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Insect Pest Pheromone Lures May Enhance the Activity of Insectivorous Bats in Mediterranean Vineyards and Apple Orchards

Author

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  • Carmi Korine

    (Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion 8499000, Israel)

  • Yuval Cohen

    (Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion 8499000, Israel
    Northern R&D, Migal–Galilee Research Institute, Kiryat Shmona 11016, Israel
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Idan Kahnonitch

    (Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion 8499000, Israel
    The Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 5290002, Israel
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

Abstract

Insectivorous bats may play a significant role in regulating populations of agricultural pests. Currently, few methods are available to enhance the activity of bats in agroecosystems. We asked whether synthetic sex pheromones, used in integrated pest management (IPM) to impede the mating success of major moth pests in vineyards and apple orchards, could also enhance the activity and richness of insectivorous bats, their natural enemies. We hypothesized that applying concentrated sex pheromones of pest moths will alter the movement patterns of male moths, indirectly affecting bat richness and activity. We compared the effect of sex pheromones on bats under two different agricultural management systems: conventional farming and IPM. We used synthetic sex pheromones of Lobesia botrana or Cydia pomonella ; both are among the most destructive moth pests in vineyards and apple orchards, respectively. Using passive acoustic monitoring, we compared species richness and bat activity in plots without and with additional pheromones. In both IPM vineyards and IPM apple orchards, total bat activity and species richness significantly increased after applying the pheromone treatment, with a positive correlation between total bat activity and the numbers of moth pests in the vineyards. In conventional vineyards, bat species richness increased significantly, but not total bat activity. IPM vineyards had significantly higher species richness than conventional vineyards, both before and after the pheromone treatment. Our study shows that moth pheromone lures, commonly used as a pest control method, may also attract insectivorous bats, which in turn may further suppress the pests. These findings highlight the potential of insectivorous bats as pest control agents and call for further research directed at integrating them in IPM practices.

Suggested Citation

  • Carmi Korine & Yuval Cohen & Idan Kahnonitch, 2022. "Insect Pest Pheromone Lures May Enhance the Activity of Insectivorous Bats in Mediterranean Vineyards and Apple Orchards," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-12, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:24:p:16566-:d:999449
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alyson F Brokaw & Michael Smotherman, 2020. "Role of ecology in shaping external nasal morphology in bats and implications for olfactory tracking," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(1), pages 1-22, January.
    2. Kolkert, Heidi & Smith, Rhiannon & Rader, Romina & Reid, Nick, 2021. "Insectivorous bats provide significant economic value to the Australian cotton industry," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    3. David Tilman & Kenneth G. Cassman & Pamela A. Matson & Rosamond Naylor & Stephen Polasky, 2002. "Agricultural sustainability and intensive production practices," Nature, Nature, vol. 418(6898), pages 671-677, August.
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