Selected pomegranate and guava varieties were evaluated through choice/no-choice laboratory bioassays, to study the feeding preference of fruit sucking moth, Eudocillla (Othreis) lIlatema (L.). Results clearly showed that pomegranate was less preferred and ripe guava fruits were highly preferred by the moth. Field survey conducted in pomegranate and guava orchards (adjacent to each other) during 2003–04. also revealed more damage in guava orchards (30.77–30.91%) and zero damage in pomegranate orchards showing strong preference of fruit sucking moth for guava fruits. Thus, moth's high preference for guava can be exploited for devising trap crop strategies to minimize ti'llit sucking moth damage in conm1ercial pomegranate growing areas, where the huit sucking moth problem is endemic. The scope and practicality of this concept are discussed.
Fruit sucking moth, Eudocima materna (L), Pomegranate, Punica granatum L., guava, Psidium guajava L., trap crop
