Business Park, Colden Common, Winchester, United Kingdom

The sex pheromones (E,Z)-2,13-octadecadienal and (E,Z)-2,13-octadecadienol were identified from female webbing cloths moth (WCM), Tineola bisselliella (Hummel), and (E)-2-Octadecenal from the case making clothes moth (CCM) Tinea pellionella (L.) but little has been done with their application. Field and laboratory studies with commercially available lures revealed limited behavioral responses to synthetic pheromones. A study on trap height caught more CCMs in traps approximately 3 to 5 centimeters from the ground compared to traps hung 1 meter off the ground. Studies with Entostat®, a powder impregnated with WCM sex pheromone for mating disruption, found that male WCMs acquired powder on contact, but would lose most powder within two days. Some male WCMs responded to males impregnated with the Entostat® powder in traps, but this response was weak. Y-tube bio-assays were conducted to test responses of male WCMs to: 1). natural pheromones from females; 2) males contaminated with Entostat powder; 3) female WCMs in presence of an Entostat®-contaminated male. Males demonstrated significant attractive responses to females only, but were not attracted to Entostat®-contaminated males. However, presence of an Entostat®-contaminated male reduced responses to attractive females. Future work will determine efficacy of Entostat® powder in for suppressing WCM reproduction. More basic work on pheromone biology and chemistry should improve future applications.


Species 1: Lepidoptera Tineidae Tineola bisselliella (webbing clothes moth)
Species 2: Lepidoptera Tineidae Tinea pellionella (case making clothes moth)

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