Advances in Attract-and-Kill: Beyond Pheromones

Attract-and-kill has considerable potential as a tactic in integrated pest management, but the use of pheromones as attractants is limited by multiple mating and immigration of mated females into treated areas. Attractants for both sexes, and particularly females, would minimize these difficulties. Volatile compounds derived from plants or fermentation of plant products can attract females and have been used in traps for monitoring and control and for inclusion in sprayable attract-and-kill formulations. Recent advances in fundamental understanding of insect responses to plant volatiles should contribute to the development of products that can help manage a wide range of pests with few impacts on nontarget organisms, but theory must be tempered with pragmatism in the selection of volatiles and toxicants, and in defining their roles in formulations. Market requirements and regulatory factors must be considered in parallel with scientific constraints if successful products are to be developed. Expected fina...