Mating Disruption in European Vineyards

Abstract

The tortricids Lobesia botrana and Eupoecilia ambiguella are the most important pests of European vineyards. Larvae feed on the grape berries, reducing their yield and rendering them susceptible to gray mold, Botrytis cinerea. Generally, two generations are observed, but in Lobesia botrana under favorable conditions there may be even three or four (Bovey 1979; Hillebrand et al. 1990). The two species coexist over a wide area; E. ambiguella, with a requirement for high humidity, is absent from the dry regions of the South, while L. botrana, which needs a warmer climate, has rarely been reported from the cooler regions of the North. The local importance of the two species has recently been monitored in Austria (Höbaus 1988). Another tortricid, Argyrotaenia pulchellana, occasionally causes damage similar to the species mentioned, while Sparganothis pilleriana, a leaf feeder, was a devastating pest during the last century and has retained local importance in warm climates.