Control of Leiodes cinnamomeus (Coleoptera: Leiodidae) in Cultivated Black Truffle Orchards by Kairomone-Based Mass Trapping

Abstract

The monoculture situation of truffle cultivation is favoring the appearance of pests that would not be economically important in naturally balanced forest ecosystems. The most prominent of them is the European truffle beetle Leiodes cinnamomeus (Panzer) (Coleoptera: Leiodidae), for which there are no effective control methods capable of reducing its populations. The potential of the mass trapping technique against this beetle, based on adapted pitfall traps and the semiochemical methyl disulfide as an attractant, is explored in the present work. Two trap densities (40 and 80 traps/ha) were tested in 2-yr field trials carried out in the region of Teruel (Spain) with black truffle cultivation tradition. Kairomone dispensers were placed in the field immediately before adult outbreak and remained active there throughout the season. The efficacy of each treatment was measured according to the reduction in beetle populations and the damaged truffles in the center of the treated areas. The results showed that both trapping densities reduced adult populations (mean 57% catch reduction), but 80 traps/ha were needed to significantly lower damage parameters (>40% reduction), percentage of attacked truffles and number of galleries/g truffle. The cost effectiveness of these treatments and possible improvements are discussed.

Keywords: Tuber melanosporum; IPM; kairomone; truffle beetle.