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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 #254893

Title: A novel pheromone dispenser for mating disruption of the leafminer Phyllocnistis citrella (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae)

Author
item Lapointe, Stephen
item STELINSKI, LUKASZ - University Of Florida
item ROBINSON, RICHARD - Richard D Robinson

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/4/2010
Publication Date: 4/1/2011
Citation: Lapointe, S.L., Stelinski, L.L., Robinson, R.D. 2011. A novel pheromone dispenser for mating disruption of the leafminer Phyllocnistis citrella (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae). Journal of Economic Entomology. 104:541-547.

Interpretive Summary: The citrus leafminer is a pest of citrus crops throughout the world. The sex pheromone of this pest has been elucidated, synthetically produced and incorporated into a slow-release matrix for application to citrus groves. When the sex pheromone is allowed to permeate the grove, the ability of male leafminers to locate females is disrupted resulting in population control without insecticides. We developed and field-tested a novel device for delivery of the pheromone to trees. The device (designated IFM-413) consisted of two cardboard disks connected by string. Each disk was loaded with 1g of the matrix (SPLAT™, ISCA Technologies, Riverside, CA) containing either one of the two major sex pheromone components of the citrus leafminer. The IFM-413 device proved effective at becoming securely entangled in tree branches. Furthermore, the devices effectively delivered pheromone-loaded SPLAT™ that resulted in disruption of trap catch of male leafminers. The greatest disruption of trap catch occurred when the number of treated trees per unit area was greatest. Manufacturing, packaging and mechanical deployment of the devices remain to be investigated.

Technical Abstract: The sex pheromone of the citrus leafminer, Phyllocnistis citrella, was deployed in a Florida citrus grove using a novel deployment device containing SPLAT™, a flowable formulation of an emulsified wax compound designed to provide slow release of semiochemicals. The device consisted of two disks connected by string. Each disk was loaded with 1g of SPLAT containing either 0.15 percent (Z,Z,E)-7,11,13-hexadecatrienal or 2 percent (Z,Z)-7,11-hexadecadienal. The devices were deployed using a two-dimensional multivariate design to determine the optimal rate of pheromone per unit area and degree of aggregation of the deployment devices (number of trees treated per unit area). The IFM-413 device proved effective at becoming securely entangled in tree branches. Furthermore, the devices effectively delivered pheromone-loaded SPLAT™ that resulted in disruption of trap catch of male P. citrella. Response surfaces showed a quadratic response of trap disruption to both total amount of pheromone per unit area and the degree of aggregation of the deployed devices (number of treated trees per unit area). The response surfaces for 0.15 percent (Z,Z,E)-7,11,13-hexadecatrienal (triene) or 2.0 percent (Z,Z)-7,11-hexadecadienal (diene) were similar. The diene produced an effect similar to that of the triene at approximately 13 times the rate of the triene. The greatest disruption of trap catch occurred when the number of treated trees per unit area was greatest (no aggregation of deployment devices). Manufacturing, packaging and mechanical deployment of the devices remain to be investigated.