CHEMICAL ECOLOGY Field Response of Alfalfa Looper and Cabbage Looper Moths (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae, Plusiinae) to Single and Binary Blends of Floral Odorants

In Þeld tests of ßoral chemicals dispensed singly, alfalfa looper moths, Autographa californica (Speyer), were captured in traps baited with phenylacetaldehyde, -myrcene, or benzyl acetate. Cabbage looper moths, Trichoplusia ni (Hübner) were also captured in traps baited with phenylacetaldehyde,methyl salicylate, ormethyl-2-methoxybenzoate. In evaluations of binaryblends of those same compounds, generally more alfalfa looper moths were trapped when -myrcene was presentedwith phenylacetaldehyde orwith benzyl acetate comparedwith phenylacetaldehyde alone or benzyl acetate alone. Similarly, more cabbage looper moths were trapped with -myrcene with phenylacetaldehyde comparedwith phenylacetaldehyde alone. These Þndings provide new chemical blends for luring and trapping both sexes of alfalfa looper and cabbage looper moths and suggest differences in preferences of these two moth species for ßoral odorants.