Attractiveness and specificity of pheromone-baited traps for male dogwood borer, Synanthedon scitula Harris (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae)

Abstract

Captures of male dogwood borer, Synanthedon scitula (Harris), in traps baited with trinary and binary blends of the female sex pheromone components were compared with those in traps baited with the most effective commercially available lure in apple orchards in West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina. Traps baited with the trinary blend [88:6:6 vol:vol:vol (Z,Z)-3,13 octadecadienyl acetate (ODDA):(E,Z)-2,13-ODDA:(Z,E)-3,13-ODDA] and the binary blend [96:4 (Z,Z)-3,13-ODDA:(E,Z)-2,13-ODDA] captured significantly more male dogwood borers than traps baited with the best commercial lure. Although the trinary blend captured the most males, there was no significant difference in captures with the binary blend at all six field sites. Chemical analysis revealed that the commercial lure contained 91.5% (Z,Z)-3,13-ODDA, 7.3% (Z,E)-3,13-ODDA, and 1.2% (E,Z)-3,13-ODDA, a potent behavioral antagonist of dogwood borer. Species specificity of the trinary and binary blends was very high; >97% of all moths captured were dogwood borer compared with 6-74.4% for the commercial lure. Male dogwood borer showed a concentration-dependent response to traps baited with different source concentrations of the trinary blend at all locations and of the binary blend at most locations. Between 4 and 113 times more male dogwood borers were captured in traps baited with the trinary blend within commercial orchards than within adjacent woodland habitats.