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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Wapato, Washington » Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #262670
Title: A diversity of moths (Lepidoptera) trapped with two feeding attractants

Author
item Landolt, Peter
item ADAMS, TODD - Oregon Department Of Agriculture
item ZACK, RICHARD - Washington State University
item CRABO, LARS - Retired Non ARS Employee

Submitted to: Annals of the Entomological Society of America
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/7/2011
Publication Date: 5/10/2011
Citation: Landolt, P.J., Adams, T., Zack, R.S., Crabo, L. 2011. A diversity of moths (Lepidoptera) trapped with two feeding attractants. Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 104(3): 498-506.

Interpretive Summary: New methods and approaches are needed to control insect pests of begetable crops. Monitoring with chemical attractants is used as a means of determining the presence of an insect pest and the necessity of control measures. Researchers at the USDA-ARS laboratory in Wapato, Washington, in collaboration with Washington State University scientists are styding chemical odorants from sweet baits and flowers to discover and develop chemical attractants for use in monitoring the presence and seasonality of moth pests of crops. They determined that two types of feeding attractants, based on sweet baits and on flower odors, lure different types of moths. They also documented the attraction of a large number of species of moths to these lures, and determined novel responses by several cutworms, armyworms and loopers that are widespread crop pests. This ifnormation provides guidance to researchers and growers in selecting the right feeding attractant for monitoring a particular pest, and suggests new avenues of research to develop these feeding attractants for additional crop pest species.

Technical Abstract: Feeding attractants for moths are useful as survey tools to assess moth species diversity, and for monitoring of the relative abundance of certain pest species. We assessed the relative breadth of attractiveness of two such lures to moths, at sites with varied habitats during 2006. Eighty-six of the 114 species of Lepidoptera captured were in traps baited with acetic acid plus 3-methyl-1-butanol (AAMB), a moth lure that is based on the odor chemistry of fermented molasses baits. Fifty-two of the 114 species were trapped with a floral odorant lure comprised of phenylacetaldehyde, B-myrcene, methyl salicylate, and methyl-2-methoxy benzoate. Preference for one lure type was statistically supported for 10 species of moths; seven to the AAMB lure and 3 to the floral lure. To gain better information on lure preference, 10 pairs of traps baited with the same lures were maintained in a single habitat type (riparian) during 2008. Sixty-eight of 89 species captured were in traps baited with AAMB and 43 were in traps baited with the floral lure. Preference for a lure type was statistically supported for 39 of the 89 species of moths trapped; 32 to the AAMB lure and 7 to the floral lure. Both of these lures hold advantages for trapping different types of moths, and both lures might be used in a complementary way to sample moth biodiversity.