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Boyd A. Mori, Maya L. Evenden, Challenges of Mating Disruption Using Aerosol-Emitting Pheromone Puffers in Red Clover Seed Production Fields to Control Coleophora deauratella (Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae) , Environmental Entomology, Volume 44, Issue 1, February 2015, Pages 34–43, https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvu001
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Abstract
Sex pheromone-mediated mating disruption using pheromone puffer dispensers was evaluated to control Coleophora deauratella (Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae) at three red clover seed production fields in Alberta, Canada. The objectives of the study were to determine aspects of the biology of C . deauratella which may affect successful mating disruption, evaluate the ability of aerosol-emitting pheromone puffers to reduce male moth catch in small-plot trials, and evaluate the ability of puffers to reduce male capture in traps, larval numbers and damage in large-plot trials. The median longevity of male and female C. deauratella was 6 d in the laboratory where males emerged in larger numbers earlier than females (protandry). Male response to pheromone peaked at sunrise; thus, puffers were programmed to dispense pheromone throughout this time period. Small-plot (0.25 ha) mating disruption trials indicated that pheromone released from puffers could reduce male C. deauratella orientation to traps by 60.7 ± 18.6% compared with that in untreated control plots. Reduction of male orientation to traps in large-plot (5 ha) trials over the course of the season was also successful (93.7 ± 1.6%). However, there was no corresponding decrease in larval numbers or increase in seed yield in pheromone-treated plots. Challenges of mating disruption of C. deauratella appear to be immigration of mated females combined with high population densities.