234 R. Srinivasan et al.
based IPM strategy has high potential in reducing
the pesticide misuse in the eggplant production
systems of South and Southeast Asia.
Sex Pheromone of Legume Pod
Borer, Maruca vitrata F. (Lepidoptera:
Crambidae)
Sex pheromone components of M. vitrata have
been already identified. The major compound is
( E, E)-10,12-hexadecadienal ( EE10,12-16:Ald)
(Adati and Tatsuki 1999 ), whereas the minor
components are ( E, E)-10,12-hexadecadienol
( EE10,12-16:OH) and ( E)-10-hexadecenal ( E10-
16:Ald) (Downham et al. 2003 ). A synthetic pher-
omone lure for M. vitrata consisting of EE10,12-
16:Ald, EE10,12-16:OH, and E10-16:Ald in the
ratio of 100:5:5 was attractive to male moths in
Benin and Ghana, while EE10,12-16:Ald alone
was most effective in Burkina Faso (Downham
et al. 2004 ). Neither pheromone was effective
against M. vitrata in Taiwan, although EE10,12-
16:Ald alone attracted significantly higher male
moths of S. litura (Schläger et al. 2012 ). Hence,
we evaluated these pheromone blends against
M. vitrata in Thailand and Vietnam during 2012.
The lures were tested using sticky delta traps in
two heights (120 and 170 cm above ground) in
the yard-long bean fields. In both Thailand and
Vietnam, none of the pheromone blend was at-
tractive to the male moths of M. vitrata (Table 1 ).
However, traps containing EE10,12-16:Ald alone
lures attracted significantly higher male moths of
S. litura, especially at a height of 170 cm.
Five different pheromone blends were sub-
sequently developed at Bio-Control Research
Laboratories (BCRL), India. They were—(A)
EE10,12-16:Ald + EE10,12-16:OH in 100:5 ratio,
(B) EE10,12-16:Ald + EE10,12-16:OH in 100:10
ratio, (C) EE10,12-16:Ald + E10-16:Ald in 100:5
ratio, (D) EE10,12-16:Ald + E10-16:Ald in
100:10 ratio, and (E) EE10,12-16:Ald + EE10,12-
16:OH + E10-16:Ald in 100:10:10 ratio. These
lures were tested using sticky delta traps in the
Sesbania grandiflora field at AVRDC—The
World Vegetable Center during 2012–2013.
None of these pheromone blends was attractive
to the male moths of M. vitrata. However, the
lures were significantly attractive to the male
moths of S. litura (Table 2 ). Although M. vitrata
and S. litura do not share any pheromone com-
pounds in common, the attraction of S. litura to
EE10,12-16:Ald, the major component in M. vit-
rata pheromone has been confirmed in this study
in both Thailand and Vietnam. Similar results
were already obtained in Taiwan (Schläger et al.
2012 ).
This is a rare example for cross-attraction
between species sharing the same habitat in theTable 2 Mean trap catches of Maruca vitrata and
Spodoptera litura in Sesbania grandiflora fields at
AVRDC, Taiwan
Pheromone lure Mean number of moths per trap
M. vitrata S. litura
A 2.33 17.00 a
B 1.33 8.67 ab
C 1.00 21.00 a
D 0.67 15.00 ab
E 1.33 16.67 a
Check 2.67 2.00 b
Means within a column followed by different letters indi-
cate significant differences (LSD following ANOVA,
p ≤ 0.05)
Lure Height (cm) Thailand Vietnam
M. vitrata S. litura M. vitrata S. litura
Ratio 100:5:5 120 0.00 7.75 c 0.00 1.33 c
170 0.00 15.25 bc 0.00 3.67 bc
EE10,12–16:Ald 120 0.25 19.25 ab 0.00 6.33 b
170 0.25 21.75 a 0.00 10.67 a
Check 120 0.25 8.75 bc 0.00 3.00 bc
170 0.75 19.00 bc 0.00 1.00 c
Means within a column followed by different letters indicate significant differences
(LSD following ANOVA, p ≤ 0.05)Table 1 Total catches
of Maruca vitrata and
Spodoptera litura per trap
in yard long bean fields
using delta traps at two dif-
ferent trap heights in Kam-
phaeng Saen (Thailand)
and Hanoi (Vietnam)