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Mobile mating disruption of light‐brown apple moths using pheromone‐treated sterile Mediterranean fruit flies
Author(s) -
Suckling David M,
Woods Bill,
Mitchell Vanessa J,
Twidle Andrew,
Lacey Ian,
Jang Eric B,
Wallace Andrew R
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
pest management science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.296
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1526-4998
pISSN - 1526-498X
DOI - 10.1002/ps.2150
Subject(s) - ceratitis capitata , pheromone , mating disruption , biology , sterile insect technique , sex pheromone , tephritidae , pheromone trap , mating , tortricidae , horticulture , botany , zoology , pest analysis , toxicology
BACKGROUND: Public opposition to aerial application of sex pheromone for mating disruption of light‐brown apple moth (LBAM), Epiphyas postvittana (Walk.), in California stopped its further use in the ca $ 74 million eradication programme in 2008, underscoring the need for other eradication tactics. It is demonstrated that pheromone‐treated sterile Mediterranean fruit flies (medflies), Ceratitis capitata Wied., can disrupt communication in male moths. RESULTS: Medflies topically dosed with moth pheromone ( E )‐11‐tetradecenyl acetate showed a no observed effect level (NOEL) of ∼10 µg fly −1 , with increasing toxicity from 30 to 100 µg fly −1 . Greater potency and longevity of attraction and lower mortality were achieved using microencapsulated pheromone. Releases of 1000 pheromone‐treated medflies ha −1 prevented male moth catch to synthetic lures in treated 4 ha plots for 1 day in suburban Perth, Australia. Releases of ca 3000 pheromone‐treated medflies ha −1 disrupted catch to single female moths in delta traps, and to synthetic pheromone lures. Percentage disruption on the first four nights was 95, 91, 82 and 85%. CONCLUSIONS: Disruption of moth catch using pheromone‐treated medflies is a novel development that, with future improvement, might provide a socially acceptable approach for application of the insect mating disruption technique to control invasive insects in urban environments. Adequacy of payload and other issues require resolution. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry