A little bit on the side - the failure of mating disruption to control 'Helicoverpa armigera' (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in tomato and capsicum crops

Abstract

Synthetic sex pheromones have been used in pest management as monitoring tools, and as control agents for mass-trapping, attract-and-kill lures, and as mating-disruption agents. Lepidopteran sex pheromones are produced by female moths to attract males. When sex pheromones are used as control agents they act to prevent mating by either attracting and killing male moths, or by preventing males from locating virgin females in the field. Mating disruption involves permeating areas with sex pheromone, so that males are no longer able to locate virgin females. Successful mating disruption requires a good understanding of the ecology of the target species. A full-scale trial of mating disruption for 'H. armigera' found that the dispersal and reproductive behaviour of this species make it an unsuitable target for mating disruption as a single method of control.