The establishment of standardised methods for monitoring the oriental fruit moth Grapholitha molesta (Busck) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) requires the identification of factors that significantly affect trap catch efficacy. We examined the effects of trap height, trap location, and inter-trap spacing on trap catches in a conventional peach orchard. Traps were placed at heights of up to 3.0 m above the ground and sets of nine traps were positioned in grids with inter-trap distances of 10–50 m to determine the optimum trap height, location, and spacing. Traps were checked daily over 10 days for males during four periods corresponding to peak moth flight. Moth catches were higher when traps were placed toward the tops (2.5 m) and outside the canopy (3.0 m). Moth catches in traps located upwind and outside tended to be higher than in the central trap for all inter-trap distances. When inter-trap distances were shorter than 30 m, interference between traps occurred. Our results provide an efficient trap distribution for monitoring G. molesta in peach orchards.

Monitoring of oriental fruit moths (Grapholita molesta Busck) is a prerequisite for its control. This study introduced a digital image-processing method and logistic model for the control of oriental fruit moths. First, five triangular sex pheromone traps were installed separately within each area of 667 m2 in a peach orchard to monitor oriental fruit moths consecutively for 3 years. Next, full view images of oriental fruit moths were collected via a digital camera and then subjected to graying, separation and morphological analysis for automatic counting using MATLAB software. Afterwards, the results of automatic counting were used for fitting a logistic model to forecast the control threshold and key control period. There was a high consistency between automatic counting and manual counting (0.99, P < 0.05). According to the logistic model, oriental fruit moths had four occurrence peaks during a year, with a time-lag of 15-18 days between adult occurrence peak and the larval damage peak. Additionally, the key control period was from 28 June to 3 July each year, when the wormy fruit rate reached up to 5% and the trapping volume was approximately 10.2 per day per trap. Additionally, the key control period for the overwintering generation was 25 April. This study provides an automatic counting method and fitted logistic model with a great potential for application to the control of oriental fruit moths.

The peach fruit moth (PFM), Carposina sasakii Matsumura (Lepidoptera: Carposinidae), a severe pest of Ziziphus jujuba Miller fruit trees (jujube, Rhamnaceae) mainly grown in China, has increasingly hindered the development of the jujube industry in recent years. In order to provide a theoretical basis for a physical obstruction method, we evaluated the effect of three commonly sold physical barriers on PFM host‐searching behavior. Two principal volatiles generated by the jujube tree, α‐farnesene and cis‐3‐hexenyl acetate (leaf acetate), were used as references to detect electroantennography (EAG) response values of 2‐, 4‐, and 6‐day‐old PFM adults. The results indicated different EAG responses toward α‐farnesene and leaf acetate between different ages of PFM, and males responded differently than females. The EAG responses were stronger in 4‐day‐old males to leaf acetate and in 2‐day‐old females to α‐farnesene. The two‐choice behavioral Y‐tube olfactometer assay confirmed that PFM was strongly attracted to α‐farnesene and leaf acetate. We determined the EAG and behavioral responses of PFM after spraying three kinds of physical barriers: Liquid Film Fruit Bag, High Lipid Film, and Jujube Protection No. 1. We obtained strong inhibitory effects on PFM attraction to both volatile lures using these barriers, including negative taxis by both females and males to Liquid Film Fruit Bag and Jujube Protection No. 1. We can infer that Liquid Film Fruit Bag is the most promising potential physical barrier for PFM control, with Jujube Protection No. 1 ranking as second‐best.

The Galleria mellonella L. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) has great nutritional potential for humans and animals and is currently used as a model organism in many biological studies, despite its damage to the apicultural industry and wild honeybee colonies. Yeast extract that promotes insect development and reproduction by containing many necessary nutrients has always been an important yet expensive ingredient in the majority of artificial diets for G. mellonella. To better understand the influence of yeast extract content on G. mellonella mass-rearing, the life table parameters from G. mellonella mass-reared on increasing amounts of yeast (0% in control, 2, 4, 6, 7, and 9% of the total diet, respectively) under laboratory conditions were analysed according to age-stage, two-sex life table theory. Harvest rate and recruitment cost to produce 10,000 pupae were also assessed to help identify an economically sustainable rearing system. The intrinsic rate of increase (r) and finite rate of increase (λ) varied among diets. Highest values found in the G. mellonella population reared on a 9% yeast extract diet did not differ significantly from those of diets consisting of 4, 6, and 7% yeast extract, whereas these parameters were lowest in yeast-free artificial diets. The cheapest daily cost of rearing a population was 3,966.57 CNY (Chinese Yuan), and the heaviest pupal weight for both females and males (398.10±9.26 and 316.00±7.92 mg, respectively) were found with an artificial diet of 4% yeast extract. This study demonstrates that excessive dietary yeast extract is not always beneficial to G. mellonella. The most effective yeast extract percentage in G. mellonella mass-rearing diets is about 4% based on life table parameters, computer projection, and harvesting costs.