MONITORING CODLING MOTH IN FOUR PEAR CULTIVARS WITH THE PEAR ESTER

The pear ester, ethyl (2E,4Z)-2,4-decadienoate can be an effective attractant for codling moth, Cydia pomonella, in pear orchards treated with sex pheromones. Differences in the attractiveness of the pear ester relative to a sex pheromone lure were found within pear cultivars. The pear ester outperformed high-load sex pheromone lures in ‘Bartlett’, ‘D’Anjou’, and ‘Comice’ but not in ‘Bosc’ orchards. The pear ester lure performed poorly in ‘Bartlett’ orchards with high levels of codling moth, > 20 moths per trap per season and occurrence of fruit injury. In general, the pear ester lure caught significantly more males than female moths. More than 70% of females captured in traps baited with the pear ester were mated.