Catch of the Potato Psyllid Bactericera Cockerelli (Hemiptera: Triozidae) with Yellow Sticky Traps Covered with Mesh of Different Color and Size

Abstract

Bactericera cockerelli is a key pest in potato fields throughout the Americas. Yellow sticky traps are widely used for monitoring B. cockerelli within fields and regions. However, these traps lack specificity, which reduces their effectiveness and longevity. Using a mesh to cover their surface is a simple and efficient alternative to improve this limitation. Nevertheless, mesh traits may influence their effectiveness and there are currently no studies examining this for B. cockerelli. Two outdoor experiments were performed to evaluate the capture of B. cockerelli using twelve mesh colors and three sizes. Unmeshed traps were used as control. Additionally, the cleanliness of the traps (nontarget organisms and debris) was also evaluated. The experiments showed that yellow and medium (2.6 mm² hexagon-shape grooves)/large (4.5 mm² diamond-shape grooves) meshes did not significantly reduce the number of B. cockerelli caught and increased the trap cleanliness. Two additional experiments validated these traits. This study provides new useful insights for monitoring B. cockerelli with yellow traps.