Simultaneous mating disruption of two moth pests of the vineyard (Lobesia botrana and Cryptoblabes gnidiella) through a biodegradable sex pheromone dispenser.

Lobesia botrana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) and Cryptoblabes gnidiella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) represent a threat to wine production in Mediterranean countries. In recent years, the development of new formulations promoted the spread of pheromone-based mating disruption (MD) as an effective tool for the management of several insect pests in different agricultural contexts. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of an experimental dispenser designed for simultaneous MD of these two pests.

Sex Pheromone Aerosol Emitters for Mating Disruption in Italian Vineyards.

Despite the great amount of information on the European Grapevine Moth (EGVM), (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), and the effective strategies available for its management, this moth remains the main key pest damaging grapevines in the Mediterranean and Central Europe wine-growing areas. Synthesizing and manipulating its sex pheromone components fostered the development of new dispensers to boost the effectiveness and sustainability of mating disruption (MD) programs. Recent MD research has highlighted that the effectiveness of aerosol emitters is comparable to that of passive dispensers when applied in large, uniform sites such as Spanish vineyards.

Mating Disruption for Managing the Honeydew Moth, (Millière), in Mediterranean Vineyards.

The demand for a reduced use of pesticides in agriculture requires the development of specific strategies for managing arthropod pests. Among eco-friendly pest control tools, pheromone-based mating disruption (MD) is promising for controlling several key insect pests of economic importance, including many lepidopteran species. In our study, we evaluated an MD approach for managing the honeydew moth (HM), , an emerging threat for the grapevine in the Mediterranean basin.

Managing the vine mealybug, Planococcus ficus, through pheromone-mediated mating disruption.

The vine mealybug (VMB), Planococcus ficus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), is a key insect pest of vineyards. While pheromone-based mating disruption (MD) has been successfully tested against a wide range of insect pests, knowledge about its efficacy against key mealybug species, such as P. ficus, is scarce.

Influence of mating disruption on the reproductive biology of the vine mealybug, Planococcus ficus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), under field conditions.

Background: Although mating disruption is increasingly being used to control the worldwide grapevine pest vine mealybug, Planococcus ficus (Signoret) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), its mode of action remains unclear. A 3-year field experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of mating disruption on the development and reproduction of the vine mealybug. The influence of mating disruption applied over consecutive years on the pest population density was also evaluated.

Eco-friendly pheromone dispensers-a green route to manage the European grapevine moth?

The development of environmentally sustainable control strategies to fight insect pests is a key challenge nowadays. Pheromone-mediated mating disruption (MD) is based on the release of synthetic sex attractants into a crop, interfering with mate finding of a given pest species. However, a limited number of research items have been published on the optimization of MD strategies against the European grapevine moth, Lobesia botrana, as well as on the use of biodegradable dispensers to reduce waste production in vineyards, despite the high economic importance of this pest.