Deployment of the sex pheromone of Pseudococcus calceolariae (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) as a potential new tool for mass trapping in citrus in South Australia

ABSTRACT Mealybugs damage a variety of crops worldwide, vectoring viruses and causing problems from sooty mould. The identification of the citrophilous mealybug (Pseudococcus calceolariae, CMB) female sex pheromone has created opportunities for its use as a pest management tool that could potentially result in a reduced reliance on insecticides. Mass trapping is a pest management technique that uses baited traps to decrease pest insect densities. To assess the efficacy of the P. calceolariae sex pheromone as a mass trapping tool, a field trial was conducted in citrus in South Australia. The vertical distribution of CMB within the citrus was examined. Male flight activity was monitored using red delta traps in the centre of six 1-ha ‘plots’, after which time half the plots had 306 tent traps containing synthetic CMB pheromone lures deployed (mass traps). Six weeks after the application of mass trapping we observed a 90% lower catch in treated plots compared to catches in control plots. There were strong spatial patterns in trap catch with the Edge to Centre ratio being 3.6:1. P. calceolariae male flight activity showed peaks in October and May. Mass trapping showed promise as an effective management technique for P. calceolariae. Challenges such as male multiple mating and mealybug airborne dispersal still need to be overcome before mass trapping can be used as a reliable management technique.