A comparison of Lucitraps and sticky targets for sampling the blowfly Lucilia sericata

The Lucitrap (Miazma Pty Ltd, Queensland, Australia) combined with a synthetic odour bait, Lucilure (Miazma Pty Ltd, Queensland, Australia), is a commercially available trap for sampling and control of Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann) in Australia. It was tested in Hungary against Lucilia sericata (Meigen) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), a cause of sheep strike throughout temperate Europe. The standard Lucitrap was tested against black or yellow sticky target traps. Both trap types were baited with either Lucilure or liver and 10% w/v sodium sulphide solution. With Lucilure as bait, L. sericata were caught on sticky traps but not in Lucitraps. With liver and sodium sulphide as bait, sticky traps caught 500-1500 times more L. sericata than Lucitraps. An adhesive sheet fitted to the top of a Lucitrap captured 30-300 times more L. sericata then were captured inside an unaltered Lucitrap. Direct observation of metallic green calliphorids (92.1% L. sericata) alighting on Lucitraps indicated that most flies stayed for a short while (modal class 2-4 s) and only a few stayed longer, to an observed maximum of 28 s. Flies explored a mean of 1.5 entry holes (range 0-7) during a visit but only 6% entered the trap. Size of L. sericata was not a physical barrier to Lucitrap entry, because many larger species were captured. However, L. sericata captured inside Lucitraps were significantly smaller than those captured on sticky traps, demonstrating that size was of behavioural importance. The data demonstrate that the Lucitrap is not effective as a trap for L. sericata in Hungary, due mainly to a failure of flies to enter the trap in large numbers. In Australia and South Africa, L. sericata is commonly caught in Lucitraps baited with Lucilure, although L. cuprina is more numerous. Our study highlights the potential for diversity of fly behaviour between different geographical populations of the same species. Such diversity can have a significant effect on the functioning of systems for fly sampling and control, when these systems depend for their success on certain behavioural responses of the target species.     

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.     

Phenology of Carpophilus spp. (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) in Stone Fruit Orchards as Determined by Pheromone Trapping: Implications for Prediction of Crop Damage

Traps baited with synthetic aggregation pheromone and fermenting bread dough were used to monitor seasonal incidence and abundance of the ripening fruit pests, Carpophilus hemipterus (L.), C. mutilatus Erichson and C. davidsoni Dobson in stone fruit orchards in the Leeton district of southern New South Wales during five seasons (1991–96). Adult beetles were trapped from September-May, but abundance varied considerably between years with the amount of rainfall in December-January having a major influence on population size and damage potential during the canning peach harvest (late February-March). Below average rainfall in December-January was associated with mean trap catches of<10 beetles/trap/week in low dose pheromone traps during the harvest period in 1991/92 and 1993/94 and no reported damage to ripening fruit. Rainfall in December-January 1992/93 was more than double the average and mean trap catches ranged from 8–27 beetles/week during the harvest period with substantial damage to the peach crop. December-January rainfall was also above average in 1994/95 and 1995/96 and means of 50–300 beetles/trap/week were recorded in high dose pheromone traps during harvest periods. Carpophilus spp. caused economic damage to peach crops in both seasons. These data indicate that it may be possible to predict the likelihood of Carpophilus beetle damage to ripening stone fruit in inland areas of southern Australia, by routine pheromone-based monitoring of beetle populations and summer temperatures and rainfall.     

An attract-and-kill system to control Carpophilus spp. in Australian stone fruit orchards

During two growing seasons, the use of an attract-and-kill system for control of Carpophilus spp. (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) and the effective range or drawing power of the attract-and-kill stations were examined in stone fruit orchards in the Goulburn Valley, northern Victoria, Australia. Three attract-and-kill stations, baited with synthetic aggregation pheromone plus co-attractant, were placed about 50 m apart in the upwind corner of each treated block 5–6 weeks before the fruit began to ripen. Large numbers of Carpophilus spp. were caught in the attract-and-kill stations immediately after placement. By the time fruit had ripened, the number of Carpophilus spp. caught had decreased greatly. Fruit damage caused by Carpophilus spp. in treated blocks, especially in 2000–2001 season, was almost zero (0.1% and 0.6%) in trees and on the ground, respectively, whereas the damage levels in control blocks were 5.2% and 19.9% in trees and on the ground, respectively. This study indicates that excellent protection of ripening stone fruit may be achieved by using attract-and kill-stations.     

Relative performance of Lindgren multiple-funnel, Intercept panel, and Colossus pipe traps in catching Cerambycidae and associated species in the southeastern United States

In 2004, we evaluated the relative performance of 8-unit Lindgren multiple-funnel (funnel), Intercept panel (panel), and Colossus pipe (pipe) traps, baited with ethanol and ac-pinene lures, in catching saproxylic beetles (Coleoptera) in pine stands in northern Florida and western South Carolina. Panel traps were as good as, if not better than, funnel and pipe traps for catching Cerambycidae. In particular, more Monochamus titillator (F.) were captured in panel traps than in pipe and funnel traps. Of three species of Buprestidae captured in our study, most Buprestis lineata F. were caught in panel traps, whereas most Acmaeodera tubulus (F.) were caught in funnel traps. Catches of Chalcophora virginiensis Drury and the root-feeding weevils Hylobius pales Herbst an dPachylobius picivorus LeConte (Curculionidae) were unaffected by trap type. Among bark beetles (Curculionidae: Scolytinae), catches of Ips grandicollis (Eichhoff) were unaffected by trap type, whereas most Dendroctonus terebrans (Olivier) were caught in panel traps, most Hylastes salebrosus Eichhoff were caught in panel and pipe traps, and most Hylastes tenuis Eichhoff were caught in funnel traps. Among ambrosia beetles (Curculionidae: Scolytinae), panel traps caught the most Xyleborinus saxesenii (Ratzeburg), whereas pipe traps caught the most Xyleborus Eichhoff spp. More Xylosandrus crassiusculus (Motschulsky) and Dryoxylon onoharaensis (Murayama) were caught in panel and funnel traps than in pipe traps. Among bark beetle predators, more Platysoma Leach spp. (Histeridae) were caught in pipe and panel traps than in funnel traps, whereas most Lasconotus Erichson spp. (Zopheridae) were caught in funnel traps. Variation among trap performance for various species suggests that managers should consider more than one type of trap in their detection programs.     

Comparison of four trap types for ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera, Scolytidae) in Brazilian Eucalyptus stands

Eucalyptus spp. plantations represent >60% of the reforested area in Brazil. Although ambrosia beetle attacks on live trees were at first nonexistent, they have begun to appear with greater frequency. Monitoring for pest insects is a key factor in integrated pest management, and baited traps are one of the most widely used methods for insect population detection and survey. We compared the efficiency of the most widely used trap in Brazil to survey for ambrosia beetles and other Scolytidae, the ESALQ-84 type, with other traditionally employed traps: the multiple funnel (Lindgren trap); drainpipe; and slot (Theyson) traps, in a Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex Maiden stand in Brazil. The ESALQ-84 trap was the most efficient in trapping Hypothenemus eruditus Westwood and Hypothenemus obscurus (F.); the multiple funnel trap caught significantly more Cryptocarenus diadematus Eggers; whereas the slot trap caught more Premnobius cavipennis Eichhoff and Xyleborus affinis Eichhoff than the other traps. The drainpipe trap was the least effective trap overall. When corrected for number of beetles caught per trap surface area, catches were significantly higher on the ESALQ-84 trap for the majority of the species analyzed, probably because of a smaller trap surface area. The slot trap was recommended for it caught overall more beetles of the three most economically important scolytid species in eucalypt plantations in Brazil, P. cavipennis, X. affinis, and X. ferrugineus.     

Female sex pheromone of brinjal fruit and shoot borer,Leucinodes orbonalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae): trap optimization and application in IPM trials

Delta and wing traps baited with synthetic female sex pheromone of Leucinodes orbonalis Guenée were found to catch and retain ten times more moths than either Spodoptera or uni-trap designs. Locally-produced water and funnel traps were as effective as delta traps, although 'windows' cut in the side panels of delta traps significantly increased trap catch from 0.4 to 2.3 moths per trap per night. Trap catch was found to be proportional to the radius of sticky disc traps in the range 5-20 cm radius, discs with a 2.5 cm radius caught no moths. Wing traps placed at crop height caught significantly more moths than traps placed 0.5 m above or below the crop canopy. Replicated integrated pest management (IPM) trials (3 x 0.5 ha per treatment) were conducted in farmers fields with young and mature eggplant crops. Farmers applied insecticides at least three times a week in all check and IPM plots. In addition pheromone traps were placed out at a density of 100 per ha and infested shoots removed weekly in the 0.5 ha IPM plots. Pheromone trap catches were reduced significantly from 2.0 to 0.4 moths per trap per night respectively in check and IPM plots in a young crop and 1.1 to 0.3 moths per trap per night in check and IPM plots respectively in a mature crop. Fruit damage was significantly reduced from an average of 41.8% and 51.2% in check plots of young and mature crops respectively to 22% and 26.4 respectively in the associated IPM plots. Significant differences in pheromone trap catches and fruit damage were attained four and two weeks respectively after IPM treatments began in the mature crop whereas in the immature crop significant differences were not observed for the first eight to nine weeks respectively. The relative impact of removing infested shoots and mass trapping on L. orbonalis larval populations was not established in these trials but in both cases there was an estimated increase of approximately 50% in marketable fruit obtained by the combination of control techniques compared to insecticide treatment alone.     

An effective strategy for trapping Douglas-fir beetle, Dendroctonus pseudotsugae (Col., Scolytidae) using combinations of unbaited and pheromone baited funnel traps

Experiments were conducted to confirm and quantify earlier observations that unbaited funnel traps in conjunction with pheromone baited funnel traps may substantially increase trap catches of Douglas-fir beetles, Dendroctonus pseudotsugae . In 12 replicates of one of these experiments during 1998 and 1999, the catches of a single baited control trap were compared to those of a set of four traps where the central trap was baited and a ring of three traps, 1 m from the central trap arranged in a star configuration, were unbaited. In the second experiment conducted during 1999, a ring of three unbaited traps was placed at 2 m and a second at 5 m from the central baited trap. Statistically robust results demonstrated clearly that the configuration of one central baited trap plus three unbaited satellite traps collected twice as many beetles on average over the season compared to the baited control trap. Addition of a second ring of unbaited traps increased collections by only about 20%, but this experiment indicated that trap catches dropped off exponentially with distance from the centre. The number of beetles caught in the baited traps was essentially the same in all 3 arrangements, suggesting that the additional unbaited traps captured beetles that otherwise may not have been captured.     

Monitoring oriental fruit moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) with sticky traps baited with terpinyl acetate and sex pheromone

Studies in Argentina and Chile during 2010–2011 evaluated a new trap (Ajar) for monitoring the oriental fruit moth, Grapholita molesta (Busck). The Ajar trap was delta‐shaped with a jar filled with a terpinyl acetate plus brown sugar bait attached to the bottom centre of the trap. The screened lid of the jar was inserted inside the trap, and moths were caught on a sticky insert surrounding the lid. The Ajar trap was evaluated with and without the addition of a sex pheromone lure and compared with delta traps left unbaited or baited with a sex pheromone lure and a bucket trap filled with the same liquid bait. Studies were conducted in a sex pheromone‐treated orchard in Argentina and an untreated orchard in Chile. In Chile, the Ajar trap without the sex pheromone lure caught significantly fewer males, females and total moths than the bucket trap, and fewer males and more females than the sex pheromone‐baited delta trap. Total moth catch did not differ between the Ajar trap without a sex pheromone lure and the sex pheromone‐baited trap. Adding a sex pheromone lure to the Ajar trap significantly increased total moth catches to levels not different from those in the bucket trap. However, the Ajar trap with the sex pheromone lure caught significantly more males and fewer females than the bucket trap. In Argentina, the Ajar trap with or without the addition of a sex pheromone lure caught similar numbers of both sexes and total moths as the bucket trap. The sex pheromone‐baited delta trap caught <4% of the number of moths as these three traps. The bucket trap in both studies caught significantly more non‐targets than the delta and Ajar traps. Moth catches in the Ajar trap declined significantly after 2–3 weeks when the bait was not replaced.     

Efficacy of Fluon conditioning for capturing cerambycid beetles in different trap designs and persistence on panel traps over time

Fluon PTFE is a fluoropolymer dispersion applied as a surface conditioner to cross-vane panel traps to enhance trap efficiency for cerambycid beetles. We describe the results of three experiments to further optimize cerambycid traps of different designs and to test the effect of Fluon over time. We tested Fluon with Lindgren funnel and panel traps fitted with either wet or dry collection cups on catches of cerambycid beetles and how the effect of Fluon on panel traps persisted. Fluon-treated funnel traps with wet collection cups captured approximately 6x more beetles than the untreated funnel traps with wet collection cups. Untreated funnel traps with dry collection cups did not capture any beetles; however, Fluon-treated funnel traps with dry collection cups captured an average of four beetles per trap. Fluon-treated panel traps with wet collection cups captured approximately 9x more beetles than untreated panel traps with wet collection cups. Fluon-treated panel traps with dry collection cups captured approximately 11x more beetles than untreated panel traps with dry collection cups. The effect of Fluon on capturing cerambycid beetles did not decline after use in one or two field seasons. There was no significant difference in the number of beetles captured in freshly treated panel traps compared with traps that had been used for 1 or 2 yr. Fluon-treated traps captured nine species that were not captured in untreated traps. Conditioning both Lindgren funnel and panel traps with Fluon enhances the efficacy and sensitivity of traps deployed to detect exotic cerambycid species, or for monitoring threatened species at low population densities.     

Pheromone-mediated mass trapping and population diversion as strategies for suppressing Carpophilus spp. (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) in Australian stone fruit orchards

1 Five experiments were conducted during 1995–99 in stone fruit orchards on the Central Coast and in inland New South Wales, Australia, on the use of synthetic aggregation pheromones and a coattractant to suppress populations of the ripening fruit pests Carpophilus spp. (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae). 2 Perimeter‐based suppression traps baited with pheromone and coattractant placed at 3 m intervals around small fruit blocks, caught large numbers of Carpophilus spp. Very small populations of Carpophilus spp. occurred within blocks, and fruit damage was minimal. 3 Carpophilus spp. populations in stone fruit blocks 15–370 m from suppression traps were also small and non‐damaging, indicating a large zone of pheromone attractivity. 4 Pheromone/coattractant‐baited suppression traps appeared to divert Carpophilus spp. from nearby (130 m) ripening stone fruit. Ten metal drums containing decomposing fruit, baited with pheromone and treated with insecticide, attracted Carpophilus spp. and appeared to reduce populations and damage to ripening fruit at distances of 200–500 m. Populations and damage were significantly greater within 200 m of the drums and may have been caused by ineffective poisoning or poor quality/overcrowding of fruit resources in the drums. 5 Suppression of Carpophilus spp. populations using synthetic aggregation pheromones and a coattractant appears to be a realistic management option in stone fruit orchards. Pheromone‐mediated diversion of beetle populations from ripening fruit may be more practical than perimeter trapping, but more research is needed on the effective range of Carpophilus pheromones and the relative merits of trapping compared to attraction to insecticide‐treated areas.     

Suitability of commercially available insect traps and pheromones for monitoring dusky sap beetles (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) and related insects in Bt sweet corn

Two trap types and pheromone sources for the dusky sap beetle, Carpophilus lugubris Murray (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), were compared in Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and non-Bt sweet corn fields over a 3-yr period. Overall, commercial traps and pheromones were equally effective as experimental traps and pheromones used previously for capturing C. lugubris and other sap beetle species. The commercial trap often caught significantly more Glischrochilus quadrisignatus Say than the experimental trap that had been used in previous studies. Bt corn significantly reduced caterpillar damage to ears compared with the non-Bt isoline and did not adversely affect levels of Orius sp., the most common insect predator. Sap beetle damage was the most common insect damage to Bt sweet corn ears. Sap beetles were detected by traps at population levels below that which are likely to cause economic concern, indicating commercially available traps and pheromone lures for monitoring sap beetles should be suitable for detecting them under commercial growing conditions.     

Effect of trap type, trap position, time of year, and beetle density on captures of the redbay ambrosia beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae)

The exotic redbay ambrosia beetle, Xyleborus glabratus Eichhoff (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), and its fungal symbiont Raffaellea lauricola Harrington, Fraedrich, and Aghayeva are responsible for widespread redbay, Persea borbonia (L.) Spreng., mortality in the southern United States. Effective traps and lures are needed to monitor spread of the beetle and for early detection at ports-of-entry, so we conducted a series of experiments to find the best trap design, color, lure, and trap position for detection of X. glabratus. The best trap and lure combination was then tested at seven sites varying in beetle abundance and at one site throughout the year to see how season and beetle population affected performance. Manuka oil proved to be the most effective lure tested, particularly when considering cost and availability. Traps baited with manuka oil lures releasing 5 mg/d caught as many beetles as those baited with lures releasing 200 mg/d. Distributing manuka oil lures from the top to the bottom of eight-unit funnel traps resulted in similar numbers of X. glabratus as a single lure in the middle. Trap color had little effect on captures in sticky traps or cross-vane traps. Funnel traps caught twice as many beetles as cross-vane traps and three times as many as sticky traps but mean catch per trap was not significantly different. When comparing height, traps 1.5 m above the ground captured 85% of the beetles collected but a few were caught at each height up to 15 m. Funnel trap captures exhibited a strong linear relationship (r2 = 0.79) with X. glabratus attack density and they performed well throughout the year. Catching beetles at low densities is important to port of entry monitoring programs where early detection of infestations is essential. Our trials show that multiple funnel traps baited with a single manuka oil lure were effective for capturing X. glabratus even when no infested trees were visible in the area.     

Monitoring oriental fruit moth and codling moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) with combinations of pheromones and kairomones

Experiments were conducted in North and South America during 2012–2013 to evaluate the use of lure combinations of sex pheromones (PH), host plant volatiles (HPVs) and food baits in traps to capture the oriental fruit moth, Grapholita molesta (Busck), and codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), in pome and stone fruit orchards treated with sex pheromones. The combination of the sex pheromone of both species (PH combo lure) significantly increased G. molesta and marginally decreased C. pomonella captures as compared with captures of each species with either of their sex pheromones alone. The addition of a HPV combination lure [(E,Z)‐2,4‐ethyl decadienoate plus (E)‐β‐ocimene] or acetic acid used alone or together did not significantly increase the catch of either species in traps with the PH combo lure. The Ajar trap baited with terpinyl acetate and brown sugar (TAS bait) caught significantly more G. molesta than the delta trap baited with PH combo plus acetic acid in California during 2012. The addition of a PH combo lure to an Ajar trap significantly increased catches of G. molesta compared to the use of the TAS bait or PH combo lure alone in 2013. Female G. molesta were caught in TAS‐baited Ajar traps at similar levels with or without the use of additional lures. Ajar traps baited with the TAS bait alone or with (E)‐β‐ocimene and/or PH combo lures caught significantly fewer C. pomonella than delta traps with sex pheromone alone. Ajar traps with 6.4‐mm screened flaps caught similar numbers of total and female G. molesta as similarly baited open Ajar traps, and with a significant reduction in the catch of non‐targets. Broader testing of HPV and PH combo lures for G. molesta in either delta or screened or open Ajar traps is warranted.     

Field evaluation of female attractants for monitoring Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) under a range of climatic conditions and population levels in Western Australia

Field trials were conducted in Western Australia to compare captures of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), in a standard male-targeted trap (Lynfield trap baited with Capilure) with a synthetic, female-targeted attractant marketed as BioLure. BioLure was also compared with other fenale attractants (orange ammonia, liquid protein bait) and tested in plastic McPhail, Tephri, and Lynfield traps. The possibility of using one trap to monitor female and male C. capitata populations was also tested by combining BioLure in a trap with the male attractant, Capilure. The results of these experiments show that BioLure outperformed the female-targeted system currently used for monitoring female C. capitala (liquid protein in MePhail trap). More male C. capitata were caught in the standard male-targeted trap, but more females were caught in traps baited with BioLure irrespective of trap type, climate, host tree, or population level. Combined lure traps caught equivalent total numbers of C. capitata to the standard male-targeted trap, but fewer females were captured. Tephri traps caught more flies than McPhail traps, but McPhail traps caught equivalent proportions of females. We compared the performance in commercial orchards of the standard male-targeted trap with a female-targeted trap (McPhail with BioLure). We found that the male trap detected C. capitata more often, caught more flies, triggered the economic threshold more often (66% of the time) and was more cost effective. The male-targeted trap is recommended for use on commercial orchards if cost is limiting. However, using both male and female-targeted traps increases the chance of detecting flies and triggering the economic threshold level. The synthetic female attractant is recommended for replacement of protein hydrolysate lures and may be used in either Tephri or McPhail traps.     

Longhorn beetles and predatory clerid beetles attracted to a blend of longhorn beetle pheromone compounds in a Central European oak forest (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae,Cleridae)

1. A blend of longhorn beetle pheromones was tested as a generic attractant in a Central European oak forest. Overall, 20 cerambycid species totalling 1250 specimens were captured using two trap types.
2. More adults of Phymatodes testaceus and Leiopus nebulosus nebulosus were attracted to pheromone-baited traps compared to solvent controls. Significant numbers of four other species were caught by panel traps but not funnel traps. For the cerambycine Pyrrhidium sanguineum, significantly more beetles were caught in treatment traps than controls. For the cerambycine Anaglyptus mysticus, lepturines Cortodera humeralis and Rhagium sycophanta, the numbers of beetles caught in treatment or control traps were similar, indicating no attraction to the lure blend. Adults of a predatory clerid beetle Clerus mutillarius were caught in significantly larger numbers by both baited trap types in comparison to controls, totalling 1514 specimens.
3. Antennae of both sexes of C. mutillarius showed responses to 3-hydroxyhexan-2-one and 2-methylbutan-1-ol, and males also responded to syn-2,3-hexanediol.
4. Strong attraction of C. mutillarius suggests eavesdropping on the pheromones of cerambycids and that such attractant baits, without traps, might be used to manipulate the local population density of predators in a push-pull biological control program.

     

Comparison of adult corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) sampling methods

Studies were conducted in Kansas corn and soybean fields during 1997 to compare various sampling methods, traps, and trap components for capturing three species of adult corn rootworms: western (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera Leconte), southern (D. undecimpunctata howardi Barber), and northern (D. barberi Smith & Lawrence). Lure constituents affected the species of beetle attracted to the trap. Traps with a lure containing 4-methoxycinnamaldehyde attracted more western corn rootworms, those with a lure containing eugenol were more attractive to northern corn rootworms, and those containing trans-cinnamaldehyde were most attractive to southern corn rootworms. Multigard sticky traps caught more beetles than did Pherocon AM sticky traps. In corn, a newly designed lure trap caught more beetles than did sticky traps on most occasions. Also, lure-baited sticky traps caught more beetles than did nonbaited sticky traps. Varying the color of the lure trap bottom did not affect the number caught. In soybeans, the new lure traps captured more beetles than did the nonbaited Multigard or Pherocon AM sticky traps. Results of this study suggest the new lure trap may provide a more accurate assessment of corn rootworm populations than traditional monitoring techniques and may be more esthetically pleasing to growers and consultants.     

Evaluation of funnel traps for characterizing the bark beetle (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) communities in ponderosa pine forests of north-central Arizona

Lindgren funnel traps baited with aggregation pheromones are widely used to monitor and manage populations of economically important bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae). This study was designed to advance our understanding of how funnel trap catches assess bark beetle communities and relative abundance of individual species. In the second year (2005) of a 3-yr study of the bark beetle community structure in north-central Arizona pine (Pinus spp.) forests, we collected data on stand structure, site conditions, and local bark beetle-induced tree mortality at each trap site. We also collected samples of bark from infested (brood) trees near trap sites to identify and determine the population density of bark beetles that were attacking ponderosa pine, Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex Lawson, in the area surrounding the traps. Multiple regression models indicated that the number of Dendroctonus and Ips beetles captured in 2005 was inversely related to elevation of the trap site, and positively associated with the amount of ponderosa pine in the stand surrounding the site. Traps located closer to brood trees also captured more beetles. The relationship between trap catches and host tree mortality was weak and inconsistent in forest stands surrounding the funnel traps, suggesting that trap catches do not provide a good estimate of local beetle-induced tree mortality. However, pheromone-baited funnel trap data and data from gallery identification in bark samples produced statistically similar relative abundance profiles for the five species of bark beetles that we examined, indicating that funnel trap data provided a good assessment of species presence and relative abundance.     

Dusky sap beetles (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) and other kernel damaging insects in Bt and non-Bt sweet corn in Illinois

Bt and non-Bt sweet corn hybrids (Rogers 'Empire' Bt and non-Bt, respectively) were compared for distribution of kernel damaging insect pests in central Illinois in 1998 and 1999. The occurrence and damage by caterpillars [primarily Helicoverpa zea (Boddie)] were reduced by at least 80% in each year for the Bt compared with the non-Bt hybrid. However, the incidence of sap beetle adults (primarily Carpophilus lugubris Murray) was higher, and larvae, lower for the Bt versus non-Bt in 1999. The incidence of ears with more than five kernels damaged by sap beetles was higher for the Bt compared with non-Bt hybrid in 1998 (13.8 versus 5.5%), but nearly equivalent in 1999 (15.3 versus 15.1%, respectively). Distribution of predators on plants (primarily Coccinelidae) and harvested ears (primarily Orius spp.) were not significantly different on Bt versus non-Bt hybrids. Ears with husks flush with the ear tip or with ear tips exposed had significantly higher sap beetle damage for both hybrids, and the Bt hybrids had significantly higher incidence of exposed ear tips in both years. Sap beetle numbers determined by scouting were often proportional to numbers of beetles captured in baited traps, increasing and decreasing at about the same time. However, values determined with traps were typically less variable than when scouted, and time of sampling was typically four times more rapid for each trap than for each 10 plant scout sample when measured in 1999.     

Effect of height and color on the efficiency of pole traps for Aethina tumida (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae)

Olfactory cues released by adult bees, brood, pollen, and honey from a honey bee, Apis mellifera L., colony are the primary stimuli that guide the beetle Aethina tumida Murray (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) to host colonies. To investigate the response of adult A. tumida to visual stimuli, we tested the influence of color and height on trap efficiency. Two pole trap colors (black and white) were evaluated at three heights (46 cm, 1 m, and 3m) from October 2008 to December 2009. A. tumida were trapped in the greatest numbers between 17 April and 15 May 2009. The lowest numbers were captured during the winter and fall. The trapping results showed that both color and trap height significantly influenced capture. The average catch in the white traps (mean +/- SE, 2.47 +/- 0.30) was significantly higher than that of the black traps (1.53 +/- 0.29) probably because white is more reflective than black. Among the heights evaluated, there were more beetles caught when traps were positioned at 46 cm (the same height as the entrance of the hives) with 3.07 +/- 0.51 beetles compared with beetles captured at 1 m (1.88 +/- 0.30) or 3 m (1.06 +/- 0.18) high. Male and female beetles exhibited similar responses to trap color and height. The relationship between the numbers of beetles in colonies and capture rates in traps was very poor and did not provide a basis to evaluate trap efficiency. In addition, because capture rates seemed generally low in relationship to the number of beetles in the apiary, substantial improvements to the trap may be necessary.