INFLUENCE OF VISUAL CUES AND ISOTHIOCYANATE LURES ON CAPTURE OF THE POLLEN BEETLE, Meligethes aeneus IN FIELD TRAPS

Abstract

The effect of trap design, trap color, and isothiocyanate (NCS) lures on the capture of the pollen beetle, Meligethes aeneus, was studied in field experiments. Unbaited yellow water and adhesive traps were equally attractive. A small sticky card trap with a yellow upper face, mounted at 45° to the vertical, was attractive throughout the year, but horizontal yellow cards were attractive only in spring, and vertical cards only in autumn. Yellow–green and white water traps were less attractive than yellow, while grass green, cream, and black were unattractive. M. aeneus was attracted equally to four alkanyl, three alkenyl, and to 2-phenylethyl isothiocyanate lures, when the release rates were in the range of 5–30 mg/day. Attraction to the most effective unbaited yellow traps was enhanced 1.7–3.3 times with the addition of a lure comprising a mixture of allyl, 3-butenyl, 4-pentenyl, and 2-phenylethyl NCS. Interactions were observed among the visual and odor cues. A yellow sticky card trap, baited with 2-phenylethyl NCS and mounted at 45° to the vertical, may be used throughout the year to monitor M. aeneus.