Field trials with pheromone traps on major lepidopterous insect pests of five vegetable crops

Field trials were conducted in farmers’ fields at Rajanukunte, Bengaluru North and Narasapura, Kolar (Karnataka, South India) to test the efficacy of pheromone traps against five lepidopterous pests of vegetables during kharif and rabi, 2007. The red traps were the most effective in trapping male moths of Helicoverpa armigera (Hub.) (11.89 ± 7.99 moths/trap/week), Earias insulana (Boisd.) (4.39 ± 2.27 moths/trap/week) and diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella (Linn.) (13.23 ± 11.10 moths/trap/week). The red (19.68 ± 12.49 moths/trap/week) and pink (18.76 ± 11.60 moths/trap/week) traps were found to be on par in trapping the male moths of brinjal shoot and fruit borer (BSFB), Leucinodes orbonalis Guen. Yellow pheromone traps attracted maximum moths of Spodoptera litura Fab. (22.01 ± 14.61 moths/trap/week). However, differences in numbers of moths trapped were statistically non significant. When the most effective, red traps for five pest species were field tested at two locations, Rajanukunte and Narasapura for conformity, Narasapura recorded the maximum H. amzigera (7.88 ± 3.89 moths/trap/week) and S. litura moths (40.50 ± 16.78 moths/trap/week). Whereas E. insulana (4.28 ± 2.52 moths/trap/week) and DBM (12 ± 10.42 moths/trap/week) moths were recorded in higher number at Rajanukunte. The moth catches of BSFB were found to be on par at both the locations. Laboratory evaluation of lures placed in red, pink and yellow traps showed that lures in red traps were the most attractive to the male moths of the five pest species. The study concludes that beside other factors, trap colour also plays an important role in attracting moths of these five lepidopterous pest species.