Diamondback moth / Plutella xylostella

Cabbage moth has 4-5 generations per year, depending on temperature. The first butterflies appear in spring in May. The eggs are laid alone or in small groups on the underside of the leaves. The initially mining larvae attack the leaves by rubbing the leaf tissue between the two epidermis, after which they pass on the lower part of the leaves where they feed. Around the end of June - beginning of July, butterflies appear that give birth to the second generation. Females can lay up to 300 eggs in total. The larvae hatch in about six to seven days.

It is a dangerous pest of cultivated crucifers, causing great damage especially to cabbage. The attacked leaves acquire a leaden appearance. In years with large invasions, the larvae can produce irregular perforations in the leaves and even heads. It is recommended to use pheromone traps to identify the pest as early as possible to start mass trapping.

Proper use of Pheromone Traps:

The pheromone trap is designed to monitor and reduce pest numbers. In order to determine the population density of pest insects and to identify pest outbreaks (monitoring), it is recommended to use 1 trap per 1 ha.

The trap should be placed in near the culture at a height of 0,20-0,30 m.  Prior to the first flight of the butterflies, the traps must be checked on a daily basis, and after the first butterflies have been captured, the traps must be checked every 5-7 days. Pheromone dispensers can be changed after 4-6 weeks and sticky tapes can be replaced when is full with pests and dust. Protective measures are based on the results of the monitoring of population density of pest insects.

Trap placement:

For mass capture and sterilization of males, it is recommended to have more than 20 traps per hectare. In case of a large number of pest insects use 30 traps per 1 ha.