Sex pheromone of cranberry fruitworm,Acrobasis vaccinii riley (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Blueberry IPM: Past Successes and Future Challenges

Blueberry is a crop native to North America with expanding production and consumption worldwide. In the historical regions of production, integrated pest management (IPM) programs have been developed and provided effective control of key insect pests. These have integrated monitoring programs with physical, cultural, biological, behavioral, and chemical controls to meet the intense demands of consumers and modern food systems. Globalization of the blueberry industry has resulted in new pest-crop associations and the introduction of invasive pests into existing and new blueberry-growing areas. Invasive pests-in particular spotted wing drosophila-have been highly disruptive to traditional IPM programs, resulting in increased use of insecticides and the potential to disrupt beneficial insects. Moreover, regulatory agencies have reduced the number of broad-spectrum insecticides available to growers while facilitating registration and adoption of reduced-risk insecticides that have a narrower spectrum of activity. Despite these new tools, increasing international trade has constrained insecticide use because of maximum residue limits, which are often not standardized across countries. Great potential remains for biological, behavioral, cultural, and physical methods to contribute to blueberry IPM, and with more regions investing in blueberry research, we expect regionally relevant IPM programs to develop in the new production regions.

Multi-Species Mating Disruption in Cranberries (Ericales: Ericaceae): Early Evidence Using a Flowable Emulsion

Pheromone-based mating disruption has proven to be a powerful pest management tactic in many cropping systems. However, in the cranberry system, a viable mating disruption program does not yet exist. There are commercially available pheromones for several of the major pests of cranberries, including the cranberry fruitworm, Acrobasis vaccinii Riley (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and blackheaded fireworm, Rhopobota naevana (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Previous studies have shown that mating disruption represents a promising approach for R. naevana management although carrier and delivery technologies have remained unresolved. The present study examined the suitability of Specialized Pheromone & Lure Application Technology (SPLAT; ISCA Technologies, Inc., Riverside, CA), a proprietary wax and oil blend, to serve as a pheromone carrier in the cranberry system. In 2013 and 2014, we tested a blend of pheromones targeting A. vaccinii and R. naevana in field-scale, replicated trials. Pheromones were loaded into SPLAT and the resulting "SPLAT BFW CFW" formulation was deployed in commercial cranberry marshes. We compared moth trap-catch counts within SPLAT-treated blocks to those of conventionally managed blocks. In 2013, applications of SPLAT BFW CFW resulted in highly successful disruption of R. naevana and promising, though inconsistent, disruption of A. vaccinii. To improve disruption of A. vaccinii, the pheromone load was increased in 2014, providing 92% and 74% reductions in trap-catch for R. naevana and A. vaccinii, respectively. Importantly, larval infestation rates in SPLAT-treated blocks were lower than those of conventionally managed blocks. These results suggest that a multispecies mating disruption system (SPLAT BFW CFW) may represent an effective pesticide-alternative for serious pests of cranberries.

Identification of conjugated pentadecadienals as sex pheromone components of the sphingid moth, Dolbina tancrei

Homologs of bombykal, (10E,12Z)-10,12-hexadecadienal, have been reported to be sex pheromones or sexual attractants of several species of sphingid moths. In this study, we identified novel bombykal analogs as sex pheromone components from a Japanese sphingid moth, Dolbina tancrei. Staudinger (Sphingidae: Lepidoptera). Sex pheromone gland extracts from calling female moths were subjected to gas chromatography/electroantennograhic detection (GC/EAD), gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), and gas chromatography (GC) analyses. GC/EAD analyses showed two active components in the crude pheromone extracts. GC/MS analysis determined these two components to be pentadecadienals. GC/MS of their MTAD derivatives showed conjugated double bonds at the 9- and 11-positions, indicating 9,11-pentadecadienals. The isomeric configurations of these candidates were determined by comparison of their Kováts retention indices with those of synthetic compounds. Field bioassays with the four isomers of 9,11-pentadecadienal and their mixtures confirmed that the two sex pheromone components of D. tancrei are (9E,11Z)-9,11-pentadecadienal and (9Z,11Z)-9,11-pentadecadienal, with the highest male catches observed for a 90:10 blend. This is the first report of 9,11-pentadecadienals as sex pheromone components in lepidopteran species.

Sex pheromone components of the pear fruit moth, Acrobasis pyrivorella (Matsumura)

We analyzed the sex pheromone of the pear fruit moth, Acrobasis pyrivorella, by means of gas chromatography-electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) and GC-mass spectrometry. Two EAD-active compounds were detected in the pheromone gland extract of females. They were identified as (Z)-9-pentadecenyl acetate (Z9-15:OAc) and pentadecyl acetate (15:OAc). The amounts per female gland (mean +/- standard error) of these compounds were 12.9 +/- 2.8 and 0.8 +/- 0.1 ng, respectively. Synthetic Z9-15:OAc (300 microg) attracted conspecific males in field trapping experiments. When 15:OAc (21 microg; 7% of Z9-15:OAc quantity) was added, the number of males trapped increased significantly. Catch in traps baited with the mixture of these compounds was greater than that in traps baited with 1-3-day-old virgin females. We, therefore, conclude that Z9-15:OAc and 15:OAc are sex pheromone components of this species.

Sex attractant pheromone of the pecan nut casebearer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

A female-produced sex pheromone for the pecan nut casebearer, Acrobasis nuxvorella Neunzig, has been identified from pheromone gland extracts of calling female moths. The compound (9E,11Z)-hexadecadienal [(9E,11Z)-16:Ald] was identified by coupled GC-EAD and retention time matches with a synthetic standard on four capillary GC columns of different polarities. Corroboration of the identification of (9E,11Z)-16:Ald by other analytical chemistry methods was not possible due to the minute quantities of pheromone extracted (< 1 picogram/female). In field studies, gray rubber septa impregnated with 100 micrograms of synthetic (9E,11Z)-16:Ald were attractive to male moths, whereas higher and lower doses were less attractive. The homologous (9E,11Z)-15:Ald was also slightly attractive while the more highly conjugated analogues, (9E,11Z,13Z)- and (9E,11Z,13E)-16:Ald, were not.