Project Number: 5430-43000-032-03
Project Type: Trust

Start Date: Apr 01, 2008
End Date: Jun 30, 2012

Objective:
To develop an improved trap for the capture of red flour beetle and other stored product insect pests of the food industry.

Approach:
Pheromone-based monitoring provides one of the most effective survey methods for detecting the presence and density of a pest species and is a key component of IPM systems. Current monitoring systems may be improved by simple modifications in trap design and trap placement. Kairomones have been shown to impact trap efficiency by increasing capture and in the case of sex-pheromone baited traps capture of the non-target sex. Improved monitoring will result in more rapid identification and location of pest population and will lead to reduced economic losses. By detecting and locating pest populations the need for pesticide treatments will be reduced which will lead to improved food quality. In this project, we will evaluate how changes in DOME® trap design (originally developed collaboratively between ARS and Trece), pheromone and kairomone formulation, and trap placement can improve the effectiveness of pheromone/kairmone trapping systems for monitoring pests of the food industry. In collaborative research between ARS and Trece how trap capture of the focal insect Tribolium castaneum can be enhanced will be evaluated using experimental protocols developed by ARS. Because these traps need to work for a wide range of pest species, we will also evaluate impact of these modifications on other species such as T. confusum, Oryzaephilus surinamensis, Lasioderma serricorne, and Typhaea stercorea. Specific research objectives are as follows: (1) Insect movement behavior will be measured around pheromone traps to determine if trap modification will improve trap efficiency. These modifications will be developed collaboratively between ARS and Trece and may include adding additional holes in the DOME® to improve the release of the pheromone from the trap. (2) Insect movement behavior will be measured around pheromone traps to determine if changing the kairomones used in the trap will enhance trap efficiency. These extracts will be supplied by Trece, Inc. (3) Combinations of modified traps with the most promising kairomones will be tested in real and/or simulated food facility environments.