Climatic factors affecting the catches of potato tuber moth <i>Phthorimaea operculella</i> (Zell.) (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae) at a pheromone trap

AbstractA pheromone trap fitted with an automatic recording device to separate hourly catches of males of Phthorimaea operculella (Zell.) is described. Field experiments in Cyprus showed that when the trap was baited with virgin females peak catches occurred shortly before or 1–2 h after sunset; catches increased with wind speed in the range 0·1—4·7 ms-1, decreased with higher relative humidities in the range 62–92%, and were not affected by temperature.</jats:p