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Title: Similar worldwide patterns in the sex pheromone signal and response in the oriental fruit moth, Grapholita molesta (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

Author
item Knight, Alan
item BARROS-PARADA, W - University Of Talca
item BOSCH, D - Institute De Recerca I Tecnologia Agroalimentaries (IRTA)
item ESCUDERO-COLOMAR, L - Institute De Recerca I Tecnologia Agroalimentaries (IRTA)
item FUENTES-CONTRERAS, E - University Of Talca
item HERNANDEZ-SANCHEZ, J - Queensland University Of Technology
item YUNG, C - Andong National University
item KOVANCI, O - Uludag University
item LEVI, A - Universitat De Lleida
item LO, P - Hawks Bay Research Center
item MOLINARI, F - Catholic University Of The Sacred Heart Italy
item VALLS, J - Universitat De Lleida
item GEMENO, C - Universitat De Lleida

Submitted to: Bulletin of Entomological Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/12/2014
Publication Date: 2/1/2015
Citation: Knight, A.L., Barros-Parada, W., Bosch, D., Escudero-Colomar, L.A., Fuentes-Contreras, E., Hernandez-Sanchez, J., Yung, C., Kovanci, O.B., Levi, A., Lo, P., Molinari, F., Valls, J., Gemeno, C. 2015. Similar worldwide patterns in the sex pheromone signal and response in the oriental fruit moth, Grapholita molesta (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Bulletin of Entomological Research. 105(1):23-31.

Interpretive Summary: Oriental fruit moth, a key pest of peach, apple, and pear worldwide, is often managed by pheromone mating disruption and monitoring of adults. Differences among insect pest populations in release and response to sex pheromones can occur with genetic isolation between populations. Significant changes to the sex pheromone could occur and reduce the efficacy of sex pheromones used by growers. Studies conducted by researchers in eight countries in collaboration with scientists at the USDA, ARS, Yakima Agricultural Research Laboratory, Wapato, WA surveyed populations and found little variability worldwide in the sex pheromone of the Oriental fruit moth. These results support the current use of sex pheromone-based products used by growers internationally.

Technical Abstract: The response of Grapholita molesta (Busck) males to three-component sex pheromone blends containing a 100% ratio of the major sex pheromone component, (Z)-8-dodecenyl acetate and a 10% ratio of (Z)-8-dodecenol, but with varying ratios of (E)-8-dodecenyl acetate (0.4%, 5.4%, 10.4%, 30.4%, and 100.1% E -blends) was tested with populations in eight stone and pome fruit orchards in Europe, Asia, and North and South America. Traps baited with the 5.4% E-blend caught significantly more males than traps with any other blend with all populations. Significantly more males were caught in traps baited with the 10.4% E-blend than in traps with the remaining blends, except with the 0.4% E-blend in Turkey. Significant differences in male moth catches occurred between the other blends with the 0.4% > 30.4% E-blend, and the 30.4% > 100.1% E-blend. Male moth catches with the 100.1% E-blend only differed from the hexane control in Chile. No apparent differences were noted to these blends in populations collected from pome or stone fruits. Flight tunnel assays to synthetic blends with a subset of populations were similar to the field results, but the breadth of the most attractive E-blends was wider. Flight tunnel assays also demonstrated a high level of male-female cross-attraction among field-collected populations. Female gland extracts from field-collected populations did not show any significant variation in their three-component blends. The only exceptions in these assays were that long-term laboratory populations were less responsive and attractive, and produced different blend ratios of the two minor components than recently-collected field populations