ARS | Publication request: VISUAL CUES AND CAPTURE MECHANISMS ASSOCIATED WITH TRAPS FOR PLUM CURCULIO (COLEOPTERA: CURCULIONIDAE)

Submitted to: Journal of Entomological Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: October 1, 2005
Publication Date: January 1, 2006
Citation: Leskey, T.C. 2006. Visual cues and capture mechanisms associated with traps for plum curculio (coleoptera: curculionidae). Journal of Entomological Science. V41, pp. 97-106.

Interpretive Summary: Growers still do not have an effective trap to monitor plum curculio activity in apple and stone fruit orchards. Therefore, we compared pyramid and cylinder traps of different colors to determine if plum curculio prefer a particular color. We also tested traps with a number of different capture mechanisms. We found that plum curculio are more often captured in darkly colored pyramid and cylinder traps, but that this is not a very strong response. Therefore, traps will require a bait to increase their attractive power. We also found that pyramid traps deployed between trees and screen traps attached to the base of trees captured more plum curculios. We believe that this is because these traps exploit major points of entry into orchards and host fruit trees by plum curculio and they utilize the natural tendency of plum curculio to walk up surfaces.

Technical Abstract: The plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar, is a serious pest of stone and pome fruit in eastern North America, but an effective trap-based approach for monitoring this pest has not yet been developed. In 2003-2004 we evaluated the effectiveness of visual cues provided by pyramid and branch-mimicking cylinder traps and capture mechanisms of standard and enhanced pyramid traps (black pyramid traps with white borders and two collection devices), screen traps, standard and enhanced branch-mimicking cylinder traps (capture mechanism located at the base of the trap), Lindgren funnel and Vernon beetle traps. Pyramid traps captured more adults than branch-mimicking cylinder traps, and the greatest captures were in black and green pyramid traps. Enhanced pyramid traps did not capture more plum curculios than standard black pyramid traps. Capture mechanisms of standard masonite pyramid and screen traps were the most effective with significantly greater captures than other trap types.