Trapping of Greater Wax Moth With Sex Pheromone Blends Under Laboratory Conditions (Galleria mellonella L.)

The greater wax moth (GWM), Galleria mellonella L. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is a serious pest of Apis cerana. In the present study different binary blends of undecanal and nonanal in the per cent ratio of 95: 5, 90: 10, 85: 15, 80: 20, 60: 40, 50: 50, 30: 70, 20: 80 and10: 90 elicited response in female GWM, showed that one to four moths among 30 moths exhibited behavioural patterns such as stationary fanning, ambulation, ambulatory fanning, hovering, searching and circling. The 30: 70 blend elicited maximum response in female moths. The behavioural bioassay revealed that the moths of 3 to 5 days old showed maximum responses to the best binary blend of undecanal and nonanal (3: 7) at 7pm to 9pmwith more than 60 per cent moths exhibited pheromone specific behavioural patterns. The funnel trap with best blend of undecanal and nonanal at 3: 7 ratio was used for attracting female GWM. However, only few moth was able totrapped.