Attraction of Mated Female Codling Moths (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) to Apples and Apple Odor in a Flight Tunnel

In a flight tunnel, mated female codling moths, Cydia pomonella L., were attracted (upwind flight with zigzagging flight patterns) to cold-stored thinning apples. Greater numbers of codling moths were attracted to apples infested with codling moth larvae than to uninfested apples. However, codling moth response to piped odor from cold-stored thinning apples infested with larvae was not significantly greater than that of moths to piped odor from uninfested apples. In a flight tunnel, significant numbers of mated female codling moths were captured in traps baited with fresh-picked immature apples or in traps through which odor from such apples was piped. Also, more codling moths were captured in traps baited with infested versus un-infested apples, and more were captured in traps with odor from infested apples compared to odor from un-infested apples. These studies demonstrate upwind attraction by flying female codling moths to apple fruit and odors from apple fruit and show increased response by moths to odors of fruit that are infested with codling moth larvae. It is suggested that this heightened response to infested apples may be due to increased apparency of infested fruit that may release greater amounts of volatile odorants.