Publications - Faculty - Recently Submitted Faculty Publications 2008
<- Back
Stelinski - Journal of Applied Entomology
Season-long mating disruption of citrus leafminer, Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton, with an emulsified wax formulation of pheromone
L. L. Stelinski, S. L. Lapointe, and W. L. Meyer
Abstract. The citrus leafminer, Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), is a major worldwide pest of citrus production, which facilitates proliferation of citrus bacterial canker, Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri. Mating disruption has proven to be effective against this pest in previous small plot investigations. Herein, we describe a season-long disruption trial of P. citrella with a newly developed, flowable emulsified wax dispenser of pheromone (SPLAT-CLMTM). A formulation containing a 3:1 blend of (Z,Z,E)-7,11,13-hexadecatrienal:(Z,Z)-7,11-hexadecadienal at a 0.2% loading rate of AI by weight and deployed twice per season (24 wk total) at 490g of formulation/ha caused season-long disruption of male moth catch in pheromone traps as well as reduced leaf infestation. Analysis of pheromone release from dispensers by gas chromatography revealed that effective disruption of P. citrella occurred at a deployment rate of 126 μg of (Z,Z,E)-7,11,13-hexadecatrienal/ha per h. Direct observation of moth behavior in the field suggested that disruption by this formulation occurred by a non-competitive mechanism. A formulation of the 3:1 attractive blend at a 0.02% pheromone loading rate caused only 2-6 weeks of disruption per deployment and did not reduce leaf infestation during mid-season and final evaluations of leaf infestation. A formulation containing 0.2% of (Z,Z)-7,11-hexadecadienal alone and deployed at 490g/ha caused 6-7 wk of moth disruption to pheromone traps and did not prevent leaf infestation, while an identical formulation loaded with 0.02% (w/w) of (Z,Z)-7,11-hexadecadienal alone had no effect on P. citrella orientation to pheromone traps. The SPLAT formulation evaluated herein appears to be an excellent release device for (Z,Z,E)-7,11,13-hexadecatrienal given that approximately 100 d of steady release occurred following an initial brief (ca. 7 d) burst of higher release. The advantages of SPLAT as a formulation for P. citrella disruption include low cost of manufacturing, biodegradable and weather resistant characteristics, and flowability allowing machine application. Mating disruption should be an effective alternative to insecticides for management of P. citrella and may reduce the incidence of citrus canker.
