Objective To develop a plant volatiles-based attracticide against Tetramesa phyllostrachitis and T. bambusae, and to optimize the factors affecting the efficiency of trapping.

Method The attractiveness of 7 candidate attractants were assessed, the effects of different heights and trap types on the efficiency of trapping were compared, and the population dynamics of the 2 species of pests in Phyllostachys praecox forest were monitored.

Result The amount of T. phyllostrachitis trapped by methyl salicylate, cis-3-hexen-1-ol and 1 000 times dilution of trans-2-hexenal were 154.40±129.04, 35.20±35.75 and 24.00±20.30, respectively, which were significantly more than that of the control group (P<0.05). The amount of T. bambusae trapped by 1 000 times dilution of trans-2-hexenal, 10 000 times dilution of cis-3-hexen-1-ol and 1 000 times dilution of β-ionone were 29.50±28.43, 25.67±16.26 and 20.25±3.95, respectively, which were significantly more than that of the control group (P<0.05). The amount of gall-inducing pests trapped in the upper and medium layers of the canopy were significantly more than that in the lower layers of the canopy (P<0.05), but no significant difference was observed in the amount of gall-inducing pests trapped in the upper and medium layers of the canopy (P>0.05). The amount of gall-inducing pests trapped by different types of trap had significantly different (P<0.05), the wing traps caught more pest than delta traps (P<0.05), while delta traps caught more than bucket traps (P<0.05), fly traps (P<0.05) and moth traps (P<0.05).

Conclusion From late April to early May, more T. phyllostrachitis and T. bambusae can be trapped by wing traps, when the traps are suspended in the middle or upper layers of canopy, and the mixture of methyl salicylate and cis-3-hexen-1-ol at a ratio of 30:1 is used as attractant.