Control of the oriental fruit moth, Cydia molesta (Busek) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), at a district level by mating disruption with synthetic female pheromone

Abstract

AbstractMating disruption of Cydia molesta (Busck) was attempted by treating, with pheromone, all orchards in a small but discrete peach-growing district in New South Wales for two successive years. In the final year of the trial, two former control orchards were also treated with pheromone. The efficacy of the treatment was examined by monitoring fruit and shoot damage, male captures in pheromone traps, captures of both sexes in feeding lures, mated status of wild females and numbers of immature stages in trap bands. It was concluded that mating disruption was a viable alternative to conventional insecticides.