L. FURLAN¹, M. TOTH² and Cooperators
¹Institute of Agricultural Entomology, Padova University, via Romea 16, 35020 Legnaro PD, Italy
² Plant Protection Institute, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Pf 102, H-1525 Hungary

New sex pheromone traps for monitoring the most important European Agriotes species (Agriotes litigiosus, Agriotes ustulatus, Agriotes lineatus, Agriotes obscurus, Agriotes brevis, Agriotes sordidus, Agriotes rufipalpis) have been found and set up in studies carried out mainly in Hungary and Italy in last four years. At present in order to implement an IPM against Agriotes species in Europe by using the new traps we need:

• to ascertain if the traps are really effective in monitoring different Agriotes populations of the same species in different European countries; (we know that the sex pheromone composition of female glands may vary according the population);
• to establish if there are conspicuous differences in the life cycle between populations of the same species;
• to estimate the correlation between the amount of adults captured by the sex pheromone traps and the subsequent larval population in different areas in different years.

In order to meet these goals an informal specific European working group was established in 1998. It involves the following researchers, who are co-authors of the abstract, and Institutes: S. Arnone and P. Nobili, Enea Casaccia, Italy; P. Bassetti, Stazione Federale di Ricerche Agronomiche, Cadenazzo, Switzerland; H.K. Berger, Federal Office and Research Center of Agriculture, Wien, Austria; G. Bourlot and A. Turchi, Plant Protection Service of Piemonte, Torino, Italy; R. Ferrari and L. Boriani, Centro Agricoltura Ambiente, Crevalcore, Italy; L. Furlan, Intitute of Agricultural Entomology, Padova, Italy; M. Ivezic and M. Mlinarevic, University of J.J. Strossmayer, Faculty of Agriculture, Osijek, Croatia; W. Jossi, Station Federale de Recherches en Agroecologie et Agriculture, Zurich, Switzerland; T. Keresi, Faculty of Agriculture, Institute for Plant Protection, Novi Sad, Yugoslavia; F. Muresan, Agricultural Research Station Turda, Turda, Romania; M. Rostàs, Freie Universität Berlin, Institute fur Zoologie, Berlin, Germany; I. Szarukan, University of Debrecen, Hungary; M. Toth, Plant Protection Institute of Budapest, Hungary; J.A. Tsitsipis, University of Thessaly, Volos, Greece; A. Xavier, Ministerio da Agricultura, Direccao regional de Entre Douro e Minho, Porto, Portugal.

All the participants have followed a common protocol including soil sampling carried out by using attractive traps for larvae and the collection of soil cores in the area where the traps have been placed out. Lures and traps produced by the Plant Protection Institute of Budapest have been used.

All the specimens captured have been identified at the Institute of Agricultural Entomology of Padova. Part of the adults were identified by Dr Giuseppe Platia, Italy.

Very promising preliminary results have been obtained in the first year: several traps proved to be effective in different countries. A joint report on 2 years data is planned.