IMPORTANT PARAMETERS IN MECHANICAL MANAGEMENT OF CAROB MOTH [APOMYELOIS (=ECTOMYELOIS) CERATONIAE ZELLER (LEP.: PYRALIDAE)] IN POMEGRANATE ORCHARDS: DETERMINATION OF OVERWINTERING POPULATION DENSITY AND INFESTATION RATE

Carob Moth [Apomyelois (=Ectomyelois) ceratoniae Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)] is a key pest in pomegranate orchards, Punica granatum L. (Myrtales: Punicaceae) in the Southeastern of Turkey. The pest causes significant damage and reduces marketability of fruits and is difficult to control using insecticides. The pest generally overwinters at different larval stages in infested pomegranate fruits. Therefore, infested fruits hanging on the trees or fallen on the ground are important for the Carob Moth's summer population in pomegranate orchards. This study was aimed to determine the infestation rate of A. ceratoniae and overwintering larvae population density of the pest on pomegranate fruits remaining on or under the trees. This study was carried out in two pomegranate orchards located in Şanlıurfa during 2015-2016 and 2016- 2017 winter periods. In the study, 20 hanging fruits and 20 fallen fruits (200 fruits per orchard per year) were collected in each row. The infested and noninfested fruits registered individually. The infested rate with Carob Moth was then calculated. Also, overwintering larvae numbers were determined from collected infested pomegranate fruits. As a result of the study, the maximum infestation rate of fallen fruits was determined as 52% while infested hanging fruits were determined as 25% in Central County in 2016-2017 winter. The minimum infestation rate of fallen and hanging fruits rate were determined as 26% and 12% in Suruç County in 2015- 2016 and 2016-2017 winter seasons respectively. The maximum overwintering larvae density of the pest was determined from fallen fruits as 120 larvae/ 100 infested fruits in Suruç in 2016-2017 winter. Conversely, the minimum overwintering larvae density of the pest was determined from hanging fruits in Suruç pomegranate orchard in the first working year with 40 larvae/100 infested fruits. Removal of those infested pomegranate fruits from the orchards in terms of mechanical management of A. ceratoniae in winter is very important to reduce the population density of the pest in spring and summer period in pomegranate orchards.