THE ATTRACTIVNESS OF BLACKLIGHTING TRAPS TOWARD AUTOGRAPHA GAMMA L. FEMALES

It is emphasized that experiences in earlier investigation (Zloković, Stančić, Tadić, 1958; Stančić, Tadić, 1960) were used as a base for organizing the experiments given in this paper. The obtained results from these investigations proved that in competition with different lights the highest attraction showed the ultraviolet light because it attracted the highest number of insects and insect species. So in the course of three years (1972-73-74) 320.019 insect specimens were caught. The investigations of blacklighting traps represent a field which is not exploited enough. It is fact that traps are very attractive for certain groups of insects among which there are some well-known pests in agriculture and forestry. Therefore, from the complex of obtained results this time, we have paid attantion to the some problems of very known pest A. gamma L. After experimental procedure one trap was installed in a small orchard of the Laboratory of Biological Control in Zemun, i. e. a typical agricultural environment and the second one, on the mountain Bukulja (100 km south of Belgrade, National Park), in the forest where beech, oak and yoke elm prevail. The results in 1972-73-74 showed the following: 1. As to the quality and quantity of the caught insects, the Noctuidae were the most numerous in coming to the blacklighting traps, such as: Noctua pronuba L., N. fimbriata Schz., N. orbona Hufn., N. janthina Schiff and especially Autographa gamma L. 2. It was dissected 3.266 moths of A. gamma L. From this number it was dissected and investigated the abdomen of 1.679 females and established the number of formed eggs in ovaria. The following was found: - immature females – 975; - fernales before oviposition 64. and with,oocytes; - Totally it was found 35.335 eggs. 3. Females flew to the traps at different stages of sexual maturity: immatune females, mature females before oviposition, females in the course of oviposition, females after oviposition. 4. The conclusion for practical use.is: The results given in this study represent a scientific base for the organizing the prognostic service against A. gamma L