Relationship of Within-tree Placement of the Pheromone Trap to Codling Moth 1 Catches

Abstract

Choice of pheromone trap location within the tree canopy has a significant effect on catches of the codling moth, Laspeyresia pomonella (L.). Trap elevation is the most important factor, followed by tree quadrant and placement relative to the periphery of the crown region. Along a vertical gradient, response was confined to traps within the canopy and catches increased with trap elevation. The effect of the trap position in the various tree quadrants on catch was of a lesser magnitude than trap elevation and generally less consistent. Overall, traps in the N quadrant caught ca. 30% less than in the other cardinal positions. Response to traps at the periphery of the crown region was not significantly higher than to traps near the center of the tree. Based on these findings, new guidelines for within-tree placement of pheromone traps are proposed. In addition, implications of this research for the direct control of the codling moth with pheromones using the male removal or the mating disruption technique are discussed.