BIOASSAY OF SEX PHEROMONES IN THE ARMY CUTWORM, EUXOA AUXILIARIS; THE PALE WESTERN CUTWORM, AGROTIS ORTHOGONIA; AND THE EUXOA TRISTICULA (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE)

Abstract

AbstractEuxoa auxiliaris (Grote) females yielded the largest amount of extractable pheromone after they were stored at least 44 days at 10 °C and then 7 days at room temperature. The males would not respond to the pheromone until they were 28 to 37 days of age and their clearest responses were between 2 and 4 h of the dark cycle. Agrotis orthogonia Morrison females produced pheromone within 1 day after emergence and 2-day-old males responded to it between 5 and 7.5 h of the dark cycle when the olfactometer background light intensity was 0.35 lux. Female Euxoa tristicula Morrison produced pheromone 3 days after emergence and the males responded between 3 to 5 h of the dark cycle.