Adult emergence course of Kermania pistaciella Amsel (Lepidoptera:Tineidae) in Culture Cages and Population Change on Pheromone Traps at Three Different Altitudes of Gaziantep

Pistachio twig borer moth [Kermania pistaciella Ams. (Lep: Tineidae)] is the economically damaging species where pistachio is grown. As a result of the feeding of the larvae of the pest, the fruit buds fall off, the damaged shoots remain short. During the fruit formation period, the larvae enter the clusters and feed on the cluster stems, so the fruits fail to develop or fall off. With this work, adult emergence of K. pistaciella in culture cages and pheromone traps placed at three different altitudes (705 m, 531 m and 856 m) between 2015 and 2017 has been followed. Between 2015 and 2017, population monitoring in pheromone traps started on average between the last week of March and the first week of April in all locations, peaked in the third week of April, and ended between the last week of April and the last week of May. Adult emergence in culture cages in all locations in 2015 and 2017 started in the second week of April on average, and in the last week of March in all locations in 2016. Adult emergence peaked in the third week of April in all locations between 2015 and 2017 and ended between the last week of April and the first week of May. This work is the first study in which population follow-up of pistachio twig borer in pheromone traps and culture cages was carried out together.