Attractiveness of year-old polyethylene Isonet sex pheromone dispensers for Lobesia botrana

In this study, we have compared the release of sex pheromone from mating disruption dispensers exposed in the field for 12 months and from calling females. The main pheromone component of the grapevine moth,Lobesia botrana (D. and S.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), is (E)-7,(Z)-9-dodecadienyl acetate, and a minor component is (Z)-9-dodecenyl acetate. Aged dispensers from two different years emitted a much higher amount of both pheromone components than calling females. However, the summer temperature during field exposure influenced the release from mating disruption dispensers the following year. In the wind tunnel, male L. botrana were equally attracted to 12-month, field-exposed dispensers, a standard monitoring pheromone lure, and to synthetic (E)-7,(Z)-9-dodecadienyl acetate sprayed at the rate of 0.6–60 ng h-1. Field trapping tests confirmed that aged dispensers from both years were at least as attractive to L. botrana males as a standard monitoring pheromone lure. The possible contribution of previously applied dispensers to the mating disruption efficacy during following applications is discussed.