Using Odor-baited Traps to Capture Im- 

 migrating Plum Curculios 



Jaime Pinero, Ronald Prokopy, and Starker Wright 

 Department of Entomology, University of Massachusetts 



To determine extent and timing of plum curculio (PC) 

 immigration from woods (overwintering sites) into apple or- 

 chards, we have focused in recent years on the development 

 of different types of unbaited ( 1 997- 1998) and baited (1999) 

 traps. We have found that black pyramid traps (mimicking 

 tree trunks) and clear Plexiglas panels (for capture of flying 

 PCs) baited with some components of the odor of unripe 

 plum or apple fruit may hold considerable potential as de- 

 vices for monitoring immigrating PCs. 



Here, we present findings of a 2000 study aimed at de- 

 temiining the response of PCs to these two trap types baited 

 with the most attractive synthetic fruit volatiles evaluated in 

 previous years (each in combination with grandisoic acid, a 

 synthetic male-produced pheromone that is attractive to 

 adults of either sex) or pheromone alone. 



Materials & Methods 



The study was performed in an unsprayed section of a 

 commercial apple orchard at the University of Massachu- 

 setts Horticultural Research Center (Belchertown, MA). We 

 evaluated two trap types: (a) clear Plexiglas panels (2x2 

 feet) coated with Tangletrap on the woods-facing side and 

 attached vertically to a wooden post (5.5 feet) secured in 

 the ground (Figure 1 ), and (b) black pyramid traps (24 inches 

 wide at base x 48 inches tall) capped with an inverted screen 

 funnel (boll weevil trap top). Our purpose in deploying these 

 two types of traps was to capture adults immigrating from 



woods by flight (panel traps) or crawling (pyramid traps), 

 as PC adults may exhibit either flight or crawling as means 

 of displacement during orchard colonization (depending 

 largely upon weather conditions). 



Each trap was baited with one dispenser containing 

 pheromone and one of the following six synthetic fruit 



TT 



Pheromone 

 dispenser 



Clear Plexiglas 

 ~^ sticky panel 

 (2 by 2 ft) 



5.5 ft 



Wooden post 



Figure 1 Schematic illustration of a baited panel trap. 



e 15 



u. 



■»*• 





 .J 

 < 

 H 

 O 

 f- 

 b 

 O 

 i- 

 Z 



u 

 u 

 o: 

 w 



12 - 



9 - 



3 - 



MID 



(n= .16) 



PANEL TRAPS 



PYRAMID TRAPS 



TEMPERATLRE (°C) 



\/\ /' \ ^/i 



LATE 



(11=85) 



\ 



'\ 



— — /' 



\ 



\ 



= =f--^^^l^^-- 



.y^- 



/' 



\^/\ 



25 



20 



c- 



Z 



SAMPLING DATC 



Figure 2. Percent of seasonal total numberofadult PCs captured per day by baited panel and pyramid traps. Mean 

 temperature at study site is Iso shown. 



42 



Fruit Notes, Volume 65, 2000 



