Field Evaluation of Agrotis ipsilon (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Pheromone Blends and Their Application to Monitoring Moth Populations in China

The attractiveness of a series of mixtures of (Z)-7-dodecenyl acetate (Z7-12: Ac), (Z)-9-tetradecenyl acetate (Z9-14: Ac), and (Z)-11-hexadecenyl acetate (Z11-16: Ac), the Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) pheromone, were evaluated in four locations in China. The ternary blend of Z7-12: Ac, Z9-14: Ac, and Z11-16: Ac was the complete pheromone blend for A. ipsilon and the ratio of Z7-12: Ac and Z9-14: Ac was optimal at 3: 1. The most attractive ratio of Z11-16: Ac to the other components depended on geographic location. The optimal ratio was 3: 1: 6 in Yunnan and Shanxi, 3: 1: 2 in Sichuan and ranged from 3: 1: 2 to 3: 1: 12 in Shanghai, which differs significantly from the ratio of 3: 1: 16 in Japan. The dose of the blend in the pheromone lure influenced attractiveness to male moths and was related to the temperature in the test locations. Attractiveness of sugar-acetic acid-baited and pheromone-baited traps to male and female moths was different before and after the start of flowering of the oilseed rape crop; large numbers of female moths were attracted to sugar-acetic acid traps before flowering but none after flowering had started. This was similar for male moths and there was no synergistic effect when sugar-acetic acid solutions and pheromone were used together. These studies suggest that pheromone trapping based on the blends of three components can be an effective tool to improve the efficiency of monitoring of this pest in China.