Tryptophan in Artificial Honeydews as a Source of an Attractant for Adult Chrysopa carnea1 , 3

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Two field bioassay methods evaluate components of artificial honeydews as attractants for adult Chrysopa carnea Stephens. Alfalfa fields sprayed in swaths with protein hydrolysates, some containing 95% free amino acids, attracted significantly more C. carnea adults than were arrested by swaths of sucrose sprays, thereby implying that amino acids are the source of an attractant. Of the 10 essential amino acids tested by spot sprayed alfalfa, subsequently covered with sticky screened trap cages, the tryptophan treatments were highly attractive to C. carnea adults. Tryptophan plus sucrose sprayed in alfalfa fields attracted significantly more adults within 24 h than yeast-protein (Bee Wheast) plus sucrose. The addition of tryptophan to nutritional food sprays increases their efficiency as artificial honeydews for manipulation of C. carnea adults in the field. In alfalfa fields with low aphid populations (low amounts of honeydew), food sprays with tryptophan can attract C. carnea adults from an area of at least 2.6 acres into a 0.001 acre area.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: