Pheromone traps: analysing the factors helpful in mitigating the use of chemical insecticides for sustainable practices in storing food product commodities

Abstract

Stored product insects, such as Tribolium castaneum, are responsible for significant economic losses globally by infesting grains and processed food commodities during storage. Their life cycle—from egg to larva, pupa, and adult—continues within the stored products, resulting in contamination, spoilage, and depreciation of commercial value. The use of chemical insecticides recurrently reduces the commercial value of the products. This narrative review summarizes current knowledge on pheromone-based trapping techniques for T. castaneum, with a focus on factors that influence trap efficacy, including trap design, environmental variables, and insect physiological states. It evaluates internal (e.g., starvation, prior captures) and external (e.g., airflow, lighting, surface type) parameters affecting capture dynamics, while highlighting recent innovations such as modified trap geometries and spatial mapping tools. Although aggregation pheromones show promise for monitoring, their limited dispersal and interaction with food odors restrict their utility for mass control. This review identifies gaps in trap standardization, pheromone formulation, and behavioral understanding, and recommends a shift toward integrated monitoring systems supported by IoT tools and improved trap designs. Ultimately, pheromone trapping can support sustainable pest management by reducing dependency on broad-spectrum chemical fumigants.