Visual cues and capture mechanisms associated with traps for plum curculio (Coleoptera: Curculiondae)

Abstract

The plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar (Herbst), is a serious pest of stone and pome fruit in eastern North America, but an effective trap-based approach for monitoring this pest has not yet been developed. Therefore, the effectiveness of visual cues provided by pyramid and branch-mimicking cylinder traps and capture mechanisms of standard and enhanced pyramid traps (black pyramid traps with white borders and two collection devices), screen traps, standard and enhanced branch-mimicking cylinder traps (capture mechanism located at the base of the trap), Lindgren funnel and Vernon beetle traps were evaluated in 2003-2004. Pyramid traps captured more adults than branch-mimicking cylinder traps, and the greatest captures were in black and green pyramid traps. Enhanced pyramid traps did not capture more plum curculios than standard black pyramid traps. Capture mechanisms of standard masonite pyramid and screen traps were the most effective with significantly greater captures than other trap types.