Effect of Pheromone Lure-Distance and Direction in Trapping Brinjal Fruit and Shoot Borer (Leucinodes orbonalis Guen.) Male Moths

An experiment was conducted at Bhubaneshwar, Orissa, to study the presence of male Brinjal Shoot and Fruit Borer (BSFB) outside cropping area and the effect of wind direction on male BSFB trap catches. Water traps with 4 mg of synthetic BSFB pheromone lure in rubber septa were placed at 0, 50, 100, 150 and 350 m away from a brinjal field in all four directions i.e., North, South, East and West. Water level in the traps was maintained constant and lures were changed at 20 days interval. Count of BSFB trapped males and record of wind direction was made every 24 h for 61 days. Results indicated that the number of male BSFB moths in distantly located traps (350 m from the brinjal field) was at par with the numbers observed in traps placed in the main brinjal field. Traps located at 50 and 100 m from brinjal field attracted less male BSFB moths than those at 0, 150 and 350 m indicating the feasibility of trapping male BSFB moths even in non-brinjal area. Trap direction did not significantly influence trap catch. Nearly 60% of BSFB male moths were observed in traps placed against direction of the wind.