Integrated monitoring of Lobesia botrana using LED traps and allelochemicals in pheromone-disrupted vineyards

Abstract

Sex pheromone-based mating disruption (MD) is used to manage the European grapevine moth (EGVM), Lobesia botrana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), in vineyards of Europe and South America. Monitoring of EGVM with sex pheromone lures under MD is difficult and alternative methods to track this pest are needed. A lure comprised of 2-phenyl ethanol and acetic acid (2-PET/AA) is attractive for EGVM but has not been tested under MD nor in combination with light emitting diodes (LEDs) enhancing moths catch. Traps baited with the 2-PET/AA lure with or without LEDs emitting three different peak wavelengths (UV-A, blue, and green) were compared with traps baited with a sex pheromone lure. Experiments were performed in vineyards under MD in both Chile and Spain. Traps with 2-PET/AA with LEDs caught significantly more total moths than traps with sex pheromone lures from late season in Chile. The addition of the UV-A LED significantly increased EGVM catches from the 2-PET/AA lure alone from mid to late season in Chile and Spain. The addition of the UV-A LED with the 2-PET/AA lure outperformed both the blue and green LEDs for females and total moths from late season in Chile and Spain. The proportions of female EGVM mated were not different between treatments, but were variable among trials and increased seasonally. Catches of some groups of non-targets (other lepidopterans and dipterans) increased with the use of the UV-A LED and were on average much greater than of EGVM, but did not prevent the higher catches of EGVM with this treatment.