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24 pages, 1518 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Association Between Soil Sampling and Bait Traps in Wireworm Monitoring: A Methodological and Statistical Approach

by Lorenzo Furlan, Giancarlo Bourlot, Annalisa Turchi, Valerio Snichelotto, Maddalena Cappello Fusaro and Stefano Bona

Insects 2026, 17(4), 419; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17040419 - 15 Apr 2026

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Abstract

The key to implementing IPM of wireworms effectively is to associate feasible, reliable and affordable sampling methods with well-defined damage thresholds. As wireworms live underground, they cannot be observed directly, thus estimating population levels can be challenging. Soil sampling to ascertain larval density [...] Read more.

The key to implementing IPM of wireworms effectively is to associate feasible, reliable and affordable sampling methods with well-defined damage thresholds. As wireworms live underground, they cannot be observed directly, thus estimating population levels can be challenging. Soil sampling to ascertain larval density is very time-consuming, and although the use of bait traps is much more time-effective, it is unclear how wireworm numbers in bait traps are associated with wireworm density. The work described herein was conducted between 1993 and 1999 in two regions of Northern Italy: Veneto and Piedmont. The experimental protocol involved placing soil bait traps in a 15–30 m × 10 m grid in selected cultivated fields and taking a soil sample 3 m from the location of each bait trap. The number of monitoring points ranged from 12 to 48 per site. Both trap contents and soil cores were put in funnels to dry out, forcing the wireworms to move and fall into a vial, according to the Berlese method. A moderate association was found between the number of wireworms (Agriotes brevis, A. sordidus and A. ustulatus) caught by the bait traps and by soil sampling, indicating a potential for reciprocal estimation between methods. In other words, the number of bait-trap catches can be estimated by soil sampling (e.g., when bait traps cannot be used due to low temperatures or when growing plants cover a field) and vice versa. The potential of bait traps for catching wireworms was shown to be 5 to 25 times higher than the potential of soil sampling. The threshold values for soil samples, which were derived from the original bait-trap values, range between 15 and 20 larvae/m². Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optimizing Insect Trap Systems: Advances in Lures, Dispensers, and Field Performance)

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12 pages, 1562 KB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Bait Attractiveness for Vespa orientalis and Vespa crabro (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in Urban and Apiary Environment of Campania Region (Italy)

by Martano Manuela, Power Karen, Montagnaro Serena, Esposito Marco, D’Emilio Claudia and Maiolino Paola

Insects 2026, 17(4), 368; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17040368 - 31 Mar 2026

Viewed by 432

Abstract

Vespa orientalis is an emerging pest in southern Italy, with increasing impacts on bees in apiculture and urban environments. This study assessed the attractiveness of three bait types—beer, canned peaches, and commercial fish-based cat food—used in transparent plastic bottle traps deployed in apiary [...] Read more.

Vespa orientalis is an emerging pest in southern Italy, with increasing impacts on bees in apiculture and urban environments. This study assessed the attractiveness of three bait types—beer, canned peaches, and commercial fish-based cat food—used in transparent plastic bottle traps deployed in apiary and urban sites across the Campania region. Trapping was conducted from September to October in 15 apiaries and 10 urban areas. A total of 419 hornets (V. orientalis and V. crabro) were collected. V. crabro showed a strong preference for beer-baited traps, whereas V. orientalis did not exhibit significant bait preferences, although most captures occurred in protein-baited traps. Species composition differed between environments, with V. orientalis more prevalent in urban sites. Overall, low capture rates of V. orientalis despite high presence in apiaries suggest that conventional attractant-based trapping is poorly suited for this species, highlighting the need for behaviour-based monitoring tools. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optimizing Insect Trap Systems: Advances in Lures, Dispensers, and Field Performance)

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20 pages, 333 KB

Open AccessArticle

Optimizing UV-A Solar-Powered Lights to Enhance Lures for Codling Moth, Cydia pomonella L. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

by Alan Lee Knight and Esteban Basoalto

Insects 2026, 17(4), 354; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17040354 - 24 Mar 2026

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Abstract

Field trials were conducted to define several parameters associated with adding LEDs to monitoring traps for codling moth (CM), Cydia pomonella (L.), using both a sex pheromone lure (PH1X) and a non-pheromone lure (CM4K). Traps with LEDs emitting at a peak of 395 [...] Read more.

Field trials were conducted to define several parameters associated with adding LEDs to monitoring traps for codling moth (CM), Cydia pomonella (L.), using both a sex pheromone lure (PH1X) and a non-pheromone lure (CM4K). Traps with LEDs emitting at a peak of 395 nm with 1000–2000 mW/m² were the most effective. Lights with greater intensities caught similar numbers of CMs and significantly more non-targets. Adding the UV-A lights did not increase moth catches early in the season with either the PH1X or CM4K lures. However, UV-A LEDs, when used with these two lures, significantly increased total moth catches 7- and 3-fold in July and August, respectively. The addition of the UV-A LEDs allowed CM4K-baited traps to perform significantly better in previously limiting situations, such as in weedy orchards, and in pear relative to apple. Distance from the light source is a key factor affecting light energy. Irradiance dropped >90% at 15 cm, which is the distance from the lure to the entrance of a standard delta trap. A smaller trap (7.5 cm radius) had a 4-fold greater irradiance at its entrance and caught greater numbers of non-targets but not CMs than delta traps without LEDs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optimizing Insect Trap Systems: Advances in Lures, Dispensers, and Field Performance)

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11 pages, 1351 KB

Open AccessArticle

Attractiveness of Green Stink Bugs Nezara spp. to Ultraviolet-Based Multichromatic Light Traps: Synergistic Effects of Ultraviolet and Blue Light

by Nobuyuki Endo, Mantaro Hironaka, Yoshiyuki Honda, Hiroaki Takeuchi and Kazuki Shibuya

Insects 2026, 17(3), 270; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17030270 - 3 Mar 2026

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Abstract

Numerous insect species exhibiting positive phototaxis are strongly attracted to ultraviolet (UV) light. However, several heteropteran stink bugs, including Nezara viridula (L.) and its congener Nezara antennata Scott, show stronger attraction to traps combining UV and green light than to monochromatic UV light [...] Read more.

Numerous insect species exhibiting positive phototaxis are strongly attracted to ultraviolet (UV) light. However, several heteropteran stink bugs, including Nezara viridula (L.) and its congener Nezara antennata Scott, show stronger attraction to traps combining UV and green light than to monochromatic UV light traps. To examine the role of visible light wavelengths in enhancing UV attraction, we evaluated the attractiveness of blue (469 nm), green (523 nm), orange (613 nm), and red (632 nm) light in combination with UV light (396–400 nm), as well as a monochromatic UV light source, under field conditions targeting Nezara bugs. Traps combining UV and blue light captured nearly three times more Nezara bugs than UV-only light traps. Conversely, traps combining orange or red and UV light captured equal to or fewer bugs than monochromatic UV light traps, indicating no enhancement in attraction with these color combinations. Furthermore, monochromatic blue light alone showed very weak attractiveness, indicating that blue light synergistically enhanced the attractiveness of UV light to bugs. Strong attractiveness to traps combining UV and green light was confirmed in the lepidopteran moth Pleuroptya ruralis (Scopoli), suggesting that multiwavelength light sources may be effective in attracting insect species beyond Heteroptera. These findings highlight the value of multiwavelength light traps, particularly traps combining UV and blue light, for improving stink bug monitoring and pest management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optimizing Insect Trap Systems: Advances in Lures, Dispensers, and Field Performance)

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19 pages, 4863 KB

Open AccessArticle

Integrating Molecular Docking and Electrophysiology Reveals Sesquiterpenes as Candidate Attractants for Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann (Diptera: Tephritidae)

by Daniela Ordaz-Pérez, Julio C. Rojas and David Alavez-Rosas

Insects 2026, 17(3), 251; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17030251 - 27 Feb 2026

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Abstract

The Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata) is a globally invasive pest that affects a wide range of fruit and vegetable crops. Identifying cost-effective attractants is essential for sustainable integrated pest management (IPM). This study explored whether molecular docking, combined with electrophysiological [...] Read more.

The Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata) is a globally invasive pest that affects a wide range of fruit and vegetable crops. Identifying cost-effective attractants is essential for sustainable integrated pest management (IPM). This study explored whether molecular docking, combined with electrophysiological recordings, can help prioritize structurally diverse compounds with potential relevance to medfly olfaction. We assessed the predicted interactions of more than 100 attractant-related and semiochemical compounds, including multiple stereoisomers, with 14 odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) and four odorant receptors (ORs). Trimedlure served as a benchmark ligand. Docking suggested that several sesquiterpenes may interact favorably with subsets of OBPs and ORs, although these predictions require biochemical validation. A small set of compounds with high predicted affinity, readily available in the laboratory, was further examined using electroantennography (EAG), which confirmed that selected sesquiterpenes elicited peripheral antennal activation in irradiated males. Overall, our results demonstrate the utility of computational screening as an exploratory tool for prioritizing candidate ligands and generating hypotheses about chemosensory processing in C. capitata. Integrating molecular modeling with biochemical and behavioral validation is a promising approach to developing next-generation IPM attractants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optimizing Insect Trap Systems: Advances in Lures, Dispensers, and Field Performance)

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16 pages, 2835 KB

Open AccessArticle

Improving Traps for Spotted Lanternflies, Lycorma delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae), by Leveraging Their Own Signals

by Miriam F. Cooperband and Kelly M. Murman

Insects 2025, 16(9), 930; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16090930 - 4 Sep 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1461

Abstract

The spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) (SLF), is a damaging invasive pest and generalist phloem feeder that has been found in 18 states in the United States. It has a complex multimodal communication system involving semiochemicals, emitted both from their honeydew and [...] Read more.

The spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) (SLF), is a damaging invasive pest and generalist phloem feeder that has been found in 18 states in the United States. It has a complex multimodal communication system involving semiochemicals, emitted both from their honeydew and their bodies, and substrate-borne vibrations. Sensitive and effective traps for detection and survey are essential management tools, but no potent lures for SLF exist yet. We sought to test an alternative that relies on live-trapped SLF acting as lures to improve trap efficacy after the first SLF is captured. SLF circle traps were modified by replacing the commonly used plastic collection bag with a mesh bag pinned to the tree trunk. These allowed the trapped SLF to remain alive and generate signals through the mesh bag, thus leveraging their natural modes of communication to draw additional SLF into the traps. We compared mesh and plastic bags over three years targeting fourth instars and adults and found that prior to oviposition, circle traps with mesh bags captured significantly more fourth instar (70% mesh: 30% plastic) and adult SLF (59% mesh: 41% plastic) compared to plastic bags, but during oviposition time, the results were mixed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optimizing Insect Trap Systems: Advances in Lures, Dispensers, and Field Performance)

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29 pages, 5601 KB

Open AccessArticle

Highly Improved Captures of the Diamondback Moth, Plutella xylostella, Using Bimodal Traps

by Andrei N. Frolov and Yulia A. Zakharova

Insects 2025, 16(9), 881; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16090881 - 24 Aug 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2202

Abstract

Many cases have been described where the combination of semiochemicals and light sources in traps cause an increase in adult insect attraction. In this context, we tested different treatments using Delta plastic traps to catch DBM adults: (1) dispensers containing DBM SSA; (2) [...] Read more.

Many cases have been described where the combination of semiochemicals and light sources in traps cause an increase in adult insect attraction. In this context, we tested different treatments using Delta plastic traps to catch DBM adults: (1) dispensers containing DBM SSA; (2) UV (365–370 nm) LEDs; (3) a combination of a dispenser containing DBM SSA and LEDs (SSA + LED); and (4) no lures (Control). The trials were conducted in northwestern Russia (the vicinity of St. Petersburg) during the period of 2022–2024 on cabbage crops. The results showed a highly significant interaction between SSA and LEDs with respect to their attractiveness to male DBM adults, as evidenced by an average 15-fold increase in DBM captures after the traps containing SSA were equipped with a second lure, an LED. This article discusses the prospects for using the identified synergistic effect of interaction between SSA and LEDs to enhance the catch of DBM adults for practical purposes, such as improving monitoring and developing more effective mass-trapping technologies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optimizing Insect Trap Systems: Advances in Lures, Dispensers, and Field Performance)

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14 pages, 1546 KB

Open AccessArticle

Using Leaf-Derived Materials to Stop Common Bed Bugs (Cimex lectularius L.) in Their Tracks

by Patrick Liu, Jorge Bustamante, Jr., Kathleen Campbell, Andrew M. Sutherland, Dong-Hwan Choe and Catherine Loudon

Insects 2025, 16(8), 786; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16080786 - 31 Jul 2025

Viewed by 1266

Abstract

The common bed bug, Cimex lectularius L., is a pervasive pest of humans throughout the world. Insecticide resistance, cryptic habits, and proclivity for harborage on human belongings have contributed to its global status as a difficult pest to control. Leaves from common bean [...] Read more.

The common bed bug, Cimex lectularius L., is a pervasive pest of humans throughout the world. Insecticide resistance, cryptic habits, and proclivity for harborage on human belongings have contributed to its global status as a difficult pest to control. Leaves from common bean plants, Phaseolus vulgaris L., which include numerous trichomes, have traditionally been used to capture wandering bed bugs in southeastern Europe. However, fresh leaves rapidly desiccate once removed from plants, losing their trapping ability. A leaf-derived trapping material was developed that does not desiccate as rapidly as fresh leaves and retains the potential to trap bed bugs. In this study, we tested the efficacy of the leaf-derived material in capturing bed bugs. We tested the leaf-derived material in both horizontal and vertical orientations, using fresh bean leaves as positive controls. When deployed horizontally, the leaf-derived material captured bed bugs of all life stages and both sexes (adults). Leaf-derived material was also found to capture bed bugs in a vertical orientation (only evaluated for adult male bed bugs). Because this experimental leaf-derived material was effective in both horizontal and vertical orientations and against all life stages, it may have great potential for development into bed bug monitoring or exclusion devices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optimizing Insect Trap Systems: Advances in Lures, Dispensers, and Field Performance)

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