A rather specific and higly effective attractant for males of Epichoristodes acerbella (Walk.)

In investigations in Italy, the sex pheromone of the carnation pest Epichoristodes acerbella (Wlk.) was found to consist of a mixture of (Z)-11-tetradecenyl acetate (74.6%), (Z)-9-tetradecenyl acetate (10%), (Z)-9-tetradecen-1-ol (5.1%), (Z)-11-tetradecen-1-ol (5.1%) and tetradecyl acetate (5.2%). Sticky traps baited with 25 mu l of the mixture were found to be effective in greenhouses for monitoring populations of this species; they were more specific than the ultraviolet light-traps previously used to catch Lepidoptera infesting greenhouse carnations, although in the present experiments several of the pheromone traps caught males of other tortricids (notably Cacoecimorpha pronubana (Hb.)) as well as those of E. acerbella.