ABSTRACT
1008More than 22 lepidopteran species have been investigated as candidates for control using the sterile insect technique (SIT) or inherited sterility (IS). However, to date only three programmes have been operationalized on a large-scale. The pink bollworm programme was successful at eradication across a broad swath of the cotton production area in south-western USA and northern Mexico by operating an area-wide control programme across this region using a combination of Bt-cotton, mating disruption, sanitation, and the SIT. The codling moth suppression programme in British Columbia, Canada, and the false codling moth in South Africa, have both been successful at effective suppression of the pest populations, reducing insecticide use, and improving interactions between growers and the general public. Other smaller-scale programmes against outbreaks of gypsy moth, cactus moth, and painted apple moth have also been successful, contributing to local eradications of invasive populations. New programmes are being investigated for managing a range of other target pests, including European grapevine moth in Chile, sugar cane borer in South Africa, tomato leafminer (for glasshouse populations in Europe), carob or date moth in North Africa, and naval orangeworm in California. Methods to further reduce the cost of lepidopteran programmes might include combining the SIT/IS with other environment-friendly pest control tactics such as mating disruption or the release of natural enemies, the development of genetic sexing strains, or the application of molecular technologies to develop genetic markers, genetic sexing, and genetic sterility. In the future, the greatest potential for impact of lepidopteran SIT/IS programmes may be in combating key invasive threats, with examples such as the eradication of an outbreak of the painted apple moth in New Zealand and the cactus moth in Mexico, or by adding an additional tool to pest control programmes where the use of insecticides may be limited by the development of resistance or the objection by residents in urban areas to ongoing treatments.
