Pheromone puffs suppress mating by Plodia interpunctella and Sitotroga cerealella in an infested corn store

Abstract

The efficacy of pheromone mating disruption was investigated in a 7 × 6 × 3 m corn storage room harboring a high population density of Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) and Angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier). Pheromones were released from a controlled release dispenser, the metered semiochemical timed release system (MSTRS™) at emission rates of ∼ 0.6 μg min−1 (Z9,E12:14:Ac for Indian meal moth) and ∼ 0.2 μg min−1 (Z7,E11‐16:Ac for Angouimois grain moth). Mating disruption efficacy was evaluated using three parameters: male capture in pheromone traps, visual examination of mating behavior, and the incidence and frequency of mating as measured by spermatophores. In three trials, comparisons were made between data collected before pheromone treatment and during treatment. Disruption of pheromone source location by males averaged 70% and 40% for P. interpunctella and S. cerealella, respectively, in the three trials. In addition, reduced levels of copulation by both species were recorded during pheromone treatment. More importantly, significant reductions were recorded in the incidence and frequency of mating by females of both species collected during the treatment period. While ∼ 85% of P. interpunctella females collected before pheromone treatment in three trials had mated at least once, only 50% of the females collected during treatment had mated. The mean number of matings, as measured by spermatophores, ranged between 0.8–1.1 and 0.5–0.7 before and during pheromone treatment, respectively. Similarly, a ∼ 20–30% reduction in the proportion of mated S. cerealella females was recorded during pheromone treatment. In the three trials, mean number of spermatophores per S. cerealella female averaged 1.0 and 0.7 during the pretreatment and treatment periods, respectively. Additional tests conducted in small boxes also recorded significant mating disruption of both species.

Sex Pheromones and Their Impact on Pest Management

“…In addition, dispensers must be applied early in season when population densities are still low and release rates decrease during the season, as population densities start to increase. These problems can be circumvented by using timed and metered pheromone sprayers that release constant and large amounts of pheromone only when the insects are active (Shorey and Gerber 1996;Mafra-Neto and Baker 1996;Fadamiro and Baker 2002). Such "puffers" are now increasingly used against navel orangeworm Amyelois transitella and codling moth.…”

Biorational insecticides in pest management

“…134) Also, new sprayable microencapsulated pheromone formulations have been recently effective against G. molesta. 135) Another type of controlled-release dispensers of pheromone recently used are MSTRS (Metered Semiochemical Timed Release System) devices, which are very efficient in food stores, 136) cranberry fields, 137) and apple orchards. 138) With respect to the dispenser release rate, this should be constant and long life to cover entirely the flight duration of the moth.…”

Optimisation of the pheromone blend of the swede midge, Contarinia nasturtii, for monitoring

“…Therefore, this component cannot be replaced with the corresponding mixture of stereoisomers in the traps. A possible use for such a mixture, however, could be in mating disruption,17–19 where a blend of the sex pheromone and attraction antagonists can be a powerful tool in crop protection 20–22…”