Mating Disruption of Oriental Beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in Turfgrass Using Microencapsulated Formulations of Sex Pheromone Components

Abstract

Abstract The feasibility of mating disruption in the oriental beetle, Anomala orientalis Waterhouse, with microencapsulated sprayable formulations of (Z)-7-tetradecen-2-one, the major sex pheromone component, was evaluated in turfgrass areas. The effect of the applications was measured by monitoring male A. orientalis captures in pheromone-baited traps throughout the flight period and estimating A. orientalis larval densities in September in soil/sod samples. Trap captures were 90–100% lower in the treated areas during the first 7–10 d after treatment, but started to increase thereafter. Therefore, applications were repeated after 14 d in most treatments. The formulation tested in 2002 and 2003 reduced trap captures by 87–88% with two applications of each 12.5 or 50 g pheromone/ha but only by 74% by a single application of 75 g pheromone/ha. Reductions of A. orientalis larval populations by 68–74% were not significant because of very high variability of larval densities in the nontreated areas. Two differ...