ARS | Publication request: IMPROVED ATTRACTIVENESS AND SPECIFICITY OF PHEROMONE-BAITED TRAPS FOR MALE DOGWOOD BORER, SYNANTHEDON SCITULA HARRIS (LEPIDOPTERA: SESIIDAE)

Submitted to: Environmental Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: January 26, 2006
Publication Date: April 1, 2006
Citation: Leskey, T.C., Bergh, J., Walgenbach, J.F., Zhang, A. 2006. Improved attractiveness and specificity of pheromone-baited traps for male dogwood borer, synanthedon scitula harris (lepidoptera: sesiidae). Environmental Entomology. V35 p. 268-275.

Interpretive Summary: Dogwood borer has become an important wood-boring pest of apple orchards in eastern North America. Monitoring traps baited with commercially available pheromone lures for this clearwing moth species have proven largely ineffective due to problems with attractiveness and species-specificity. Recently, the sex pheromone of the dogwood borer was identified and found to consist of three components. Traps baited with this three component blend as well as other experimental blends outperformed commercially available lures. The three component and a two component blend were significantly more attractive than the most attractive commercially available lure. Furthermore, over 97% of all moths captured were dogwood borers in traps baited with these experimental lures compared with as little as 6 % with commercially available lures. Greater amounts of the three- and two component pheromone blends deployed in traps resulted in higher captures of moths, indicating a positive dose-response relationship. Most dogwood borers were captured in traps deployed within commercial orchards, compared with traps in surrounding woodland habitat. These results indicate that growers will now be able to effectively monitor dogwood borer in apple orchards and make informed management decisions regarding need for and timing of insecticide applications.

Technical Abstract: Captures of male dogwood borer, Synanthedon scitula (Harris) (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae), in traps baited with lures formulated with the female sex pheromone, a blend of 88:6:6 (v/v/v) (Z,Z)-3,13-octadecadienyl acetate [(Z,Z)-3,13-ODDA], (E,Z)-2,13-ODDA, and (Z,E)- 3,13-ODDA (referred to as the trinary blend), with lures formulated with a blend of 94:6 (v/v) (Z,Z)-3,13-ODDA:(E,Z)-2,13-ODDA (referred to as the binary blend), or with the best commercially available pheromone lure were compared in commercial apple orchards in West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina to assess both attractiveness and species-specificity. Traps baited with the trinary and binary blends captured significantly more male dogwood borers than traps baited with the best commercially available lure, with greatest captures in traps baited with the trinary blend. Species-specificity of the trinary and binary blends was very high; >97% of all moths captured were dogwood borer, compared with 6-74.4% for the commercial lure. Male dogwood borer showed a concentration-dependent response to traps baited with different source concentrations of the trinary blend at all locations, and of the binary blend at most locations. Male dogwood borer did not discriminate between the trinary and binary blends at distances of 3 and 30 m, but did discriminate between the trinary blend and the commercial lure at distances of 100 m. More male dogwood borer were captured in traps baited with the trinary blend within commercial orchards compared with traps deployed within adjacent woodland habitats.