Mating Competitiveness of Irradiated Lobesia botrana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in Male-Only and Both Sex Release Strategies under Laboratory Cage Conditions

This laboratory study explored the concept of whether irradiated male-only releases are more or equally efficient as releases of both irradiated males and females in the context of using the sterile insect technique/inherited sterility (SIT/IS) for the management of the European grapevine moth Lobesia botrana. The current study examined the mating competitiveness of 150-Gy-treated L. botrana male and female moths or 150-Gy-treated male moths only, with untreated moths in laboratory cages. Our results showed that the release of both sexes significantly increased the competitiveness value (C) and the biological efficiency index (BE) as compared with male-only release, and this was independent of the male to untreated male ratio. Moreover, a single release of 150-Gy-treated and untreated males and females at a 1:1:10:10 ratio (untreated male:untreated female: treated male:treated female) significantly reduced egg hatch, and the number of first-generation offspring (F1) was small. The emergence of F2-moths per untreated F1 male and female moth was low, but these undesired fertile moths should be eliminated in order to achieve effective control. The results presented herein provide useful information on the impact of 150-Gy-treated male-only, versus releases of both treated males and females on untreated moths, which is essential to managing L. botrana populations with SIT/IS.