Monitoring codling moth Cydia pomonella L. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in Victorian pome fruit orchards with pear ester.

Sex pheromone mediated mating disruption (MD) is widely used to control codling moth 'Cydia pomonella' L. in Australian pome fruit orchards. The high concentrations of pheromone in MD treated orchards interferes with sex pheromone traps used for monitoring the pest. Ethyl ('E, Z')-2, 4-decadienoate (pear ester), a pear kairomone was investigated as an alternative to sex pheromone lures in sticky traps for monitoring of codling moth in apple (Granny Smith and Cripps Pink) and pear (European pear and nashi) orchards. In MD treated orchards, pear ester lures caught significantly more codling moths (both sexes combined) than did 10 mg sex pheromone lures. Pear ester lures caught on average three times more codling moth males than females in any of the four tested varieties at the same height under the same MD treatment (i.e. +/- MD). Both pear ester and 10 mg sex pheromone lures were more effective when placed higher in the tree canopy. Pear ester used for attraction and monitoring of codling moth males and especially females in pome fruit orchards has great potential to improve pest control. Use of pear ester lures in traps placed high in the tree canopy for monitoring of codling moth female activity in pome fruit orchards under MD is advocated.