Glimpses of Semiochemical Research Applications in Indian Horticulture 247
stimulants for oviposition and also for breeding.
Further, any insect borne semiochemicals like
aggregation pheromones helping the hoppers to
stay as broods is less understood. Studies in other
cicadellids indicated the role of olfactory cues in
host plant detection of American grapevine leaf-
hopper nymphs, Scaphoideus titanus Ball (Maz-
zoni et al. 2009 ; Hegde et al. 2012 ).
The regulated pest, mango fruit borer or Red
banded mango caterpillar (RBMC), Deanolis al-
bizonalis Hampson is causing alarming damage
to all stages of mango fruits (Sujatha and Zaher-
uddeen 2002 ). An effective pheromone lure has
been identified by Hortresearch in New Zealand
that trapped hundreds of male moths and was
significantly more attractive than virgin female
moths, catching six times more moths than caged
virgin females suggesting the possibility of rou-
tine trapping of male moths for monitoring as
well as for mating disruption (Gibb et al. 2006 ,
2007 ). Initial testing suggested the lure was ef-
fective for at least four weeks in the field under
tropical conditions and further work needs to be
done on trap type, lure matrices (instead of rub-
ber septa), mating behavior, dispersal, and lure
attractancy range (Gibb et al. 2006 , 2007 ). Fur-
ther, Yarrow and Chandler ( 2007 ) suggested that
trap clearance is needed to be done weekly to
fortnightly in tropical areas to minimize degra-
dation of trap catches. Further, the lure impreg-
nated septum used with a delta trap/sticky mat
can also be used as a supplementary early warn-
ing to growers. In India, attempts were made
to use the reported sex pheromone fractions to
Indian RBMC populations, but did not generate
any moth response under field conditions indicat-
ing the need to study the behavioral ecology and
strain differences in Indian RBMC populations.
Limited studies on intermittent calling behavior
of D. albizonalis and female sex pheromone were
carried out in India (Sujatha et al. 2002 ).
Until recently, the leaf webber, O. exvinaceae
is a major problem in neglected orchards where
infestation starts from April and continues up to
December. Literature states that after Decem-
ber, the webber moth undergoes hibernation in
pupal form in soil until April. During the sum-
mer showers the moths from hibernating pupae
emerges and fresh infestation starts from April
onwards. However, the change in precipitation
pattern resulting in intermittent showers after
December lead to continuous webber infestation
even in well maintained orchards. Recent stud-
ies clearly proved that O. exvinaceae tags along
with conspecifics through multiple ovipositions
by several conspecific gravid females into the
same web and/or nearby web (Kamala Jayanthi
et al. 2013b). Usually, the mother moths depend
on several cues viz., secondary compounds, vi-
sual signals (plant and leaf shape), presence of
natural enemies or mutualists, presence of con-
specific immatures, microclimate (Rausher 1978;
Williams and Gilbert 1981 ; Freitas and Oliveira
1992 ) to choose the suitable ovipostion site for
its progeny survival. Further experiments to find
out the cues aiding the gravid female to oviposit
within the same web or near the already exist-
ing web and female based sex pheromone (In the
Lepidoptera, with the exception of butterflies,
mate finding is primarily mediated by female-
emitted sex pheromones and finely tuned male
responses, Wyatt 2003 ) will definitely help in
luring both sexes into traps. Similar attempts to
locate female-based sex pheromones may yield
positive results in another lepidopteran, early
shoot borer, C. transversa. Successful synthesis
of codlemone, the codling moth female sex pher-
omone blend has led to behavior based monitor-
ing and management of codling moth infestations
in apple (Lo et al. 2013 ).
Pomegranate fruit borer, Deudorix isocrates
(Fab.), a polyphagous pest with a wide range of
host plants such as plums, peaches, mulberry, li-
tchi, sapota, guava, tamarind, pears, citrus, litchi,
ber, anola, and apple. Pomegranate is the most
preferred host in which the pest may destroy up
to 50 % of the fruits. The management includes
several cultural, mechanical, chemical, botanical
and biocontrol agents, but still leaves scope for
strengthening of IPM through semiochemicals.
Existence of strong female based sex pheromone
communication system in pomegranate fruit
borer was identified by Indian Institute of Chem-
ical Technology (IICT) in collaboration with
Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth (MPKV),
Rahuri. Three sex pheromone components have