Luring Biscuit Beetles (Coleoptera: Anobiidae) Away From Dried Ornamental Plants

Monitoring of insect pest activity with the use of sticky blunder traps (sometimes with an attractant) is routinely carried out in the food industry and other businesses. Biscuit beetles (Stegobium paniceum) can be a significant pest but, there have been few commercially available species specific traps. Monitoring for Stegobium paniceum has been limited to visual inspection, the use of generic sticky blunder traps, or captures in electric flying insect control units. In collaboration with Acheta Consulting Ltd, The Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) herbarium at RHS Garden Wisley has recently taken part in a very small trial of a pheromone lure, currently commercially unavailable in the UK, to attract male Stegobium paniceum. The herbarium contains over 83,000 ornamental plant specimens that have been pressed, dried and mounted on thick card. Most specimens have not been treated with any pesticide, and are contained within sealed metal cabinets in a small room that has open access to other rooms. The herbarium suite is not environmentally controlled. Although the specimens are annually frozen (a rolling programme), a population of Stegobium paniceum have been able to survive in the collection area. This made the herbarium ideal to trial the pheromone lure. The trial was undertaken during August and September 2016. As part of the trial, the pheromone lures were not stuck on glue traps provided by the manufacturer of the lure, or presented in the orientation suggested by the manufacturer. Lures were stuck on to alternative commercially available crawling insect monitor glue pads, held within a hanging frame and hung around the collection area. Identical traps lacking the lures were placed near the lured traps. Results indicate that Stegobium paniceum were attracted to the lured traps in preference to the traps that were free of the pheromone lures. Beetles were still being caught after the manufacturers recommended renewal time, indicating the potential effectiveness of the pheromone lure. Captures within the traps have indicated where the problem is likely to be and has shown the pheromone to be a promising tool in the fight against Stegobium paniceum in a herbarium collection.