PHENOLOGY OF CARPOPHILUS SPP (COLEOPTERA, NITIDULIDAE) IN STONE-FRUIT-ORCHARDS AS DETERMINED BY PHEROMONE TRAPPING - IMPLICATIONS FOR PREDICTION OF CROP DAMAGE

Traps baited with synthetic aggregation pheromone and fermenting bread dough were used to monitor seasonal incidence and abundance of the ri pening fruit pests, Carpophilus hemipterus (L.), C. mutilatus Erichson and C. davidsoni Dobson in stone fruit orchards in the Leeton distric t of southern New South Wales during five seasons (1991-96). Adult bee tles were trapped from September-May, but abundance varied considerabl y between years with the amount of rainfall in December-January having a major influence on population size and damage potential during the canning peach harvest Gate February-March). Below average rainfall in December-January was associated with mean trap catches of <10 beetles/ trap/week in low dose pheromone traps during the harvest period in 199 1/92 and 1993/94 and no reported damage to ripening fruit. Rainfall in December-January 1992/93 was more than double the average and mean tr ap catches ranged from 8-27 beetles/week during the harvest period wit h substantial damage to the peach crop. December-January rainfall was also above average in 1994/95 and 1995/96 and means of 50-300 beetles/ trap/week were recorded in high dose pheromone traps during harvest pe riods. Carpophilus spp. caused economic damage to peach crops in both seasons. These data indicate that it may be possible to predict the li kelihood of Carpophilus beetle damage to ripening stone fruit in inlan d areas of southern Australia, by routine pheromone-based monitoring o f beetle populations and summer temperatures and rainfall.