Testing mating disruption of the horse chestnut leafminer Cameraria ohridella (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) in field tents

摘要

Since the beginning of the invasion of the horse chestnut leafminer, Cameraria ohridella Deschka and Dimic 1986 (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), into Europe over 20 years ago the damage to white flowering horse chestnut trees, Aesculus hippocastanum L (Sapindales: Hippocastanaceae) has remained extensive. This study evaluates the possible use of pheromone mating disruption as a control option against the horse chestnut leafminer. The heterogeneous distribution of ornamental trees in parks and gardens requires a different approach to evaluate pest control than in homogeneous crop fields, orchards or plantations where mating disruption is usually applied. For this reason we set up field experiments with host trees of the same age and size in field tents with a defined number of leafminers in two different densities. In the first experiment the effective quantity of newly developed C. ohridella pheromone dispensers was tested by recapturing males using traps baited with virgin females. Ninety-five percent less males were captured if three or more dispensers were positioned at a 4 m radius around the outside of an experimental tent. This set up was then used in the second experiment where male and female leafminers were released into field tents in order to assess the effect of pheromone on the reduction of leaf mining damage. Surprisingly, the pheromone dispensers were found to have no effect on the number of leaf mines at either low or high leafminer densities. Mating sites of the horse chestnut leafminer, multiple matings and distribution of pheromone dispenser are discussed as possible factors influencing the outcome in this study.