Newly available Pherobank product, pheromone lure for Scolytus amygdali
Scolytus amygdali
English: Almond bark beetle
The almond bark beetle, Scolytus amygdali, is a pest of cultivated species of stone (Prunus) and pome (Malus) fruits in the Mediterranean region and Southern Europe. Today populations of this beetle in Israel have reached high densities.
Most severely affected are plantations of plum, apricot and peach in Israel, cherry in Spain, and almond in Morocco. Outbreaks often follow tree injury caused by flatheaded root borers like Capnodis spp. Current management of S. amygdali by preventive applications of non-selective insecticide, burning of both dead trees and pruning slash are environmentally unsafe and often ineffective.
In 2002 Ben-YEHUDA, S et al. identified an aggregation pheromone for this insect consisting of a blend of short chiral alcohols and ketones. IOBC-WPRS Bull. 2002, 25:259-270. This result provided an opportunity to achieve pheromone-based management of S. amygdali.
Pherobank has synthesized and formulated a mixture that has proven attractive to S. amygdali. We chose our Omnilure® as a dispenser because we need to formulate a relatively large amount of attractant. We can also accurately set the evaporation rate with the Omnilure®.
Different formulations have been tested in Israel (Figure 3). The SCAM2101 formulation outperformed the others and has been chosen as the new Pherobank standard for capturing S. amygdali beetles.
For more information about this insect please see:
https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/SCOLAM
Omnilure® is a registered trademark of Pherobank BV
- Omnilure Scolytus amygdali, Pherobank article #: 50464