Pheromone trap
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A pheromone trap is a type of insect trap that uses pheromones to lure insects. Sex pheromones and aggregating pheromones are the most common types used. A pheromone-impregnated lure, as the red rubber septa in the picture, is encased in a conventional trap such as a bottle trap, Delta trap, water-pan trap, or funnel trap. Pheromone traps are used both to count insect populations by sampling, and to trap pests such as clothes moths to destroy them.
Sensitivity[]
Pheromone traps are very sensitive, meaning they attract insects present at very low densities. They are often used to detect presence of exotic pests, or for sampling, monitoring, or to determine the first appearance of a pest in an area. They can be used for legal control, and are used to monitor the success of the Boll Weevil Eradication Program and the spread of the gypsy moth. The high species-specificity of pheromone traps can also be an advantage, and they tend to be inexpensive and easy to implement.
However, it is impractical in most cases to completely remove or "trap out" pests using a pheromone trap. Some pheromone-based pest control methods have been successful, usually those designed to protect enclosed areas such as households or storage facilities. There has also been some success in mating disruption. In one form of mating disruption, males are attracted to a powder containing female attractant pheromones. The pheromones stick to the males' bodies, and when they fly off, the pheromones make them attractive to other males. It is hoped that if enough males chase other males instead of females, egg-laying will be severely impeded.[1]
Some difficulties surrounding pheromone traps include sensitivity to bad weather, their ability to attract pests from neighboring areas, and that they generally only attract adults, although it is the juveniles in many species that are pests.[2] They are also generally limited to one sex.
Targets[]
Though certainly not all insect pheromones have been discovered, many are known and many more are discovered every year. Some sites curate large lists of insect pheromones.[3] Pheromones are frequently used to monitor and control lepidopteran and coleopteran species, with many available commercially.[4] Pheromones are available for insects including:
- African bollworm
- African cotton leafworm
- Apple brown tortrix
- Apple clearwing moth
- Apple fruit moth
- Apple maggot
- Artichoke moth
- Asian beetle
- Asian corn borer moth
- Banana weevil
- Banded elm bark beetle
- Barred fruit-tree tortrix
- Beech tortrix moth
- Beet armyworm
- Bertha armyworm
- Black cutworm
- Blueberry maggot
- Bollworm
- Bright-line brown-eye or tomato moth
- Brown oak tortrix
- Cabbage leaf roller
- Cabbage looper moth
- Cabbage moth
- Carnation tortrix
- Carob moth
- Cherry-bark moth
- Cherry fruit fly
- Citrus cutworm
- Citrus flower moth
- Citrus leafmining moth
- Citrus mealybug
- Codling moth
- Corn earworm
- Corn stalk borer
- Cucumber moth
- Currant clearwing moth
- Cutworm
- Diamond back moth
- Douglas-fir tussock moth
- Durra stem borer
- Eastern cherry fruit fly
- Eggplant shoot and fruit borer
- Egyptian cotton leaf worm
- Engraver beetle
- European corn borer
- European goat moth
- European pine shoot moth
- European spruce bark beetle
- Eye-spotted bud moth
- Fall armyworm[5]
- False codling moth
- Fruit fly
- Fruit tree leaf roller
- Garden pebble
- Golden leaf roller
- Golden twin moth or groundnut semi-looper moth
- Grape moth or vine moth
- Green oak moth
- Grey tortrix
- Gypsy moth
- Hants moth
- Japanese beetle
- Jasmine moth[6]
- Large fruit tree tortrix
- Leche's twist moth
- Leek moth or onion moth
- Legume pod borer
- Leopard moth
- Lesser peach tree borer
- Marbled orchard tortrix
- Mediterranean fruit fly
- Melon fly
- Nun moth
- Olive fruit fly
- Olive moth
- Orange tortrix
- Oriental fruit fly
- Oriental fruit moth
- Pea moth
- Pear leaf blister moth
- Pine processionary moth
- Pine sawfly
- Pink bollworm
- Plum fruit moth
- Potato moth
- Potato tuber moth
- Queensland fruit fly
- Quince moth
- Red palm weevil
- Rhinoceros beetle
- Rice stem borer
- Rose tortrix
- San Jose scale
- Sesiidae (some)
- Silver Y moth
- Six-toothed bark beetle
- Spiny boll worm
- Spotted tentiform miner
- Straw coloured tortrix moth
- Summer fruit tortrix moth
- Tobacco budworm
- Tomato leaf miner
- Tomato looper
- Turnip moth
- Variegated golden tortrix
- Winter moth
- Xyloterus bark beetle
References[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pheromone insect traps. |
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- ^ "Pheromone Traps - Using Sex as Bait". www.thenakedscientists.com. 5 November 2008. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
- ^ R. Weinzierl, T. Henn, P. G. Koehler and C. L. Tucker (June 2005). "Insect Attractants and Traps, ENY 277". University of Florida. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.547.6340. Cite journal requires
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(help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "The Pherobase: Database of pheromones and semiochemicals". Retrieved 20 September 2019.
- ^ "Lures". ISCA Technologies. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
- ^ "F.A.W. PheroLure ®". Retrieved 20 September 2019.
- ^ "Pheromones". Retrieved 20 September 2019.
- Biological pest control
- Pest control techniques
- Insect ecology
- Entomology equipment
- Pest trapping
- Chemical ecology