Increased Catch of Codling Moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in Semiochemical-Baited Orange Plastic Delta-Shaped Traps

Abstract

Studies were conducted in apple, Malus domestica (Borkhausen), to evaluate the attractiveness of semiochemical-baited orange plastic versus the standard white plastic delta-shaped sticky trap in capturing adult codling moth, Cydia pomonella L. Initial eld tests showed that both orange-and green-painted sex pheromone-baited traps caught more male codling moths than the unpainted white trap. An orange plastic trap caught a similar number of moths as the orange painted trap. The orange plastic trap caught signicantly more moths in eld tests than either a solid white plastic trap or a white plastic trap with an orange logo covering 25% of the surface of the trap. Trap color and light level (2.0 versus 6.0 lux) signicantly impacted the proportion of male moths contacting and subsequently caught in sex pheromone-baited traps in a ight tunnel. A signicantly higher proportion of moths ew directly into versus landing on the outside of orange than white traps. Capture of male moths ying into traps was reduced under the higher light level. Trap color did not inuence the catch of female codling moths in traps baited with a combination of sex pheromone and pear ester in eld tests or in traps baited with pear ester in the ight tunnel. The capture of female moths was reduced in the ight tunnel at the higher light level. We hypothesize that this effect of trap color on the capture of male codling moth is caused by both the lower overall reectance and the absence of reectance at wavelengths 560 nm in orange versus white traps.