Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE) Practice Exam

Pheromone traps are particularly effective in monitoring which types of stored product pests?

1. Termites and cockroaches

2. Indian meal moths and clothes moths

3. Ants and wasps

4. Flies and beetles

The correct answer is: Indian meal moths and clothes moths

Pheromone traps are specifically designed to attract certain insects that are responsive to specific chemical signals, or pheromones, released by those insects. Indian meal moths and clothes moths are both well-documented examples of stored product pests that utilize pheromones for communication, particularly for mating purposes. The Indian meal moth, for instance, is attracted to the pheromones released by female moths, allowing males to locate them from a distance for reproduction. Similarly, clothes moths use pheromones in a comparable manner as part of their mating rituals. This makes pheromone traps an effective tool for monitoring and detecting populations of these pests in stored products like grains and fabrics. While some of the other insect groups mentioned in the choices may also be monitored through various trapping methods, they do not primarily rely on pheromones in the same way that Indian meal moths and clothes moths do. As a result, pheromone traps are particularly useful for monitoring these specific types of stored product pests, enabling early detection and management actions before infestations can escalate.