Thursday, August 5, 2010
Exhibit Hall A, David L Lawrence Convention Center
Gadi V.P. Reddy, Western Pacific Tropical Research Center, University of Guam, Mangilao, Guam
Background/Question/Methods Trapping systems for insects are important components in integrated pest management programs. Traps for banana root borer Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) have relied primarily on chemical cues while our recent results indicated that these borer pests have also relied primarily on visual cues. Our previous studies have demonstrated the different efficiencies of various trapping methods of C. sordidus. In the present study, the ground traps with different colors was evaluated in Guam for its capture efficiency of this weevil. The weevil’s response to pheromone-baited ground traps of several different colors (individual colors or a 50:50 mixture of two different colors) were compared to the standard mahogany brown traps.
Results/Conclusions
Mahogany brown ground traps were shown to be more effective than the other colors. Mixed-colored traps did not influence the trap catches. The mahogany brown colored traps placed close to banana trees in the field caught significantly higher catches than the traps placed elsewhere in the field. By exploiting these results, it may be possible to produce efficacious trapping systems that could be used in a behavioral approach to banana root borer control. As a final outcome, we expect this technology to be widely transferred within the islands in the Pacific and other parts of the tropical world.
