Different Population Phenologies of Grapholita molesta (Busck) in Two Hosts and Two Nearby Regions in the NE of Spain

Abstract

Grapholita molesta is an important pest of stone and pome fruits. In commercial orchards, integrated pest management programs use pheromone traps to monitor the population dynamics of G. molesta and adjust treatments. Phenology models can be used to forecast the population phenology of pests and to help optimise the time point at which to spray the orchards with insecticides. In the present study, the adult population phenologies of G. molesta in two provinces of north-east Spain were studied, as well as their fit to the phenology model most used in both provinces. Weekly captures of adults in pheromone traps through the season were recorded over 5 y in a large number of commercial orchards, and these data were used to determine the number of generations of G. molesta in each province. The results show significant differences between provinces in the generation time, being 97 degree days (DD) shorter in the Lleida province than in the Girona province. In Girona province, four generations were registered, while five were detected in Lleida. As a result of the differences found, the phenology model was not able to predict precisely the population dynamics in the Girona province.