Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2002. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 140-159). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2002. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 140-159). Also available on the Internet.

Tortricid moths (Lepidoptera) are known for their outstanding olfaction capabilities that allow them to detect, process, and respond to chemical information emitted by host or non-host plants. Such an ability to filter out odors from the complex mixture to locate their host has allowed researchers and integrated pest management (IPM) practitioners to develop and implement semiochemically-based pest control strategies. The major goal of this study was to evaluate, under field conditions, the response of male and female oriental fruit moth (OFM), codling moth (CM), redbanded leafroller (RBLR) and three lined leafroller (TLLR) to experimental kairomone lures in commercial apple orchards in Massachusetts. My results indicate that (1) addition of benzaldehyde to Megalure® or to TRE2266 significantly increased captures of OFM males but not of CM males, (2) benzaldehyde was a strong male attractant-it was as attractive as Megalure® to OFM males, and (3) TRE2266 attracted significantly more RBLR than any other lure and by adding benzaldehyde it became attractive to TLLR. These findings highlight the opportunity to work with benzaldehyde to develop more efficient semiochemical-based monitoring and control systems for tortricid moths.