Four New Jersey electric insect traps, each with a different colored tungsten lamp, 

 served as mosquito samplers and were hung from a rotary trap stand. For most species 

 of mosquitoes, a blue lamp was found to be most attractive, with a yellow lamp less 

 attractive than the blue lamp and equal to or more attractive than a white lamp. These 

 workers put forth the hypothesis that "the ultimate parts of lamp radiation end by blending 

 with a certain blend being selectively attractive. Hence, perception is not confined to 

 some narrow energy spectrum." 



Taylor and Deay (18)' conducted field wavelength tests in 1947. Sources emitting 

 energy in five regions of the spectrum were used. The sources were a 8-watt germicidal 

 lamp peaking at 253.7 mfi, a 100-watt mercury vapor lamp with filters so that the only 

 emission was in the near ultraviolet range with a peak output at a wavelength of 365.4 

 mfi, a 100-watt mercury vapor lamp filtered to emit wavelengths in the vicinity of 435.7 

 m/i , a 100-watt mercury vapor lamp radiating through the principal mercury lines from 

 313.1 to 578 m/j., and a 15-watt fluorescent lamp peaking at 525 mjU. These sources were 

 mounted in special collection traps so that insects which were attracted could be killed 

 by cyanide gas. Primary emphasis was on catches of the European corn borer moth and 

 it was found that the near ultraviolet source peaking at 365.4 mu was the most effective 

 attractant. Next, in order of decreasing effectiveness, was the bluish white (313.1 to 

 578 m/i), the blue (435.7 m/j), and the far ultraviolet (253.7 mju), and the green fluorescent 

 lamp (525 m/i). The authors indicated that no measurements were made of energy outputs 

 of these sources and that differences in energy levels could have accounted for some of 

 the differences in effectiveness. 



Glick and Hollingsworth (7) established that mercury vapor and blacklight fluorescent 

 lamps were highly attractive to moths of the pink bollworm. These lamps radiate strongly 

 in the near ultraviolet range of the spectrum. Further studies on the attraction of pink 

 bollworm moths (9) verified the attractiveness of lamps radiating in the near ultraviolet 

 region. Low wattage near ultraviolet sources (2- watt argon glow lamps) were found to be 

 nearly as attractive to pink bollworm moths as the higher wattage near ultraviolet lamps, 

 but much less attractive to insects in general. These findings provided the basis for the 

 design of special argon lamp electric insect traps for pink bollworm survey work. 



Survey of the literature in this field fails to reveal information on any field wavelength 

 studies with narrow wave band energy of equal physical intensities. Work of this nature 

 was undertaken at College Station, Tex., in 1957 and 1958. 7 Special traps were designed 

 for use with narrow band filters and provision was made for equalizing energy outputs 

 by adjusting the filament voltage on special coiled filament tungsten lamps. Two trap 

 designs were utilized, but neither design provided insect catches of sufficient magnitude 

 for analysis of results. No reasonable explanation for the poor performance of these 

 traps is obvious. Low intensity levels were thought to be a contributing factor but 

 photometric measurements showed that at 365 m^i, for instance, the output was con- 

 siderably higher than that obtained from 2-watt argon lamps. Single lamps of this type 

 were quite effective attractants when operated at the same locations. 



LABORATORY STUDIES 



Laboratory investigations involving measurements of group motor responses as 

 criteria for determining wavelength response characteristics of insects have been con- 

 ducted by several workers and by a number of different methods. 



Taylor and Deay (19) conducted laboratory studies on the response of the European 

 corn borer moth. In these tests, one or more fluorescent lamps were placed at one end 

 of a cylinder 15 feet long and 24 inches in diameter. A standard or check source was 



7 Hollingsworth, J. P. Annual Summary Reports for 1957 and 1958. Unpublished; (On file Farm Electrification Research Branch, 

 Agricultural Engineering Research Division, Agricultural Research Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Plant Industry Station, 

 Beltsville, Md.) 



12 



