Rogue's GalleryDigital images of apple and peach pestsImages of moths in sticky trapsThe use of sticky traps baited with pheromone lures provides important information about the presence and abundance of pest species throughout the growing season. Pest management decisions, including whether or not to implement a control tactic and when to implement the tactic to achieve the best result, can be based on data from pheromone traps. Every insect species that employs a sex pheromone for communication between males and females uses a unique blend of chemicals for this purpose. Moth sex pheromones are no exception, and traps baited with commercially available sex pheromone lures usually capture predominantly male moths of just one species. The only time we may see a moth of a particular pest species is after it has been captured in the sticky liner of a pheromone trap. While moths do loose some scales in the sticky surface, they typically remain easily identifiable based on their coloration, size and shape. The accompanying images of insects in the sticky liner of traps are intended to provide a quick reference for identification of the major moth pests of apple and peach in Virginia. Other insect species that may also be found in traps baited with various lures are also noted. Notice that in some of these images the sticky trap liner is quite dirtied by moth scales. Allowing too many scales or other debris to accumulate on a trap liner can seriously compromise trapping efficiency and therefore the accuracy of the information that traps can provide.
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