Moth trap

Abstract: Light trapping is a common method for collecting flying insects, particularly Lepidoptera. Many trap designs are employed for this purpose and it is therefore important to know how they differ in their sampling of the flying insect fauna. Here we compare three Robinson-type trap designs, each of which employs a 125W mercury vapour bulb. The first uses a standard bulb; the second uses the same bulb with the addition of a Pyrex beaker, often deployed to prevent bulbs from cracking in the rain, and the third uses a bulb coated with a substance that absorbs visible wavelengths of light (also known as a black light). The black light trap caught fewer moths than either of the other traps, and had lower macromoth species richness and diversity than the standard + beaker trap. This lower species richness could be accounted for by the smaller number of moths caught by the black light trap. Furthermore the black light caught a different composition of both species and families to the other two trap types. Electromagnetic spectra of the three trap types showed the black light trap lacked peaks in the visible spectrum present in both of the other traps. We therefore conclude that the addition of a beaker to a Robinsontype trap does not make catches incomparable, but use of a black light does. These differences are probably due to lower total emission of radiation in the black light trap, thus catching fewer moths overall, and the lack of visible radiation produced, meaning that moths most sensitive to visible wavelengths are not attracted.

Abstract: Studies were conducted to develop a pheromone-trap monitoring system for sweetpotato weevil, Cylas formicarius (Fabricius), in the southern United States. Effects of trap type and pheromone dose on weevil collections in traps baited with synthetic sex pheromone were studied in four states: Florida, Texas, North Carolina, and Louisiana. A plastic funnel trap and the Universal moth trap (Uni-trap) were more efficacious at collecting C. formicarius males than a screen-cone boll weevil trap. More weevils were consistently caught in the former two trap types than in the latter trap when trap counts were high (average > 60 weevils per trap per night for both the Uni-trap and the plastic funnel trap) than when trap counts were low (average < 60 weevils per trap per night). The plastic funnel trap was more efficient (72.8%) than the Uni-trap (58.0%) at capturing marked male weevils released at the base of the traps; however, these traps were equally effective at preventing adults from escaping (2% escape) and were superior to the screen-cone boll weevil trap (43% escape). Trap counts increased (although not consistently significantly) with an increase in pheromone dose between 1 microgram and 1 mg. The importance of these data for monitoring C. formicarius in the southern United States and the Caribbean basin is discussed.

Abstract: The Universal Moth Trap (Unitrap) caught more male Mexican rice borers, Eoreuma loftini (Dyar), than 13 other trap types. Traps placed 5 m within sugarcane fields captured significantly more male Mexican rice borers than traps at the edge of the field or 5 m outside the field. Traps at the edge of the field captured significantly more insects than traps placed 5 m outside the field. There were no significant differences in trap captures when Unitraps were placed 5 m inside the field at heights of 46, 102, or 158 cm aboveground, but captures were less in traps placed 214 cm aboveground. With Pherocon IC traps placed 5 m inside the field, there were no significant differences in trap captures of male Mexican rice borers at any of the four heights.