Improving monitoring tools for spotted wing drosophila,Drosophila suzukii

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) were trapped in the field using colored plastic sphere traps coated with insect Tangle‐trap. Red and black spheres captured significantly more D. suzukii than white spheres. Translucent deli‐cup traps deployed in cherry orchards and baited with yeast, the Alpha Scents lure, or the Scentry lure captured significantly more flies than the Trécé lure and Suzukii bait; all attractants had poor selectivity for D. suzukii. No‐choice evaluations of attractants conducted in field cages corroborated the cherry orchard field study, though translucent deli‐cup traps provisioned with the yeast bait captured significantly more flies than those baited with the Alpha Scents lure. Red sphere traps baited with the Scentry lure captured 3–6× more flies than the deli‐cup trap baited with the same lure, and 3–4× more flies than the deli‐cup trap baited with yeast bait, demonstrating that a trap integrating both visual and olfactory cues is a superior tool for monitoring D. suzukii. Moreover, this simple sticky, dry trap design requires far less labor and maintenance than does a liquid‐based deli‐cup trap.     

Evaluation of monitoring traps for Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in North America

Drosophila suzukii Matsumura (Diptera: Drosophilidae), a recent invasive pest of small and stone fruits, has been detected in more than half of the U.S. states, and in Canada, Mexico, and Europe. Upon discovery, several different trap designs were recommended for monitoring. This study compared the trap designs across seven states/provinces in North America and nine crop types. Between May and November 2011, we compared a clear cup with 10 side holes (clear); a commercial trap with two side holes (commercial); a Rubbermaid container with mesh lid and rain tent (Haviland), and with 10 side holes and no tent (modified Haviland); a red cup with 10 side holes (red); and a white container with mesh lid and rain tent (Van Steenwyk). Although fly catches among traps varied per site, overall, the Haviland trap caught the most D. suzukii, followed by the red, Van Steenwyk, and clear trap. The modified Haviland and commercial trap had low captures. Among five crop types in Oregon, a clear cup with mesh sides (Dreves) also was tested and caught the most flies. Traps with greater entry areas, found in mesh traps, caught more flies than traps with smaller entry areas. In terms of sensitivity and selectivity, traps that caught more flies likewise caught flies earlier, and all traps caught 26-31% D. suzukii out of the total Drosophila captured. Future trap improvements should incorporate more entry points and focus on selective baits to improve efficiency and selectivity with regard to the seasonal behavior of D. suzukii.     

Comparison of arboreal beetle catches in wet and dry collection cups with Lindgren multiple funnel traps

We compared the effectiveness of a dry collection cup (with an insecticide killing strip) to a wet collection cup (containing antifreeze) for use with Lindgren multiple-funnel traps in catching several common species of bark and wood-boring beetles, and their associates in southern pine forests. All traps were baited with either the binary combination of ethanol and (-)-alpha-pinene or the quaternary combination of (+/-)-ipsenol, (+/-)-ipsdienol, ethanol, and (-)-alpha-pinene. We found that cup treatment had little, if any, effect on catches of Ips avulsus (Eichhoff) and I. grandicollis (Eichhoff) (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), Alaus myops (F.) (Elateridae), Chalcophora Solier species (Buprestidae), Temnochila virescens (F.) (Trogositidae), and Lasconotus Erichson species (Colydiidae). In contrast, catches of the following species were significantly less (by 40-97%) in traps with dry cups than in traps with wet cups: Hylobius pales Herbst and Pachylobius picivorus LeConte (Curculionidae); Buprestis lineata F. (Buprestidae); Acanthocinus obsoletus (Olivier), Arhopalus rusticus nubilus (LeConte), Monochamus titillator (F.) and Xylotrechus sagittatus sagittatus (Cerambycidae); Hylastes porculus Erichson and Xyleborinus saxeseni (Ratzeburg) (Scolytidae); and Thanasimus dubius (F.) (Cleridae). The same was true in at least one experiment for the following species: Dendroctonus terebrans (Olivier), Hylastes salebrosus Eichhoff, Hylastes tenuis Eichhoff, and Xylosandrus crassiusculus (Motschulsky) (Scolytidae). We conclude that cup treatment can have a significant impact on catches of some arboreal beetles in baited multiple-funnel traps. Anyone using multiple-funnel traps to capture arboreal beetles should evaluate the potential impacts arising from their choice of collection cup treatment to their trapping objectives and expectations. The issue of cup treatment may be particular important at low population levels when maximum trap efficiency is required such as in the detection of exotic insects at ports-of-entry and within quarantine and containment zones.     

Factors affecting the efficacy of a vinegar trap for Drosophila suzikii (Diptera; Drosophilidae)

Drosophila suzukii, Matsumura, is a relatively new pest in the United States attacking a variety of fruit crops. Studies were conducted to develop a standardized, economical trap for monitoring. Laboratory bioassays found that flies were attracted to dark colours ranging from red to black. Similarly, fly catches in 237‐ml plastic ‘spice’ jars with ten 0.48‐cm holes and baited with apple cider vinegar were significantly higher in jars with red or black than white caps. The use of an alternating set of three, horizontal red, black and red bands (‘Zorro’ trap) significantly increased fly catches compared with the use of all‐red or all‐black strips. This increase was associated with a significantly higher proportion of flies first landing on the side near the openings of the trap instead of on the cap with the ‘Zorro’ trap compared with the other traps. Laboratory data were used to develop a predictive model to define total fly capture as a function of trap colour/colour pattern, cumulative area of entry holes and the length of the trapping portion of the trap. Total fly catches by the ‘Zorro’ trap were compared with other red and clear plastic traps in five field trials conducted in several cultivated and uncultivated sites. Comparisons included a commercial red‐capped 200‐ml trap with two 0.63‐cm holes, an all‐red spice jar with ten 0.48‐cm holes and clear and red 473‐ml and clear 946‐ml plastic cups with six or ten 0.48‐ or 0.63‐cm holes. The model was successfully validated, suggesting that performance of cup traps can be predicted based on a few characteristics. The current ‘Zorro’ trap did not catch most of the flies among trap designs, but showed some advantages, including the durability and potential to recycle the plastic, small size, commercial availability and its greater selectivity for D. suzukii than the other traps tested.     

Effects of pitfall trap size and sampling duration on collection of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in temperate forests

Pitfall trapping is a standard sampling method to compare the abundance or community structure of ground beetles. However, effects of sampling duration on biodiversity estimation of ground beetles according to different trap sizes have not been experimentally evaluated in temperate forests in Korea. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the interaction between trap sizes (SB, small‐sized bottle; MB, medium‐sized bottle; PC, plastic cup; PJ, plastic jar; PT, perforated type trap; FT, funnel‐type trap) and sampling duration (T1, 2 weeks × 2 sessions, 28 days; T2, 2 weeks × 4 sessions, 56 days; T3, 4 weeks × 2 sessions, 56 days) on estimation of ground beetle assemblages in Naejangsan National Park, a temperate forest in Korea. Funnel type and larger pitfall traps collected higher numbers of individuals and species than other trap sizes. Species composition of ground beetles was different by size of traps (SB, MB, and PC vs. PJ, PT, and FT). In particular, ground beetle composition in larger traps (PJ, PT, and FT) appeared to be influenced by environmental characteristics according to localities (e.g., soil characters and dominant tree species). These findings from our study support that pitfall trapping of ground beetles can be influenced by trap sizes per se as well as sampling durations and environmental characteristics. Thus, biodiversity monitoring in temperate forests should be conducted with long sampling duration (at least 28 days) using large‐sized traps (> 7.5 cm in diameter of trap mouthpart) considering expenses and study aims.     

Standardized capture rates of the endangered American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus Olivier (Coleoptera: Silphidae) using different trap protocols

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has adopted two different pitfall trap protocols to survey the endangered American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus. One protocol uses a transect of eight pitfall traps that prohibit bait contact over the course of three trap nights. The other protocol uses buckets that allow for bait contact over a five night trapping period. A trap night is defined as one trap open for one night, and the transect protocol has historically been calculated as eight trap nights per calendar night while; the bucket protocol has been calculated as one trap night per calendar night. This study examined the effectiveness of each protocol based on the number of beetles (Nicrophorus spp.) captured per trap night (BTN) in field and laboratory trials. When each transect was considered as a single trap instead of eight separate traps, no significant difference in BTN was detected between the protocols in any year. Laboratory trials were conducted using Nicrophorus marginatus to determine differences in capture efficiency based on protocol, time after release, and feeding status. The proportion of beetles captured after 5 days was greater when compared to 3 days for either protocol. Our results indicate that cup transects used to sample the American burying beetle should be considered as a single trap when calculating trap night and that the use of five trap nights rather than three would increase the likelihood of capturing beetles.     

Trap style influences wild pig behavior and trapping success

Despite the efforts of many natural resource professionals, wild pig (Sus scrofa) populations are expanding in many areas of the world. Although many creative techniques for controlling pig populations are being explored, trapping has been and still is the most commonly used method of population control for many public and private land managers. We conducted an observational study to examine the efficiency of 2 frequently used trap styles: a small, portable box-style trap and a larger, semi-permanent, corral-style trap. We used game cameras to examine patterns of trap entry by wild pigs around each style of trap, and we conducted a trapping session to compare trapping success between trap styles. Adult female and juvenile wild pigs entered both styles of trap more readily than did adult males, and adult males seemed particularly averse to entering box traps. Less than 10% of adult male visits to box traps resulted in entries, easily the least percentage of any class at any style of trap. Adult females entered corral traps approximately 2.2 times more often per visit than box traps and re-entered corral traps >2 times more frequently. Juveniles entered and re-entered both box and corral traps at similar rates. Overall (all-class) entry-per-visit rates at corral traps (0.71) were nearly double that of box traps (0.37). Subsequent trapping data supported these preliminary entry data; the capture rate for corral traps was >4 times that of box traps. Our data suggest that corral traps are temporally and economically superior to box traps with respect to efficiency; that is, corral traps effectively trap more pigs per trap night at a lower cost per pig than do box traps. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.     

Design and effectiveness of a novel trap for capturing nesting songbirds

ABSTRACT Capturing songbirds at their nests can be challenging and time consuming. Although traps designed for capturing songbirds at their nests have been described in the literature, few are effective for capturing species with open‐cup nests. We describe a cylindrical trap designed to capture songbirds at nests up to 2 m above ground in grasses, forbs, shrubs, and small saplings. The nest trap is constructed using a rigid hoop, two pieces of mist net, three stakes, and twist ties. We used this trap to capture female Dickcissels (Spiza americana) and female Indigo Buntings (Passerina cyanea) at their nests, with success rates of 85% (N= 196) and 60–73% (N= 16), respectively. Trapping success was comparable to that using other passerine nest trap designs. Nest abandonment after trapping attempts was rare and similar to that reported in previous studies. Our nest trap is lightweight, easy to make, versatile enough to use in a variety of grassland and shrub habitats, and easily carried and deployed in the field.     

Efficiency of flight interception traps for adult Colorado potato beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Interception traps have been used to monitor and sample Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), populations in flight, but the efficiency of these traps was unknown. The efficiency of interception window traps is limited because flying adults avoid the traps and may bounce off the trap without being collected. All trap types tested were avoided in flight chamber tests, including those constructed of transparent Plexiglas or yellow wood boards. A larger screen trap and a harp trap designed to reduce detection were also avoided by the beetles in flight. None of the traps provide a direct estimate of the number of adults randomly flying in the trap area. The highest level of efficiency for window traps was obtained with the yellow trap, which caught 16% of the expected flying population. Harp and screen traps without frames intercepted 60-62% of the expected flying population. The presence of a frame did not increase significantly the avoidance of the screen and harp traps by beetles in flight. Recommendations are made to maintain or increase the efficiency of some traps.     

THE COMPARISON OF YELLOW CYLINDRICAL, FLAT AND WATER TRAPS, AND OF JOHNSON SUCTION TRAPS, FOR SAMPLING APHIDS

Different traps were compared to find the type most suitable for studying aphid vectors of plant viruses quantitatively.
A Moericke water trap caught more aphids than a flat sticky trap of equal area. A flat sticky trap (930 sq. cm.) caught half as many aphids as a cylindrical trap (945 sq. cm.), which caught about one-third as many as a water trap (1200 sq. cm.) or a Johnson suction trap (9 in. fan) when operated at between 2 and 3 ft. over bare soil.
Yellow traps caught proportionally more Tuberculoides annulatus , and in summer more Capitophorus species than a suction trap, but significantly fewer Anoecia corni, Sitobium spp. and Pemphigus bursarius. Traps with a level surface caught proportionally more Brevicoryne brassicae, Aphis fabae and Myzus persicae , but fewer Anoecia corni and Drepanosiphum plantanoides than vertical cylindical traps. Attraction by colour influences the catch on horizontal traps more than on cylindrical traps because there is less impaction by the wind.
Only suction traps indicate the number of aphids per unit volume of air and are non-selective, but they are expensive and require an electric power supply. Water traps effectively catch those aphids that are attracted to yellow, but they require frequent attention. Sticky traps catch fewer aphids than either suction or water traps, but they can be left unattended for about 2 weeks. Flat sticky traps catch aphids likely to land on a crop, and cylindrical traps show when aphids are in the air, but not if those aphids are able or wanting to land. For routine work cylindrical sticky traps have other advantages; they are cheap and do not require skilled handling, and their catches of alate Myzus persicae have been correlated with the spread of some plant viruses.     

Evaluation of various attributes of gravid female traps for collection of Culex in Florida.

Gravid female traps are used for surveillance of populations of Culex spp. and arboviruses such as West Nile virus. Field trials evaluating various attributes of gravid female traps for collection of gravid Culex were conducted in rural habitats in Alachua and Marion Counties, FL. Screened cage tests in the field were also used to compare trap models. Three trap models were evaluated: two based on the original Reiter design (Gravid CDC traps A and B) and one based on the revised Reiter design (gravid box trap). Trap model significantly affected collection of Culex quinquefasciatus and Culex nigripalpus; the greatest numbers were collected by the CDC gravid trap Aand CDC gravid trap B traps compared to the gravid box traps. There were no statistically significant differences between the collections with CDC gravid traps A and B. These patterns were similar at both sites and between early and late summer collections in Marion Co. In trials conducted in screened field cages with gravid Cx. quinquefasciatus, significantly more mosquitoes were collected in the CDC gravid trap A and B than in box gravid traps. Size of pan associated with the gravid traps was important and traps with larger pans collected more mosquitoes. Pan color was also important in efficacy of traps, and traps with darker pans (black, green) collected more mosquitoes than traps with lighter pans (tan, white). The percentages of gravid mosquitoes in trap collections of Culex females ranged from 54.0% to 89.6% with no clear differences between model of trap, size of pan, or pan color. Various attributes of gravid female traps impact the efficacy of the traps for Culex spp. and these should be considered in trapping programs.     

LIME GREEN LIGHT-EMITTING DIODE EQUIPPED YELLOW STICKY CARD TRAPS FOR MONITORING WHITEFLIES, APHIDS AND FUNGUS GNATS IN GREENHOUSES

Abstract  Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were attached to plastic cup and sticky card traps to improve pest insect catches in the laboratory and in greenhouses. Plastic cup traps equipped with 530 nm lime green LEDs caught more adult Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood) and Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) biotype B compared with plastic cup traps alone. Yellow sticky card (YC) and clear plastic sticky card (CS) traps equipped with lime green LEDs (LED-YC and LED-CS, respectively) caught more adult T. vaporariorum, B. tabaci biotype B, Aphis gossypii (Glover) and Bradysia coprophila (Lintner) compared with unlit traps of each type in greenhouse cage studies with shell beans, Phaseolus vulgaris (L.) and cotton, Gossypium hirsutum (L.). The lime green LED equipped YC traps have potential for use in greenhouses for insect detection, monitoring, and control.     

应用附加绿黄色光二极管的黄色胶片监测温室中的粉虱、蚜虫和蕈蚊

绿黄色光二极管(LED)附加在塑胶杯和胶片捕捉器可增加捕捉实验室和温室中昆虫的数量。附加有530nm绿黄色LED的塑胶杯捕捉器比没有附加的捕捉到更多的Trialeurodes vaporariorum(Westwood)和Bemisia tabaci(Gennadius)B生态型。在温室中昆虫笼以四季豆和棉花试验,附加有530nm绿黄色LED的黄色胶片(YC)和透明塑胶片(CS)分别缩写为LED—YC和LED—CS)比每一种没有附加的捕捉器捕捉到更多的T.vaporariorum,B．tabaci B生态型,Ahis gossypii(Glover)和Bradysia coprophila(Lintner)成虫。绿黄色LED—YC在温室中有用为监测和控制的潜在性。     

基因捕捉及其在植物基因分离和功能基因组学上的应用

基因捕捉是一种报告基因的随机整合技术。基因捕捉系统已成为分离基因、鉴定基因功能的重要手段。基因捕捉(gene traps)包括增强子捕捉(enhancer trap)、启动子捕捉(promoter trap)和基因捕捉(gene trap),通称为基因捕捉(gcne traps)。在增强子捕捉中,报告基因与一个基本启动子融合,这个启动子不能使报告基因表达,但可被临近的增强子激活。在启动子捕捉和基因捕捉中,报告基因的启动子被去除,融合基因只有以正确的方向插入到转录单元内才能表达。对基因捕捉系统的结构特征、构建方法、应用范围、研究现状和应用前景等作了系统论述,并对有关问题进行了讨论。     

Efficiency of Malaise traps and colored pan traps for collecting flower visiting insects from three forested ecosystems

Pan and Malaise traps have been used widely to sample insect abundance and diversity, but no studies have compared their performance for sampling pollinators in forested ecosystems. Malaise trap design and color of pan traps are important parameters that influence insect pollinator catches. We compared pan trap (blue, yellow, white, and red) and Malaise trap catches from forests in three physiographic provinces (Piedmont, Coastal Plain, and Blue Ridge) of the southeastern United States. Similarities in trap performance between sites were observed with blue pan traps being most effective overall. Our results showed that various pollinator groups preferred certain pan trap colors and that adding color to Malaise traps influenced insect pollinator catches. However, pan traps generally caught more pollinators than Malaise traps. Because of their low cost and simplicity, using several colors of pan traps is an effective way to sample relative abundance and species richness of flower-visiting insects.     

Monitoring plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), populations in apple and peach orchards in the mid-Atlantic

We evaluated responses of plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar (Herbst), to four trap types in commercial and unsprayed apple and peach orchards. Trap types included black pyramid and clear Plexiglas panel traps deployed outside the orchard 2 m from the border row, and branch-mimicking cylinder and trunk-mounted screen traps attached to trees in the border row. Bait treatments evaluated in conjunction with each trap type included the synthetic fruit volatile benzaldehyde, the aggregation pheromone grandisoic acid (GA), benzaldehyde in combination with GA, and an unbaited control treatment. In commercial apple orchards, significantly more plum curculio were captured in traps baited with benzaldehyde + GA compared with traps baited with other treatments. Furthermore, significantly more plum curculio were captured by screen traps baited with benzaldehyde + GA compared with unbaited control traps. Significantly more plum curculio were captured by screen traps compared with other trap types in an unsprayed apple orchard. Very few captures were recorded in commercial peach orchards. Dissections of trapped females indicate that bivoltine populations are present in the mid-Atlantic. In general, correlations between timing and amount of trap captures and timing and amount of fruit injury inflicted concurrently or 1 wk after trap captures were very weak for all trap types and bait combinations. Our results agree with previous studies in the northeastern United States in which trap captures are increased by presence of semiochemical baits but fail to serve as reliable tools to determine need for and timing of insecticide application against plum curculio.     

Early detection and population monitoring of Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) in a mixed-fruit orchard in northern Greece

Population monitoring of the Mediterranean fruit fly,Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), was studied in 1998 in a mixed-fruit orchard in northern Greece, using International Pheromone McPhail traps (IPMT) baited with the female targeted attractants ammonium acetate, putrescine, and trimethylamine, and Jackson traps baited with the male specific parapheromone trimedlure. Special emphasis was placed on detecting the low initial adult population resulting from surviving overwintering larvae as early as possible in the spring and early summer. Traps were suspended on various host trees, using trap grid densities of either 15 or 1.5 traps per hectare. The first adults detected were females captured on 24 June in IPMT traps suspended on apricot trees, which are among the earliest maturing hosts in the area. From the end of July, the most effective trap was the IPMT trap placed on peaches, which followed apricots in the fruit ripening sequence. IPMT traps captured predominately females (approximately 80% of the total captures) and by far outperformed Jackson traps in early detection (the first males in Jackson traps were captured in August) as well as in total captures until mid-October. After mid-October, however, more flies were captured in Jackson traps. Comparing the performance of two trap grid densities on apple trees (the common host in the two grids), we found that in the high-density trap grid the first adults were detected 1 wk earlier than in the low-density trap grid. Our findings for this locality suggest that trap type and plant species on which traps are suspended are of key importance in early detection and population monitoring of C. capitata.     

Comparison of naturally and synthetically baited spruce beetle trapping systems in the central Rocky Mountains

We compared naturally baited trapping systems to synthetically baited funnel traps and fallen trap trees for suppressing preoutbreak spruce beetle, Dendroctonus rufipennis Kirby, populations. Lures for the traps were fresh spruce (Picea spp.) bolts or bark sections, augmented by adding female spruce beetles to create secondary attraction. In 2003, we compared a naturally baited system ("bolt trap") with fallen trap trees and with synthetically baited funnel traps. Trap performance was evaluated by comparing total beetle captures and spillover of attacks into nearby host trees. Overall, the trap systems did not significantly differ in spruce beetle captures, although bolt traps caught 6 to 7 times more beetles than funnel traps during the first 4 wk of testing. Funnel traps with synthetic lures had significantly more spillover than either trap trees or bolt traps. The study was repeated in 2004 with modifications including an enhanced blend synthetic lure. Again, trap captures were generally similar among naturally and synthetically baited traps, but naturally baited traps had significantly less spillover. Although relatively labor-intensive, the bolt trap could be used to suppress preoutbreak beetle populations, especially when spillover is undesirable. Our work provides additional avenues for management of spruce beetles and suggests that currently used synthetic lures can be improved.     

Suitability of two carbon dioxide-baited traps for mosquito surveillance in the United Kingdom

Rapidly changing environments and an increase in human movement around the globe have contributed to a rise in new and emerging diseases, many of which are arthropod borne. The threat posed to the United Kingdom by such diseases is uncertain, and there is a real need to understand the distribution, seasonality and behaviour of potential vectors in the country. At present, there is no standard method for routine mosquito surveillance in the UK. Here we compared the catching efficiency of two carbon dioxide-baited traps, the CDC light trap and the MosquitoMagnet Pro trap, for collecting British mosquitoes. Two of each type of trap were operated at four sites in central and southern England from June to September, 2003. To determine whether trap height affected collections, three light traps were operated at 1, 2.5 and 5 m above the ground in one site in 2004. Both types of trap were efficient at catching mosquitoes, collecting 5414 mosquitoes of 16 species. MosquitoMagnet traps caught 2.7 times more mosquitoes than CDC light traps (P<0.001) and a wider range of species (16 species vs 11) than CDC light traps. Four to six times more female Culex pipiens s.l. were collected in light traps at 5 m (P<0.001) compared with traps at lower heights. MosquitoMagnet traps ran continuously for up to 8 weeks, whilst the battery of a CDC light trap had to be replaced every 24 hrs. Although MosquitoMagnets collected more specimens and a greater range of mosquito species, they were considerably more expensive, prone to breakdown and incurred higher running costs than the CDC light traps. MosquitoMagnets are useful tools for collecting mosquitoes during longitudinal surveys during the summer months, whilst CDC light traps are to be preferred for rapid assessments of the presence or absence of mosquitoes, particularly the important species Culex pipiens.     

Effects of height and adjacent surfaces on captures of Indianmeal moth (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in pheromone-baited traps

Diamond-shaped pheromone-baited traps are used widely in food storage and food processing facilities for monitoring of Plodia interpunctella (Hübner), and here we evaluated to what extent trap captures were affected by 1) vertical placement of traps, 2) deployment of a horizontal landing platform to the diamond-shaped pheromone trap, and 3) placement of traps either freely exposed or along a sidewall. In the small sheds (height 1.8 m), traps were placed in three heights and significantly highest trap captures were obtained near the ceiling. When the same experiment was conducted in a larger room (height 6 m) with traps at seven heights, highest captures were obtained at both the lowest and highest traps. In a subsequent experiment, we deployed a horizontal platform to traps at seven heights and found that the importance of vertical placement became less important. Thus, it seemed that male moths preferred to orient to a pheromone source associated with a physical surface, such as the floor, ceiling, or landing platform. In a comparison of P. interpunctella male trap captures in a completely dark room (no visual cues), traps with a landing platform caught significantly more than traps without the platform. In a final experiment, we evaluated the effect of hanging traps either freely or adjacent to sidewalls, and significantly highest trap captures were obtained along side-walls. The results presented here suggest that deployment of a horizontal platform reduces the importance of the vertical placement of traps and seems to increase the trap efficiency, and we recommend placement of traps along sidewalls and/or near the ground.