Preliminary research on attract-and-kill station for controlling the green june beetle (Cotinis nitida L.)

The green June beetle (GJB), Cotinis nitida (L.), is an important pest of grapes, peaches, blackberries, blueberries, apples, and pears, and causes problems every year. GJB was reported to reduce yields annually in a total of about 13,100 ha of fruit and turf  across these states with yield losses of at least $3.6 million, despite routine control practices that cost at least $260 per ha. In Missouri, the beetles occur in the field from July and August and shortly after start feeding on the ripe fruit available and inoculate it with fungi which cause the fruit to decay.

   As much as 80% of the fruit can be fed on making it unmarketable. In Missouri, where most of the apples, peaches and brambles, as well as some of the grapes are produced for fresh market, 80% loss translates to about $14.5 million annually. There are not many insecticidal control options against GJB feeding on ripe fruit because most recommended insecticides have a 7 d pre-harvest interval. As an alternative, we made a prototypical attract-and-kill station and tested its potential for reducing the GJB population density in the field.

   The killing stations made from 2L plastic bottles after soda and lured with 50% isopropanol were tested in two field experiments between July 15^th and July 30^th2014. The killing stations in experimental plots (lured with isopropanol) caught about 6 GJB/trap/72h and reduced pressure from GJB by approximately 75%. In control plots, the stations were lured with water, did not attract any GJB and did not reduce pressure from GJB.

   Our preliminary research strongly encourage further studies on attract-and-kill strategy for controlling populations of green June beetles.