Response of Plum Curculio (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) to Odor-Baited Traps Near Woods

Abstract

Response of overwintered plum curculios, Conotrachelus nenuphar (Herbst), to odor-baited traps was evaluated from the beginning until nearly the end of emigration from overwintering sites in woods. We evaluated clear sticky Plexiglas panels and black pyramid traps placed close to woods adjacent to apple trees in an unsprayed section of an orchard. Traps were baited with aggregation pheromone (grandisoic acid) alone or in combination with one of six synthetic fruit volatiles (benzaldehvde, decyl aldehyde, E-2-hexenal, ethyl isovalerate, hexyl acetate, or limonene). Unbaited traps served as a control treatment. Plum curculio emigration from woods was divided into early-, mid-, and late-season periods based primarily on phenological stage of apple bud and fruit development (tight cluster to bloom, petal fall, and fruit set, respectively). During both early- and late season, panel and pyramid traps baited with benzaldehyde plus pheromone were significantly more attractive than any other traps (baited or unbaited), except panel traps baited with ethyl isovalerate plus pheromone in early season, which likewise captured significantly more adults than unbaited panel traps. During midseason, no lures were significantly attractive, possibly due to prevailing cool weather, unfavorable for adult activity. Over the entire season, panel or pyramid traps baited with benzaldehyde plus pheromone captured nearly six times as many plum curculios as unbaited traps of each type, whereas traps baited with pheromone alone captured about twice as many as unbaited traps of each type. We provide information on sex ratio, female maturity stage, and mating status, and several weather parameters associated with trap captures. We conclude that panel or pyramid traps, or a combination, baited with benzaldehyde plus pheromone placed at borders of plum curculio overwintering sites can be a valuable tool for monitoring the beginning, peak, and end of adult immigration into apple orchards.

Influence of Host Tree Proximity on Adult Plum Curculio (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Responses to Monitoring Traps

“…Trap Types. We evaluated two trap types in both locations: 1) black pyramid traps originally designed to monitor pecan weevil, Curculio caryae (Horn), populations (Tedders and Wood 1994) but modiÞed to monitor plum curculio Wright 1998, Prokopy et al 1999); and 2) Plexiglas panel traps (Dixon et al 1999, Piñ ero et al 2001) coated on one side with Tangletrap (GemplerÕs, Belleville, WI). We deployed two trap types to allow capture of both crawling (pyramid traps) or ßying (panel traps) plum curculio, although pyramid traps also may capture ßying adult plum curculio Wright 1998, Dixon et al 1999).…”

“…However, how plum curculio responded to these same bait combinations in the border row of an orchard was not tested. Thus, plum curculio responded in signiÞ-cant numbers to baited panel traps and baited panel and pyramid (Piñ ero et al 2001) traps compared with unbaited traps when traps were deployed adjacent to apple orchards, but not to baited traps in the border row of apple orchards themselves Wright 2004), indicating that presence of host apple trees may reduce trap effectiveness in or near the orchard.…”

Temperature-Dependent Development and Prediction of Emergence of the Summer Generation of Plum Curculio (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in the Southeastern United States

“…Jarring (Wylie 1951) is labor-intensive, dislodges ripening fruit, and may damage trees. Pyramid traps (Prokopy and Wright 1998, Schmitt and Berkett 1995, Prokopy et al 2000, Pinero et al 2001, Johnson et al 2002 tend to blow over in high winds and can warp in wet weather, whereas screen traps (Johnson et al 2002) only work well on trees with trunk circumference greater than the length of the trap bottom (Ϸ38 cm). Both traps have performed best when used to monitor the high plum curculio populations present in unsprayed research orchards; however, neither trap was sensitive enough for monitoring the emergence of the summer plum curculio generation in peach in Georgia and South Carolina (D. L. Horton, unpublished data) or in Arkansas and Oklahoma (Johnson et al 2002).…”

Phenology and Infestation Patterns of Plum Curculio (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) on Four Highbush Blueberry Cultivars

“…Plum curculio monitoring techniques employ both trap-based (Pinero et al 2001;Prokopy et al 2003;Leskey and Wright 2004) and trap tree-based (Prokopy et al 2003) systems in a limited array of commercial orchards. Grandisoic acid, benzaldehyde, and plum essence are the most effective chemicals used to attract plum curculio in orchards (Coombs 2001;Pinero et al 2001;.…”

“…Grandisoic acid, benzaldehyde, and plum essence are the most effective chemicals used to attract plum curculio in orchards (Coombs 2001;Pinero et al 2001;. While benzaldehyde is used as a synergist, grandiosoic acid is the principal pheromone of plum curculio for capturing adults.…”