Swarming activity of the adult males of parlatoria date scale in response to sex pheromone extracts and sticky color traps

Abstract

Parlatoria date scale females release pheromone when they are approximately 10 days old. Parthenogenesis has not been observed in all tested females. Males showed a pattern of morning‐crepuscular activity in the field in response to sex pheromone.

Blue and white sticky traps significantly attracted more males than any of the other tested colors (in the following orders: yellow, Green, and red). Male swarming of Parlatoria blanchardi (Targoni‐Tozzetti) was monitored by using white sticky traps during two successive periods of activity. Catches of Parlatoria males showed dimorphic forms. Winged individuals were predominant in spring, whereas wingless form mainly present in summer generation. Generally, wingless individuals form were abundant at the end of each generation. The effect of the blue traps on the population density of P. blanchardi was evaluated under field conditions. The reduction of numbers of P. blanchardi reached 39% in trees with blue traps in comparison with control trees without traps.

Key words:

• Parlatoria blanchardi (Targoni‐Tozzetti)
• sex pheromones
• sticky colour traps
• date palm
• monitoring