Methods of controlling the breeding behavior of butterflies

摘要

Methods of controlling the feeding and/or breeding behavior of a target insect are disclosed in which a host plant is provided a substantial distance from a plant of interest, chemical attractant that induces the target insect to lay eggs on the host plant is applied to the host plant, application of the chemical attractant to the host plant is repeated as required to induce residual target-insect populations to lay eggs on the host plant, and wherein the behavior is controlled when a substantial number of off-spring belonging to subsequent generations themselves mature and display a preference for laying eggs on the same type of host plant on which they were reared without further application of the chemical attractant is provided. Also disclosed are methods of deterring target insect feeding and breeding on plants of interest by applying toxic plant extract to the plants of interest.

主权项

1. A method of controlling egg-laying behavior of a citrus-feeding butterfly, the method comprising attracting the citrus-feeding butterfly to a host plant and inducing the citrus-feeding butterfly to lay eggs on the host plant preferentially over an untreated plant by treating the host plant with a chemical attractant comprising limonene in an amount sufficient to attract the citrus-feeding butterfly, whereby egg-laying behavior is controlled when at least 50% of offspring of a subsequent generation of the citrus-feeding butterfly display a preference for laying eggs on the same type of host plant without further application of the chemical attractant.