Laboratory and field studies were conducted to study the mating and presence of typical lepidopteran sex pheromone in sweetpotato vine borer (SPVB), Omphisa anastomasalis (Guenee), a pest of sweet potato in Asia and the Pacific. SPVB adults emerged from the pupae mainly between 7 PM and midnight. Mating peaked between 1:30 AM and 2:30 AM. One- to 5-day old virgin females attracted males but 3- to 4-day olds attracted more males than others. One- to 5-day old males were receptive to mating. Traps baited with virgin females attracted males and within a range of 2 to 6, the more the females per trap, the more males attracted. Traps baited with two virgin females attracted 25% of the intentionally released males from up to 20 m from the trap; lesser insects were attracted from 30 and 40 m. Sex pheromones of seven other pyralids were not active against SPVB. Preoviposition period lasted 30.3± 10.4 hours and during the oviposition period of 4 to 8 days, the insect, on the average, laid 211±82 eggs.
甘藷螟蛾(Omphisa anastomasalis)為亞洲及太平洋地區甘薯之重要害蟲。本文乃研究甘薯螟蛾在室內及田間之交尾習性及對性費洛蒙之反應。甘薯螟蛾羽化時間主要在7:00 PM至12:00 PM,交尾高峰在1:30 PM至2:30 PM之間。1至5日齡處女蛾對雄蛾皆具誘引作用,其中以3至4日齡處女蛾之誘引數較多,而1至5日齡雄蛾皆可被誘引。誘蟲盒內處女蛾數為2至6隻時,其誘引雄蛾數隨其數目之增加而增加。誘蟲盒內放兩隻處女蛾在距離20公尺內之標識雄蛾回收率為25%,而有少數標識雄蛾在30至40公尺處仍可被誘引。七種不同螟蛾科之性費洛蒙對甘薯螟蛾並無誘引效果。甘薯螟蛾之產卵前期為30.3±10.4小時,而產卵期則為4至8日,且雌蛾平均一隻可產211±82粒卵。