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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Pierce, Florida » U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory » Subtropical Insects and Horticulture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #241443

Title: Off-ratio blends for mating disruption of the citrus leafminer, Phyllocnistis citrella

Author
item Lapointe, Stephen
item STELINSKI, LUKASZ - University Of Florida

Submitted to: International Society of Chemical Ecology Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/5/2009
Publication Date: 8/24/2009
Citation: Lapointe, S.L., Stelinski, L.L. 2009. Off-ratio blends for mating disruption of the citrus leafminer, Phyllocnistis citrella [abstract]. International Society of Chemical Ecology Meeting.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Pheromone studies often seek to identify an optimal response to continuously varied mixture components wherein proportionality of one component cannot be varied independently. Geometric designs were used to systematically and efficiently explore the experimental space defined by pheromone amount and proportion for the leafminer Phyllocnistis citrella, a pest of citrus worldwide. Deployment of single pheromone components, either (Z,Z,E)-7,11,13-hexadecatrienal or (Z,Z)-7,11-hexadecadienal in SPLAT™ (ISCA Technologies, Inc.) in citrus groves resulted in a high degree of disruption of attraction of male moths to natural blend (3:1 triene:diene) lures (1). While either individual component was effective at disrupting mating in field trials, (Z,Z,E)-7,11,13-hexadecatrienal was approximately 13 times more effective compared with (Z,Z)-7,11-hexadecadienal alone. Application in SPLAT of a third component isolated from the pheromone glands of P. citrella, (Z)-7-hexadecenal, did not disrupt trap catch. Our results support a non-competitive model and support sensory imbalance as the mechanism of mating disruption in this species.