Evaluation of mating disruption for suppression of Plodia interpunctella populations in retail stores

Authors: Campbell, James; MILLER, JAMES - Trece, Inc; PETERSON, JAMES - Trece, Inc; LINDGREN, BILL - Trece, Inc

Submitted to: Insects
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/28/2025
Publication Date: 5/3/2025
Citation: Campbell, J.F., Miller, J., Peterson, J., Lindgren, B. 2025. Evaluation of mating disruption for suppression of Plodia interpunctella populations in retail stores. Insects. 16:691. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16070691.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16070691

Interpretive Summary: Mating disruption (MD) is an insect pest management tactic that works by interfering with the ability of male insects to find females by releasing of large amounts of synthetic pheromone into the environment, disrupting male’s ability to use female released pheromones. Mating disruption is a commercially available management tactic for pyralid moths that are pests of stored products. However, evaluations of efficacy have tended to have limited replication which limits the ability to draw conclusions about effectiveness or impact of different variables on efficacy. Here we evaluated mating disruption of Indian meal moth in 33 retail pet supply stores, and the impact of factors such as insect density and application rate on efficacy. Prior to starting MD the average capture of moths was 40.2 moths/trap/month. Immediately after starting treatment there was a sharp drop in moth captures (68%) and then a more gradual overall downward trend over time. Geographic location, initial moth density, and pheromone treatment rate did not significantly impact the efficacy. Analysis of the relationships between moth captures and mating disruption dispenser density indicated that competitive mechanisms were primary mechanism involved. This was the largest replicated assessment of MD for management of a post-harvest pest and provides valuable foundational and applied insights into the process. Our results show that a standardized MD program can provide pest suppression in retail stores, but that it takes time to be fully effective likely because of immigration of mated individuals and inability to completely shut down mating in these complex environments. Finally, identifying the primary mechanism for efficacy provides important information needed for further refinement of MD programs.

Technical Abstract: BACKGROUND: Mating disruption (MD) is a commercially available management tactic for pyralid moths that are pests of stored products. However, evaluations of efficacy have tended to have limited replication which limits the ability to draw conclusions about effectiveness or impact of different variables on efficacy. Here we evaluated mating disruption of Plodia interpunctella in 33 retail pet supply stores, and the impact of factors such as insect density and application rate on efficacy. RESULTS: Prior to starting MD the average capture of P. interpunctella was 40.2 ± 3.6 moths/trap/month. Immediately after starting treatment there was a sharp drop in moth captures (67.8 ± 4.8 %) and then a more gradual overall downward trend over time. Overall, under mating disruption the average reduction was 85.0 ± 3.0 %. Geographic location, initial moth density, and pheromone treatment rate did not significantly impact the efficacy. Analysis of the relationships between moth captures and mating disruption dispenser density indicated that competitive mechanisms were primary mechanism involved. CONCLUSION: This was the largest replicated assessment of MD for management of a post-harvest pest and provides valuable foundational and applied insights into the process. Our results show that a standardized MD program can provide pest suppression in retail stores, but that it takes time to be fully effective likely because of immigration of mated individuals and inability to completely shut down mating in these complex environments. Finally, identifying the primary mechanism for efficacy provides important information needed for further refinement of MD programs.