title: A kairomone based attract-and-kill system effective against alfalfa looper (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).
abstract: A chemical lure derived from flowers that are visited by moths attracts male and female alfalfa loopers, Autographa californica (Speyer) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). This feeding attractant is dispensed from polypropylene bottles that provide controlled release for several weeks. A killing station was tested in the laboratory, in a screenhouse, and in the field in combination with this lure as an "attract-and-kill" system. Starved alfalfa looper adults (moths) were strongly attracted to the attract-and-kill station in a flight tunnel, and 90.9% of female moths and 87.6% of male moths that contacted the station died. In commercial fields of alfalfa hay, female moths captured in monitoring traps were reduced by 80-93% in plots receiving 125 attract-and-kill stations per hectare. In screenhouse trials using two attract-and-kill stations per screenhouse, oviposition on potted lettuce plants by starved female alfalfa looper moths was reduced by 98.5%. Moths were less likely to be attracted to lures when provided sugar before flight tunnel assays, and oviposition by fed moths was much less affected by attract-and-kill stations in screenhouse trials, compared with starved moths. This method has potential as a means to manage alfalfa looper populations in vegetable and other agricultural crops. However, consideration must be given to competing food and odor sources in the field.
authors.affiliation: USDA-ARS, 5230 Konnowac Pass Road, Wapato, WA 98951, USA.
authors.forename: Leonardo de A
authors.initials: Lde A
authors.lastname: Camelo
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Landolt
authors.forename: Richard S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Zack
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007300:Insect Control / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D007306:Insecticides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009036:Moths; D010058:Oviposition / Q000187:drug effects; D010675:Pheromones / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides; D010675:Pheromones