2023 article
Optimization of 13-tetradecenyl acetate sex pheromone for trapping Melanotus communis (Coleoptera: Elateridae)
Schoeppner, E., Millar, J. G., Kuhar, T. P., Doughty, H., Cherry, R. H., Hall, G., … Huseth, A. S. (2023, May 19). JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY.
author keywords: click beetle; sex attractant; monitoring; sex pheromone; corn wireworm; trapping
MeSH headings : Animals; Coleoptera; Sex Attractants / pharmacology; Pheromones / pharmacology; Larva; Acetates; Insect Control / methods
TL;DR:
It was shown that 1 m elevated pheromone traps caught the most beetles, and the age of the lure prior to deployment had a significant effect on trap catch, as well as large variation in M. communis abundance across the 4 states.
(via Semantic Scholar)
UN Sustainable Development Goal Categories
2. Zero Hunger
(Web of Science)
Source: Web Of Science
Added: May 30, 2023
Abstract Corn wireworm, Melanotus communis Gyllenhal (Coleoptera: Elateridae), is an economically important larval pest of root and tuber crops in the United States. Previous work to estimate field-level abundance of M. communis has focused on grain-based larval baits placed in soil. However, this sampling method is labor intensive and may not estimate population size accurately. Recent discovery of the M. communis sex pheromone, 13-tetradecenyl acetate, provides a new method to monitor this pest during the adult stage. Early studies with this pheromone showed that different trapping methods might enhance catch and improve trap servicing. We hypothesized that placing lures on elevated traps would increase M. communis capture relative to the in-ground pitfall trapping that is currently used. We had 2 objectives for this study: (a) to compare pheromone captures among in-ground pitfall traps, on-ground pitfalls, elevated pitfalls (1 m), or elevated sticky cards (1 m) and (b) test lure longevity by aging the lures outdoors at 8-, 6-, 4-, 2-, and 0-wk intervals prior to trap deployment in the field. Experiments were conducted in North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina, and Florida during the 2021 and 2022 field seasons. Results highlight large variation in M. communis abundance across the 4 states. We showed that 1 m elevated pheromone traps caught the most beetles. The age of the lure prior to deployment had a significant effect on trap catch. The lures that were aged for fewer weeks attracted significantly more beetles, with 0- and 2-wk-old lures capturing the greatest numbers.