Monday, December 10, 2007
D0152

Operational parameters of pheromone-baited traps to monitor citrus, obscure, and longtailed mealybugs in ornamentals production nurseries

Rebeccah A. Waterworth, rebeccah.waterworth@email.ucr.edu1, Jocelyn G. Millar, millar@ucr.edu1, J. Steven McElfresh, steve.mcelfresh@ucr.edu1, and James A. Bethke, bethke@ucr.edu2. (1) University of California - Riverside, Department of Entomology, 3401 Watkins Drive, Riverside, CA, (2) University of California, Cooperative Extension, 5555 Overland Ave., Ste 4101, Bldg. 4, MS-O18, San Diego, CA

Mealybugs are key pests in nurseries producing ornamental plants. Conventional mealybug monitoring practices consist of random, visual sampling of plant material. However, mealybugs are cryptic, and many remain undiscovered during visual sampling. Therefore, it is difficult to determine the presence of mealybugs or their population density with this tactic. A potential alternative monitoring technique would use sticky traps baited with mealybug sex pheromones to attract adult males. Results of studies that examine basic parameters of these traps, including an effective pheromone dose and longevity, will be presented. In addition, there are three mealybug species of economic importance found in nurseries in California: citrus, obscure, and longtailed mealybugs. Trap catches with a combination lure containing the sex pheromone of all three species were compared to trap catches in traps baited with each pheromone individually.


Species 1: Hemiptera Pseudococcidae Pseudococcus longispinus (longtailed mealybug)
Species 2: Hemiptera Pseudococcidae Pseudococcus viburni (obscure mealybug)
Species 3: Hemiptera Pseudococcidae Planococcus citri (citrus mealybug)