Population Fluctuations of the Pistachio Twig Borer, Kermania pistaciella Amsl (Lep.: Oinophylidae) using Delta Pheromone Trap

Pistachio twig borer, Kermania pistaciella Amsl (Lep.: Oinophylidae) is an important pest of pistachio trees in Iran. It has a univoltine life-cycle and its larvae tunnel and feeds inside one and two years ’old pistachio twigs for almost 10 months each year. Larval feeding inside the twig causes severe economic damage by fruit drop, twig weakening, and death. Population fluctuations of adult insects of pistachio twig borer, K. pistaciella were studied using delta pheromone trap and sampling from 2016–2017 in Kashan pistachio orchards. Delta type traps baited with sex pheromones provided from Pherobank Company of Netherland were hung in pistachio orchards (Akbari variety) at 20 lures per one hectare and the number of captured male insects was counted every three days. Kermania pistaciella males have begun to attract the traps from 18^th March and 8^th April in the first and second year, respectively and this trend continued to 31^st April and 4^th May and flight period of about 42 days in the first year and the second year that lasted 27 days. Based on the results, first, peak and end of each catch insects occurred on 18 March, 8–21 April and 31 April in the first year and on 8 March, 23–26 April and 4 May in the second year, respectively. There was a positive correlation between the average daily temperature and the number of K. pistaciella moths captured in pheromone traps. It seems different because of the weather conditions of these orchards was different in two consecutive years.