Disruption of sexual communication of oriental beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) with a microencapsulated formulation of sex pheromone components in blueberries and ornamental nurseries

The feasibility of disrupting sexual communication in oriental beetle, Exomala orientalis (Waterhouse) with a microencapsulated sprayable formulation of (Z)- and (E)-7-tetradecen-2-one, the major and minor pheromone components, respectively, was evaluated in blueberries and ornamental nurseries during 1998 and 1999 seasons in southern New Jersey. In 1998, pheromone-baited traps captured significantly fewer male beetles in blueberries, treated with a 9:1 blend of (Z)- and (E)-7-tetradecen-2-one at 100 g (AI)/ha of the major component, or in nurseries treated with (Z) -7-tetradecen-2-one alone at the same rate, compared with trap captures in untreated control plots. The percentage of reduction in trap captures (disruption index) in plots treated with the blend in blueberries was comparable to reductions in trap captures in nurseries (97 versus 92%) treated with the major component alone. During 1999, pheromone trap captures in blueberry and nursery plots treated with a 93:7 blend of (Z) - and (E) -7-tetradecen-2-one at 37.5 g (AI)/ha of the major component were on an average 92 and 82% lower compared with trap captures in untreated control plots, respectively. Significantly fewer tethered virgin female oriental beetles were found in copula/contact with males in treated blueberry fields relative to those deployed in untreated control plots. These results suggest that communication disruption is a promising strategy to manage oriental beetle populations in blueberries and ornamental nurseries. This is the first study to document the feasibility of disrupting sexual communication in a soil-dwelling coleopteran with applications of sex pheromone components to the soil.