Hessian fly, Mayetiola destructor, behavioral responses to potential attractants

The Hessian fly, Mayetiola destructor (Say) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), is a major pest of wheat around the world. Surveillance strategies that are cost effective and efficient are essential for early detection and implementation of management strategies. Existing traps utilizing the Hessian fly female sex-pheromone are an effective and efficient surveillance strategy to monitor for male Hessian fly activity, but these traps do not always reveal the true level of Hessian fly infestation. To better monitor Hessian fly infestation levels, trap design needs to incorporate attractants of both sexes. Before traps can be improved, knowledge of Hessian fly behavior is required. The purpose of this research was to examine behavioral attraction of the Hessian fly to light emitting diodes (LEDs) of different colors. Hessian fly attraction was tested in a four-leaf, clover-shaped arena, which had a different color LED within a collection cup in each of the four cloverleaves. LED colors used were blue, green, amber, and red. Flies were released from the arena center and left overnight, ~17 h. There was a significant difference in behavioral attraction of the Hessian fly among the different color LEDs (F_3,8 = 36.79, P < 0.001). Hessian fly adults chose green most often, followed by blue, amber, and red in that order. These results are the first to show that the Hessian fly prefers green light produced by an LED. Ultimately these results will be incorporated into new trap designs, improving trap attractiveness and effectiveness at monitoring changes in Hessian fly populations in wheat fields.