Automatic trap for moth detection in integrated pest management

The codling moth Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera Tortricidae) is one of the key pests in apple and pear trees and its high harmfulness on the fruits requires a strongly effective pest management. Among the pest control strategies adopted in the years, nowadays integrated pest management (IPM) represents one of the most diffused methods and it requires pest monitoring by means of sex pheromone traps regularly checked by the farmer. The aim of the work was to develop an automatic electronic trap designed to monitor the flight of codling moth males, to identify the pest and to forward the information on trapped males. The results showed how the modifications performed on the standard sticky traps did not causes a reduction of the trap capability to catch the males, and also that the photos taken by the system and sent to a remote unit allowed an easy moth identification and detection.