Comparative evaluation of pheromone activity for the European spruce bark beetle Ips typographus (L.) (Coleoptera, Scolytidae) and methods of their application

Abstract

Comparative assessment of attractiveness of different pheromone products is presented and the possibility of using pheromone-baited sticky traps for identification of the pest foci and monitoring of its abundance is considered. The test variants showed high selectivity in the territory of the Tsarskoye Selo open-air museum. Pheromone with the addition of a-pinene and limonene was more effective when using barrier traps. During the season, 2636 beetles were captured in standard traps, 2431 beetles, in standard traps with the addition of a-pinene, and 2469 beetles, in standard traps with the same components and limonene. Comparison of the barrier and sticky traps showed the same tendency in the pest population dynamics revealed by the two types of traps (correlation coefficient 0.8862). The use of additional components increased the duration of pheromone activity. Thus, improvement of the component composition of pheromones and the types of traps is required for using them as tools to monitor the European spruce bark beetle abundance and assess the risk of damage to trees.