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Responses of Adult Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) to Light and Combinations of Attractants and Light

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Abstract

Responses of adult Indianmeal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) to light alone and to a combination of attractant(s) and green/UV lights were studied. When P. interpunctella adults were given a choice between dark areas and areas illuminated with UV, green, or white light, they rested preferentially on surfaces in the illuminated areas. UV light elicited the strongest of the positive phototactic responses. Light traps were not as effective as traps baited with pheromones or food lures in capturing adult moths, and combining green or UV light with these attractants did not significantly increase the trap catches. Gravid females required a period of darkness to realize maximum oviposition, and illumination above 8 lx during the scotophase of a 24-hr light–dark cycle inhibited oviposition.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Drs. Tom Royer and Rizana Mahroof for reviewing an earlier draft of this manuscript. We are grateful to Dr. Mark Payton, Department of Statistics, Oklahoma State University, for his helpful suggestions regarding data analyses. Randy Beeby helped during conduct of experiments in the metal sheds. This work was funded by a grant from the USDA-CSREES Risk Avoidance and Mitigation Program, and was approved for publication by the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station.

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  1. Thomas W. Phillips

    Present address: Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, 123 W. Waters Hall, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Oklahoma State University, 127 Noble Research Center, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA

    Kishan R. Sambaraju & Thomas W. Phillips

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  1. Kishan R. Sambaraju
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  2. Thomas W. Phillips
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Correspondence to Kishan R. Sambaraju.

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Sambaraju, K.R., Phillips, T.W. Responses of Adult Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) to Light and Combinations of Attractants and Light. J Insect Behav 21, 422–439 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-008-9140-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-008-9140-5

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