New tools to monitor Scaphoideus titanus, the main vector of phytoplasmas associated with Flavescence dorée in vineyards

Abstract

The current approach to pest monitoring in vineyards relies on deploying chromotropic or pitfall traps baited with pheromones and lures, which attract insects that are identified and counted by a human operator during many field visits. In particular, insects belonging the suborder Auchenorrhyncha (Hemiptera) are monitored with yellow sticky traps that should be replaced every 1 or 2 weeks during the growing season. In this study, we tested two types of electronic traps to monitor Scaphoideus titanus Ball (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), the main vector of phytoplasmas associated with Flavescence dorée in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L., Vitaceae). The results showed that the Trapview prototype trap design allowed for the catch of individuals throughout the summer sampling period, enabling pest detection and identification through photographs taken by the system, which were sent to an online repository, with efficacy comparable of those of commercially available yellow sticky traps.