Minimizing Bee (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) Bycatch in Japanese Beetle Traps

Area of Science:

• Entomology
• Pest Management

Background:

• Commercially available Japanese beetle traps utilize floral lure components.
• Native bees are attracted to these floral lures, leading to unintended captures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of different floral lure components and trap colors in capturing Japanese beetles.
• To determine methods for minimizing the bycatch of native bees in Japanese beetle traps.

Main Methods:

• Field studies were conducted in Rhode Island, Ohio, and Tennessee using Japanese beetle traps baited with geraniol, eugenol, and phenethyl propionate (PEP).
• Different trap colors (green, black, brown, red, clear, yellow) and lure compositions were tested.
• Capture data for Japanese beetles and native bees (Bombus impatiens, Xylocopa virginica) were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Native bees, particularly Bombus impatiens and Xylocopa virginica, were attracted to geraniol-based lures.
• Removing geraniol from lures did not significantly reduce Japanese beetle captures but did reduce bee captures.
• Green, black, brown, and red traps captured fewer bees than clear or yellow traps, with no significant difference in Japanese beetle captures across trap colors.

Conclusions:

• Optimizing Japanese beetle trap lures and colors can reduce native bee bycatch.
• Using green traps with a lure of eugenol and PEP, combined with the Japanese beetle sex pheromone, is an effective strategy to capture target pests while minimizing non-target bee captures.