Monitoring Helicoverpa assulta (Guenee) (Lepidoptera : Noctuidae) with synthetic sex pheromone and small scale disruption trial with controlled-release PVC resin formulation

A monitoring experiment and a small scale mating disruption trial were carr ied out to investigate the potential value of the synthetic sex pheromone o f the oriental tobacco budworm, Helicoverpa assulta (Guenee) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). The pheromone trap was more effective in detecting the field po pulation than the black-light trap. The treatment with controlled-release P VC resin dispensers loaded with synthetic sex pheromone, applied at a rate of 30 g/ha in a hot pepper field, resulted in significant reduction of trap catches, indicating effective disruption of pheromonal communication of H. assulta in the field. The disruptive effect of the PVC formulation lasted for one month in the field.