Sex Attractant Pheromone of the Turnip Moth, Agrotis segetum DENIS et SCHIFFERMÜLLER (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): Seasonal Prevalence Obtained by Synthetic Sex Pheromone Traps

Abstract

The efficiency of the synthetic sex pheromone trap for Agrotis segetum was evaluated and compared with that of a light trap for forecasting at 7 stations in Japan. The pheromone trap caught 1.3-32 times more males and gave a more distinct fluctuation pattern of trap catches than the light trap throughout the flight seasons. The fluctuation pattern of the sex pheromone trap did not always correspond to that of the light trap because the light trap did not always catch a sufficient number of males to give rise to a distinct fluctuation pattern. Trapping efficiency of sex pheromone trap was found to fluctuate during a season, i.e. it was at a high level in spring and autumn, and at a low level in summer.