Agricultural Research Service

April 25, 2000

The invention combines the compound 6-vinyl decanal with a natural insect sex pheromone to enhance attraction and control of insect pests such as the corn earworm, tobacco budworm and diamondback moth. The compound and sex pheromones from adult Lepidoptera females attracts insect pests that can devastate various agricultural commodities. An appropriate amount of the compound combined with the sex pheromone results in a synergistically effective composition that attracts target insects to a specific location at a statistically higher rate than by using the pheromone alone. The invention can be used to monitor insect populations over a given period of time and conditions to assist growers in application and frequency of insecticide. The synergistic combination can be incorporated into traps to control high insect populations using toxicant baits to lure and kill adult insect pests.

 

Marion S. Mayer Medical, Agricultural & Veterinary Entomology Center Gainesville, FL 32608 (352)374-5752 / Fax: (352) 374-5804	Everett R. Mitchell Medical, Agricultural & Veterinary Entomology Center Gainesville, FL 32608 (352)374-5710 / Fax: (352) 374-5804
Robert E. Doolittle (retired)

biocontrol, insecticide, organisms, pheromone, insects, Lepidoptera, biochemistry, pharmacology, trap, attractant, biotechnology, fruit, vegetable, cotton, corn