A Comparative Assessment of the Response of Two Species of Cucumber Beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) to Visual and Olfactory Cues and Prospects for Mass Trapping.

ABSTRACT

Spotted (Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardii) and striped (Acalymma vittatum) cucumber beetles (Coleoptera Chrysomelidae) are serious pests of field-grown cucurbits in most areas of the United States where these crops are grown. This study aimed at quantifying, using a comparative approach, the behavioral response of A. vittatum and D. u. howardii to visual and olfactory cues associated with different trap types. In a first field study, Pherocon corn rootworm (CRW) traps baited with a 5-component floral-based lure (= AgBio lure) captured significantly more A. vittatum than traps baited with any other commercial lure. When used in combination with yellow sticky cards, the AgBio lure outperformed the other lures except for the Trécé lure TRE8274. Subsequent tests revealed that the response of both cucumber beetle species to the AgBio lure was positively associated with increases in the amount of lure used. In the last series of tests that involved color discrimination by the beetles, traps constructed using 3.8-liter jugs painted yellow outperformed the CRW trap. Results from on-farm research, conducted at a commercial vegetable farm, confirmed the beetles' visual preference for yellow, and also revealed an excellent performance of the mass trapping system, which kept cucumber beetle densities in the cash crop below economic thresholds. Combined findings indicate that the mass trapping system developed can be implemented as part of a broader IPM program aimed at managing cucumber beetles.