User:Nonnymonster/Pheromone trap

A pheromone trap is a type of insect trap that uses pheromones to lure insects. Sex pheromones and aggregating pheromones are the most common types used. A pheromone-impregnated lure is encased in a conventional trap such as a Delta trap, water-pan trap, or funnel trap.

Pheromone traps are very sensitive, meaning they attract insects present at very low densities. They are often used to detect presence of exotic pests. The fact that they are highly species-specific can also be an advantage.

However, it is impractical in most cases to completely remove or "trap out" pests using a pheromone trap. Some pheromone-based pest control methods have been successful, particularly those involved in mating disruption. In one form of mating disruption, males are attracted to a powder containing female attractant pheromones. The pheromones stick to the males' bodies, and when they fly off, the pheromones make them attractive to other males. It is hoped that if enough males chase other males instead of females, egg-laying will be severely impeded.

Some difficulties surrounding pheromone traps include sensitivity to bad weather, their ability to attract pests from neighboring areas, and the fact that they generally only attract adults although it is the juveniles in many species that are pests.

Though certainly not all insect pheromones have been described, many are known and are commercially available. Some insects for which pheromones are available include:

Turnip Moth

Black cutworm

Summer Fruit Tortrix Moth

Leek Moth or Onion moth

Pear Twig Borers

Fruit Tree Leaf Roller

Brown Oak Tortrix Large fruit tree Tortrix

Rose Tortrix

Variegated Golden Tortrix

Apple Fruit Moth

Orange Tortrix

Melon fly or Cucumber fruit fly

Queensland Fruit Fly

Peach fruit fly

Mediterranean fruit fly

Hants Moths

Rice stem borer

Golden Twin Moth or Groundnut semi-looper Moth

Straw Coloured Tortrix Moth

Cabbage Leaf Roller

Grey Tortrix

Banana Weevil

European Goat Moth

Golden Leaf Roller

False Codling Moth

Beech Tortrix Moth

Plum Moth

Pea Moth

Codling Moth

Oriental fruit fly

Olive fruit fly

Cherry-bark Moth Quince moth

Spiny boll worm

Garden Pebble

Artichoke Moth

Oriental Fruit Moth

Marbled Orchard Tortrix

African bollworm

Corn Earworm

Tomato Moth or Bright-line brown-eye moth

Pear leaf blister moth

Grape Moth / Vine Moth

Cabbage Moth

Bertha Armyworm

Bright-line Brown-eyes Moth

Legume Pod borer

Baluchistan fruit fly

Date Palm fruit stalk borer

European Corn borer

Winter moth

Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix

Apple Brown Tortrix

Pink ballworm

Bollworm

Spotted Tentiform Miner

Diamond Back Moth

Tomato looper

Citrus Flower Moth

Olive moth

Leche’s Twist Moth

San Jose Scale

Red palm weevil

Durra stem borer

Corn stalk borer

Egyptian cotton leaf worm

Beet Armyworm

Eye-spotted Bud Moth

Apple clearwing moth

Lesser peach tree borer

Currant Clearwing Moth

Potato Moth

Cabbage looper Moth

Tomato Leaf Miner

Leopard Moth

Cutworm

Fruit fly

Siver Y moth

Potato tuber moth

Cherry fruit fly

Carnation Tortrix

Rhinoceros beetle

Dubas bug

Longhorn date stem borer

Sugar beet weevil

Spotted bollworm

Eye-spotted Bud Moth

Eggplant Shoot and Fruit Borer

Plum Fruit Moth

Eastern cherry fruit fly

Cumcumber Moth

Nun Moth

Gypsy Moth

Green Oak Moth

European spruce bark beetle

Douglas-fir tussock Moth

Citrus mealybug

Asian corn borer moth

Cirtrus leafmining moth

Citrus cutworm

Blueberry maggot

Apple Maggot

Banded elm bark beetle

Pine Processionary Moth

Six-toothed bark beetle

Engraver beetle

Pine sawfly

Northern bark beetle

Six-spined spruce bark beetle

Xyloterus bark beetle

Mediterranean pine engraver beetle

European Pine Shoot Moth

Carob Moth

Jasmine moth