EVALUATION OF FIELD AND LABORATORY RESPONSES OF MALE XANTHOPIMPLA PREDATOR TO SYNTHETIC PHEROMONE LURES

Mating disruption by an artificial release of synthetic female pheromone components like Tetradecyl acetate (A), Ethyl (Z)-9-hexadecenoate (B) and a mixture of these two at different concentrations is a feasible method to control Xanthopimpla predator. Male Xanthopimpla predator was evaluated for responses to these synthetic pheromone components in a laboratory wind tunnel and in Terminalia arjuna field. Septa loaded with different concentrations (0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 mg) of Tetradecyl acetate (A), Ethyl (Z)-9-hexadecenoate (B), A and B blend in 1:1 ratio (C) has disrupted the male Xanthopimpla predator orientation in the wind tunnel and blend with 1.0 mg had shown more attraction towards Xanthopimpla predator. Mating disruption efficacy in tasar field was evaluated in first, second and third crops with 16 traps in each crop. In all crops, 5 traps baited with pheromone loads of 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 mg of Tetradecyl acetate, 5 traps with Ethyl (Z)-9-hexadecenoate and 5traps with a blend of both in 1:1 ratio. One blank control trap without any type of solvent is used in all three crops. Traps baited with a blend of 1.0 mg concentration caught more males than Tetradecyl acetate (A) and Ethyl (Z)-9-hexadecenoate (B). The infestation rate is least in the cocoons reared on Terminalia plantation with traps baited with A and B blend (1.0 mg) followed by Ethyl (Z)-9-hexadecenoate (B) traps, Tetradecyl acetate (A) traps and control traps.