Wine Industry Newsletter

Insects and mites

Apple looper – update on investigation to assess pheromones

As mentioned in the December edition, the project to assess whether candidate pheromones can be used as an early warning for this pest has been completed. The results were somewhat disappointing being that none of the test blends of pheromones showed activity in attracting apple looper moths.

Since this time, we have learnt that researchers within the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of WA are involved in identifying insect pheromones. While they are working on pheromones produced by wasps involved in pollinating WA’s native orchids, the methodology they use is directly applicable to the quest regarding a pheromone for apple looper.

This coming season our plan is to collect sufficient numbers of apple looper larvae to obtain moths for the WA researchers. With their co-operation we hope they will be able to advise the likelihood of identifying a pheromone for apple looper.

An orchid wasp attracted to a native orchid by the pheromone produced by the orchid.
An orchid wasp attracted to a native orchid by the pheromone produced by the orchid. Photo courtesy Gavin R. Flematti, University of WA.
An orchid wasp attracted to a sphere daubed with a synthetic pheromone developed from natural pheromone chemical attractants.
An orchid wasp attracted to a sphere daubed with a synthetic pheromone developed from natural pheromone chemical attractants. Photo courtesy Gavin R. Flematti, University of WA.

A verbal report was given at the Regional Program of Wine Australia in Margaret River and the Swan Valley in June and a final written report for this project will be soon available on the DAFWA website.

Garden weevil – a new demonstration project

Funding has been provided by Wine Australia’s Regional Program to conduct field demonstration studies on managing garden weevil in vineyards. The studies will take place next season and will include sites in the Frankland and Margaret River regions. The demonstration will be run as a collaboration exercise between industry and DAFWA.

The studies will be investigating the role of refined clay and dacron trunk bands. The clay aspect relates to results of the 2005 to 2009 garden weevil project. The reason for including trunk bands relates to the variability of their effectiveness in protecting vines from this pest.

Financial support is limited, but any vignerons willing to be involved and contribute some time in running a demonstration are encouraged to contact Stewart Learmonth for more information on +61 (8) 9777 0167.

Stewart Learmonth and Helen Collie, Manjimup Horticultural Research Institute.