Attraction of thrips by salt forms of alkyl nicotinates and isonicotinates

Abstract

Methyl and ethyl esters of nicotinic and isonicotinic acids are effective attractants for catching thrips. The salt forms of nicotinic and isonicotinic acid esters dissociate in air and gradually secrete an attractant. The use of salt forms of alkyl nicotinates or isonicotinates as thrips attractants has not been previously described. The efficiency of catching Western flower thrips in the closed ground on cucumber crops and aster flowers on blue sticky traps with dispensers containing salts of hydrochloric, phosphoric, citric and trifluoroacetic acids with methyl nicotinate was investigated. It was found that the use of dispensers with salt forms of methylnicotinate increased the catch of Western flower thrips by 1.8–2.3 times during 1 month. Dispensers with citrates of ethyl and methyl esters of nicotinic and isonicotinic acids increased the catch of thrips by 1.7–2.2 times.