Attraction to Smelly Food in Birds: Insectivorous Birds Discriminate between the Pheromones of Their Prey and Those of Non-Prey Insects

Natural selection has favored the evolution of different capabilities that allow animals to obtain food—e.g., the development of senses for improving prey/food detection. Among these senses, chemical sense is possibly the most ancient mechanism used by organisms for environmental assessment. Comparative studies suggest the prime role of foraging ecology in the evolution of the olfactory apparatus of vertebrates, including birds. Here, we review empirical studies that have shown birds’ abilities to detect prey/food via olfaction and report the results of a study aiming to analyze the specificity of eavesdropping on prey pheromones in insectivorous birds. In a field study, we placed artificial larvae and a dispenser with one of three treatments—prey (Operopthera brumata) pheromones, non-prey (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) pheromones, or a control unscented dispenser—on the branches of Pyrenean oak trees (Quercus pyrenaica). We then measured the predation rate of birds on artificial larvae. Our results show that more trees had larvae with signs of avian predation when they contained a prey pheromone dispenser than when they contained a non-prey pheromone dispenser or an unscented dispenser. Our results indicate that insectivorous birds can discriminate between the pheromones emitted by their prey and those emitted by non-prey insects and that they only exhibit attraction to prey pheromones. These results highlight the potential use of insectivorous birds in the biological control of insect pests.

Role of Pheromone Application Technology for the Management of Codling Moth in High Altitude and Cold Arid Region of Ladakh

The codling moth is a threat to the apple industries in India. Currently, no solutions are available for the management of codling moth in Ladakh. Therefore, all fresh fruits from Ladakh are still banned due to quarantine regulations. Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh are the three main apple producing states of India, both in quality and quantity. The ban on all fresh fruits from Ladakh directly affects the economy of rural populations. These fruits are sold in all the local markets of Kargil and Leh. Apples damaged by the larvae of codling moth are less preferred by inhabitants, tourists, and security forces, a large area of Ladakh is bordered with China and Pakistan. Field demonstration trials revealed significantly less fruit damage in apple orchards in different hamlets of Ladakh using pheromone dispensers, pheromone baited traps, and two applications of insecticides for codling moth management. A demonstration of the use of pheromone and pheromone dispenser technology for area-wide management for high dense populations of the codling moth in Ladakh has revealed successful results in the orchards of the apple growers. Area-wide management of the codling moth in some villages, using dispenser technology has shown promising results. The ban of fresh fruits in Ladakh may not be, therefore, appropriate as management of the codling moth appears to be successful with the use of pheromone dispenser technology. This technology will, surely, boost the apple industry and have a great potential for establishing commercial orchards and quality apples in high altitudes in the second-highest cold arid region of the world.

Development of a pheromone preparation for the detection and monitoring of boxwood moth Cydalima perspectalis Walker

The results of field tests of different variants of synthetic pheromone blends and pheromone dispenser developed by the Department of synthesis and application of pheromones of the FSFI " All-Russia Plant Quarantine Center" for identification and monitoring boxwood moth is a dangerous invasive pest of boxwood in the Republic of the Crimea; the optimal material of the pheromone’s carrier is determined, the effective ratio and dosage are proposed.

The influence of evaporated pheromone upon the trapping of the spruce bark beetle – Ips typographus (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) – Short communication

This article examines the relative efficacy of releasing a larger pheromone plume volume and the relative efficacy of the number of pheromone dispensers within baited traps in trapping the spruce bark beetle. Pheromone plume is released from a standard pheromone dispenser, and a higher volume of pheromone was provided by an increased number of pheromone dispensers. A field trial with 30 pheromone baited traps was conducted in 2013 that used three dispenser variants over ten replications. Ten traps were baited with one pheromone dispenser, ten with two dispensers and ten with three dispensers. The pheromone dispensers were placed according to EPPO standard PP1/152(4) in a fully randomized design. The highest trapping was achieved by the variant using three pheromone dispensers, and the lowest trapping was achieved by the two pheromone dispenser variant. There was no statistically significant difference between the three variants. The results suggest that the efficacy of pheromone traps cannot be increased solely through an increase in the number of pheromone dispensers.

Multiple species mating disruption of leafrollers in cherries in Central Otago

Mating disruption for leafrollers has been conducted on a commercial scale using a single multispecies pheromone dispenser on contiguous blocks of cherries in Central Otago for 4 years Pheromone trap and packhouse results were collected from isolated untreated (654 ha) and pheromonetreated cherry orchard areas (764 ha) in the Cromwell district In untreated cherry orchards catches of light brown apple moth (Epiphyas postvittana) were exceptionally high (38 males/trap/day) with lower catches of Planotortrix octo (025 males/ trap/day) Catches of both species were strongly disrupted in the treated areas reducing E postvittana to 00036 moths/trap/day and P octo to nil Trap catches of both species have increased steadily over 5 years (2008/09 to 20012/13) in blocks not using mating disruption Packhouse results showed that all of the fruit inspected from both treated and untreated areas were free of leafroller infestations in 2012/13 Insecticide use in the pheromonetreated areas was reduced by one application compared with the areas without pheromone

First record of click Beetle Agriotes lineatus (Linneaus ) (Coleoptera : Elateridae )In the middle of Iraq

Trials were carried out in the middle of Iraq ( 3 different sites ) during 2009 to detecation and determined the seasonal occurrence of Agriotes lineatus L. Three YATOR funnel traps were used in each of these sites which baited with the specific pheromone of A. lineatus from the first of March to the end of October in the College of Agriculture - Abu- Ghraib / Provenance of Baghdad and AL-Nile / Provenance of Babylon , while in AL-Radhwania was used through May- June. Pheromone dispenser were changed every 6 weeks in each of these traps . Males of A. lineatus were found in all of the three sites , and the total number capture were 208 , 897 and 57 male / 3 traps / season in College of Agriculture , AL-Nile and AL-Radhwania respectively . This is the first record of this species in Iraq . Seasonal occurrence was lasted from mid of April to mid of July with peak population in the end of May in college of Agriculture, while lasted from April to first of July with peak population at the first of June in AL-Nile site. The high population density of Males in AL-Nile site indicate the economic important of A. lineatus in this site on many crops epically on Potato crop .