Hostname: page-component-76d6cb85b7-mgxrv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-07-14T12:38:24.953Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The influence of moonlight and weather on catches of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in light and pheromone traps

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

D. R. Dent  and
C. S. Pawar
D. R. Dent
Affiliation:
Cleppa Park Field Research Station, University College, Cardiff, Coedkernew, Newport, NP1 9YT, UK
C. S. Pawar
Affiliation:
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, P.O. Andhra Pradesh, India 502 324
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Records of hourly trap catches of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) in a light trap and two pheromone traps in Andhra Pradesh, India, were used to assess the influence of moonlight and weather on trap performance. The environmental factors that were considered were mean hourly temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and maximum hourly percentage moon illuminance. The mean number of adults caught per hour reached a peak at 03.00 h in the light trap and at 02.00 h in one of the pheromone traps. The environmental factors were not sufficiently severe to produce any marked activity thresholds, although zero catches were recorded in the light and pheromone traps on occasions when the mean hourly temperature was 11°C. Despite there being obvious relationships between hourly light and pheromone trap catches with temperature, relative humidity and wind speed, it was not possible to determine whether these were causally related or merely coincidental relationships. Some of the observed relationships could not be explained in terms of known physiological or behavioural characteristics of the insect. It was evident that the light trap performance was influenced by the level of moon illuminance because this affected both the timing and size of the peak catch.

Information

Type
Original Article
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 78 , Issue 3 , September 1988 , pp. 365 - 377
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1988

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Austin, R. H., Phillips, B. F. & Webb, D. J. (1976). A method for calculating moonlight illuminance at the earth's surface.—J. appl. Ecol. 13, 741–748.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bowden, J. & Church, B. M. (1973). The influence of moonlight on catches of insects in light-traps in Africa. Part II. The effect of moon phase on light-trap catches.—Bull. ent. Res. 63, 129–142.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Callahan, P. S. (1965). Far infra-red emission and detection by night flying moths.—Nature, Lond. 207, 1172–1173.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Caro, J. H. (1982). The sensing, dispersion, and measurement of pheromone vapors in air.—pp. 145–158 in Kydonieus, A. F. & Beroza, M. (Eds). Insect suppression with controlled release pheromone systems. Vol.I.—274 pp. Boca Raton, Florida, CRC Press.Google Scholar
Carpenter, J. E., Sparks, A. N. & Harrell, E. A. (1981). Effect of temperature on wingbeat frequency and sustained flight of certain Lepidopteran insects.—J. Georgia entomol. Soc. 16, 451–457.Google Scholar
Lewis, T. & MaCaulay, E. D. M. (1976). Design and elevation of sex-attractant traps for pea moth, Cydia nigricana (Steph.) and the effect of plume shape on catches.—Ecol. Entomol. 1, 175–187.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lingren, P. D., Sparks, A. N., Raulston, J. R. & Wolf, W. W. (1978). Applications for nocturnal studies of insects.—Bull. ent. Soc. Am. 24, 206–212.Google Scholar
Lingren, P. D., Henneberry, T. J. & Bariola, L. A. (1980). Nocturnal behavior of adult cotton leafperforators in cotton.—Ann. ent. Soc. Am. 73, 44–48.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lingren, P. D., Sparks, A. N. & Raulston, J. R. (1982). The potential contribution of moth behavior research to Heliothis management.—pp. 39–47 in Reed, W. & Kumble, V. (Eds). Proceedings of the International Workshop on Heliothis Management, ICRISAT Center, Patancheru, India, 15–20 November 1981.—418 pp. Patancheru, A. P., India, ICRISAT.Google Scholar
Morton, R., Tuart, L. D. & Wardhaugh, K. G. (1981). The analysis and standardisation of light-trap catches of Heliothis armiger (Hübner) and H. punctiger Wallengren (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).—Bull. ent. Res. 71, 207–225.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nakamura, K. & Kawasaki, K. (1977). The active space of the Spodoptera litura (F.) sex pheromone and the pheromone component determining this space.—Appl. Entomol. & Zool. 12, 162–177.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nesbitt, B. F., Beevor, P. S., Hall, D. R. & Lester, R. (1980). (Z)-9-Hexadecanal: a minor component of the female sex pheromone of Heliothis armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera. Noctuidae).—Entomologia exp. appl. 27, 306–308.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pawar, C. S., Sithananthan, S., Sharma, H. C., Teneja, S. L., Amin, P. W., Leuschner, K. & Reed, W. (1984). Use and development of insect traps at ICRISAT.—pp. 133–151in Proceedings of the National Seminar on “Use of Traps in Vector Research and Control”. West Bengal, India 1984.Google Scholar
Persson, B. (1976). Influence of weather and nocturnal illumination on the activity and abundance of populations of Noctuids (Lepidoptera) in south coastal Queensland.—Bull. ent. Res. 66, 33–63.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sharma, R. K., Rice, R. E., Reynolds, H. T. & Shorey, H. H. (1971). Seasonal influence and effect of trap location on catches of pink bollworm males in sticky traps baited with Hexalure.—Ann. ent. Soc. Am. 64, 102–105.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Southwood, T. R. E. (1978). Ecological methods. With particular reference to the study of insect populations.—2nd edn, 524 pp. London, Chapman & Hall.Google Scholar
Swier, S. R., Rings, R. W. & Musick, G. J. (1976). Reproductive behavior of the black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon.—Ann. ent. Soc. Am. 69, 546–550.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylor, L. R. (1963). Analysis of the effect of temperature on insects in flight.—J. Anim. Ecol. 32, 99–117.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tingle, F. C. & Mitchell, E. R. (1975). Capture of Spodoptera frugiperda and S. exigua in pheromone traps.—J. econ. Ent. 68, 613–615.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vaishampayan, S. M. & Verma, R. (1982). Influence of moon light and lunar periodicity on the light trap catches of gram pod-borer, Heliothis armigera (Hubner) moths.—Indian J. Ent. 44, 206–212.Google Scholar
Wall, C. & Perry, J. N. (1980). Effects of spacing and trap number on interactions between pea moth pheromone traps.—Entomologia exp. appl. 28, 313–321.CrossRefGoogle Scholar