Attractiveness of semiochemicals to green lacewings for biological control in pome fruit

Robert T. Curtiss

Laboratory experiments to determine the attraction of green lacewings to pome fruit semiochemicals were conducted by Y-tube olfactometer and flight chamber assays. In Y-tube assays tested odors included pear psylla, pear psylla honeydew, washed pear psylla-damaged leaves, undamaged leaves, mechanically-damaged leaves, pear psylla honeydew + undamaged leaves, pear psylla + undamaged leaves, pear psylla-damaged leaves + pear psylla, and pear psylla + undamaged leaves + honeydew. Pear psylla-damaged pear leaves with pear psylla present were found to be significantly attractive to lacewings, but other tested odor and odor combinations were not attractive. In the flight chamber, no odors tested (pear branches infested with pear psylla, apple branches, pear psylla, wintergreen oil, methyl salicylate, and squalene) were found to be more attractive to lacewings than filtered air. Field experiments to determine green lacewing attraction to methyl salicylate in pear, apple, and surrounding sagebrush steppe were conducted in Orondo, Entiat, and Wenatchee, WA. Three sites were established, each included 10ha apple, pear, and sagebrush plots. Each plot had five methyl salicylate-baited and five unbaited yellow sticky traps, which were monitored weekly for green lacewing capture. Methyl salicylate in the three habitat types was variable in its attraction to green lacewing species. Methyl salicylate was significantly attractive to Chrysopa nigricornis in pear, apple, and sagebrush, Chrysoperla plorabunda in pear, and Chrysopa coloradensis in sagebrush. Field evaluations of the attractiveness of five lure types (control, methyl salicylate in glass vials, methyl salicylate in controlled release lures, squalene in glass vials, and a combination of squalene in glass and methyl salicylate in glass) to green lacewings was conducted in pear and sagebrush in Peshastin, WA. Three experimental sites each contained pear and sagebrush plots with five yellow sticky traps baited with each lure type per plot. Chrysopa nigricornis was found to be significantly more attracted to squalene than to methyl salicylate and control lures in both habitats, and combination treatments were more attractive than both lure types individually. In sagebrush, methyl salicylate was found to be significantly more attractive to C. coloradensis than other lures.

Attractiveness of semiochemicals to green lacewings for biological control in pome fruit

Files and links (1)

Abstract

Metrics

Details