Trapping Alfalfa Looper Moths (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) with Single and Double Component Floral Chemical Lures

Both sexes of the alfalfa looper moth, Autographa californica (Speyer), were captured in traps baited with chemicals and combinations of chemicals that are odorants from “moth-visited” flowers. When presented alone, phenylacetaldehyde was strongly attractive and benzyl acetate was more weakly attractive to alfalfa looper moths. Few alfalfa looper moths were captured in traps baited with cis-jasmone, linalool, phenethyl alcohol, benzyl acetate or benzyl alcohol. In a comparison of varied amounts of phenylacetaldehyde, accomplished by varying the diameter of the hole in the lid of vial dispensers, greatest captures of alfalfa looper moths occurred with the largest hole size tested, 6.3 mm in diameter. Catches of alfalfa looper moths were enhanced when phenylacetaldehyde was presented with cis-jasmone and when benzyl acetate was presented along with benzaldehyde, compared with these chemicals presented singly.