Submitted to: American Peanut Research and Education Society Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: April 15, 2005
Publication Date: December 15, 2005
Citation: Ni, X., Holbrook Jr, C.C. 2005. Using nutrient solutions to trap the almond moth (Lepidoptera: pyralidae) in a peanut shelling and storage facility [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Peanut Research and Education Society, July 11-15, 2005, Portsmouth, Virginia. 37:83. Interpretive Summary: not required.
Technical Abstract: The almond moth, Ephestia (Cadra) cautella (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is an important insect pest in agricultural product processing and storage facilities worldwide. The objective of this study was to evaluate various trapping strategies to control the almond moth in a peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) shelling and storage facility. The efficacy of water-based nutrient solutions as attractants was compared with commercially-available synthetic pheromone traps. The experiment was repeated four times. Eight treatments used in the experiment were: water, 10% honey, 10% beer, and 10% sucrose solutions, pheromone trap in water bucket, pheromone trap in the bucket without water, empty bucket, and hanging pheromone trap alone. The honey solution and pheromone trap in water bucket trapped the most number of moths among the eight treatments. The pheromone trap in a water bucket trapped significantly more moths than by the hanging pheromone trap alone. In addition, although the total number of moths caught by the honey solution and the pheromone trap in a water bucket was the same, a significantly higher number of females were caught by the honey solution than the pheromone trap in a water bucket. The experiment demonstrated that E. cautella adults preferred honey to water as attractants. Because the 10% honey solution alone trapped the same number of moths as the water buckets did, and 70% of the honey-trapped moths were females, we suggested that the diluted honey solutions could be used to design effective and economic traps for E. cautella control in storage facilities. The combination of pheromone traps with water-based nutrient solutions (e.g., diluted honey solution) would be a significant improvement for E. cautella population reduction and ultimately eradication in the stored product facilities.