Use of Food Attractant to Monitor and Forecast Population Dynamics of Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), a Long-Distance Migratory Pest

Abstract

The rice leaf folder, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis, is a significant migratory pest that restricts rice production in Asia and Africa, and monitoring and early warning measures are the basis for its management. Based on its regional migratory path in China, the pest population dynamics were monitored from 2020 to 2021 using food attractants. In this study, we also used internal reproductive system dissection to determine the adult age and reproductive developmental state. The monitoring results indicated that the trapping dynamics of C. medinalis males using food attractants and sex pheromones were approximately similar. Both trapping methods yielded C. medinalis males of different ages, with an identical age structure for both trap types. Dissection analysis of the reproductive system of females trapped using the food attractants indicated that in 2020, the population of C. medinalis in Liling, Hunan Province, was indigenous, while populations in other monitoring sites mainly comprised migrants from other areas. The ovarian development level of females trapped using food attractants showed a positive correlation with the age of males, and there was also a significant positive correlation between the index of ovarian development of females and the mating time. Furthermore, a dynamic prediction method for fecundity in field populations was established based on the quantity of eggs held by the females. This study provides a new method for the monitoring and early warning of the existence of C. medinalis populations.