IMPROVEMENT OF STORED PRODUCT INSECT MONITORING AND MATING DISRUPTION PROGRAMS

There are two broad objectives to this research project. The first is to improve the monitoring of stored product insects in food facilities through the improvement of trap designs and attractants. This represents a continuation of previous collaborative research and if focused primarily on improving the capture of major pest species such as the red flour beetle, cigarette beetle, and warehouse beetle. New food-based attractants (kairomones) hold considerable promise to improve trap effectiveness, but require careful behavioral evaluation to determine their potential. Adhesives used in traps also have an important role and it is necessary to evaluate effectiveness at capturing insects, but also how insects respond behaviorally to encountering the adhesives. The second objective is the development and evaluation of mating disruption systems for stored-product pest insects. The specific objectives are to evaluate the effectiveness of currently available mating disruption programs ¿ both using field data and detailed behavioral evaluations of insect response to high pheromone concentration - and to determine the feasibility of developing a mating disruption program to manage warehouse beetle populations. The benefit for ARS and the cooperator will be improved monitoring and pest management tools for the food industry that will contribute to reducing the risk of infestation of food while reducing the use of insecticides. This fits the mission of ARS and CRIS project objectives and provides the cooperator with the information needed to develop effective commercial products.