title: Field evaluation of synthetic sex pheromone traps for the cocoa mirid Sahlbergella singularis (Hemiptera: Miridae).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Field trapping experiments were conducted to evaluate the attractiveness of five different pheromone blends as well as the impact of trap design on attractiveness towards cocoa mirids, Sahlbergella singularis Hagl. and Distantiella theobroma (Dist.), in Cameroon.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 361 adults of S. singularis (359 males and two females) were caught. The highest numbers of mirids were found in traps with pheromone blends that combined a monoester and a diester, compared with traps with the diester or the monoester individually and control traps with no pheromone. Rectangular traps caught significantly more mirids compared with delta traps. The mean number of 5.1 mirids trap⁻¹ year⁻¹ caught in rectangular traps was significantly higher compared with the 1.8 mirids trap⁻¹ year⁻¹ for the delta traps.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data revealed that rectangular traps containing pheromone blends combining both the monoester and the diester have a good potential to lure and trap adult males of S. singularis on cocoa farms. The pheromone blends used were specific for S. singularis, and the use of pheromone traps appears to be a promising strategy for incorporation into integrated pest management strategies for the monitoring or even the control of S. singularis in cocoa plantations.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Sciences, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon. raymondmahob@gmail.com
authors.forename: Raymond J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Mahob
authors.forename: Régis
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Babin
authors.forename: Gerben M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: ten Hoopen
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dibog
authors.lastname: Yede
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Charles F Bilong
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Bilong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002099:Cacao / Q000469:parasitology*; D002163:Cameroon; D005260:Female; D006430:Hemiptera / Q000502:physiology*; D007300:Insect Control / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D012724:Sex Attractants
chemical_list: D012724:Sex Attractants