Evaluation of Commercial Pheromones on the Population Dynamics of Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. smith) and Mythimna loreyi (Duponchel) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Evaluation of Commercial Pheromones on the Population Dynamics of Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. smith) and Mythimna loreyi (Duponchel) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The trapping efficacy of five commercially available sex pheromones manufactured in Korea, the Netherlands, North America, China, and Costa Rica was evaluated to determine the population dynamics of Spodoptera frugiperda and Mythimna loreyi and their relationships with the weather parameters of maize fields in Miryang, Gyeongnam Province, Korea in 2019. The results show that the sex pheromone manufactured in Costa Rica were more efficient at capturing S. frugiperda and M. loreyi than those manufactured in other countries. The lowest number of S. frugiperda moths were captured using sex pheromones manufactured in the Netherlands. We noted that more than four population peaks of both the moth species and weather parameters influenced the moth population dynamics in Miryang. A positive relationship was observed between the population of S. frugiperda and weather parameters, such as mean temperature, rainfall, and relative humidity, for sex pheromones manufactured in Korea. Furthermore, a positive relationship was recorded between the population of M. loreyi and wind speed for the sex pheromone manufactured in Korea. The results of this study suggest that the sex pheromones manufactured in Costa Rica are the best solution for the efficient capture of S. frugiperda and M. loreyi under typical weather conditions in the southern parts of Korea. In addition, the outcomes of this study are discussed in terms of population dynamics and integrated pest management for S. frugiperda and M. loreyi as alternatives to chemical management by maize producers. Further studies related to the continuous improvement in the capture efficiency of both moth species using sex pheromones are now needed.