Failure of a mass trapping method against the striped cucumber beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in organic cucurbit fields

The striped cucumber beetle (SCB) Acalymma vittatum (F.) is one of the most important pests in North American cucurbit crops. While conventional chemical control methods are usually effective in controlling SCB populations, few alternative control methods are available for organic cucurbit crops. The goal of the present study was to evaluate an optimized mass trapping system using yellow traps baited with a floral-based semiochemical. More specifically, the objectives were to determine if the trapping method could (i) significantly reduce SCB populations and (ii) maintain these populations below the economic threshold throughout the growth season within organic cucurbit crops. The method did not reduce nor maintain the SCB populations below the economic threshold of one SCB per plant. Possible hypotheses explaining the diverging results are discussed.