Development perspectives of electronic systems in pest control strategies

The codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera Tortricidae), is a key pest in apple and pear trees and requires an effective pest management. Integrated pest management (IPM) represents among the pest control strategies adopted in the years one of the most diffused methods and it requires sex pheromone traps regularly checked by the farmer for pest monitoring. IPM is currently applied also in the monitoring and control of stored products insects and in general in the food industry. An automatic electronic trap designed to monitor the flight of codling moths, able to identify the pest and to forward the information on males caught has been developed. The electronic device was designed basing on the commercial Carpotrap. Modifications carried out on the standard sticky trap did not affect the performance of the trap in catching the male codling moths. The images sent to a remote unit allowed an easy identification of the moth. Current activity is in progress in order to apply the same approach to a standard sticky trap used in the food industry to monitor Plodia interpunctella (Hubner) and Ephestia kuehniella Zeller, very common pests of dry plant produce, especially cereals, and found around the world.