Mating rates between sterile and wild codling moths (Cydia pomonella) in springtime: a simulation study

Area of Science:

• Entomology
• Pest Management
• Ecological Modeling

Background:

• The sterile insect technique (SIT) offers an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional pesticides for pest control.
• SIT relies on releasing sterile insects to mate with wild populations, preventing offspring production and aiming for population collapse.
• Understanding insect behavior and monitoring data is crucial for effective SIT application, especially for orchard pests like the codling moth (Cydia pomonella).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how individual sterile and wild insect behaviors influence SIT effectiveness against the codling moth.
• To analyze the relationship between insect behavior, mating rates, and data from monitoring devices like pheromone traps.
• To assess the reliability of trap catch data in indicating SIT effectiveness during springtime releases.

Main Methods:

• Development of a preliminary individual-based model to simulate insect interactions.
• Analysis of how variations in sterile and wild moth behavior affect mating success.
• Evaluation of the sterile to wild trap catch ratio as an indicator of SIT performance.

Main Results:

• Individual behaviors of sterile males may not effectively disrupt wild female mating during springtime SIT releases.
• Monitoring data from pheromone traps might not accurately reflect reduced SIT effectiveness in these scenarios.
• The sterile to wild trap catch ratio may not be a reliable indicator of mating interference.

Conclusions:

• Subtle alterations in insect behavior can significantly impact SIT efficacy.
• Relying solely on trap catch data for monitoring SIT effectiveness may be misleading.
• Further research into behavioral dynamics is needed to optimize SIT strategies for orchard pest control.