Research was carried out in High Tatra and Low Tatra Mountains in 2009. It was aimed to compare the efficiency of two types of pheromone traps (Lindgren funnel trap and Theysohn trap), two types of lures (Ipslure and Pheroprax A) to control the spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus), characterize flight activity pattern of I. typographus and identify bark beetle species caught in traps. Altogether 40 traps were set up for bark beetles (16 traps in Low Tatra Mountains and 24 traps in High Tatra Mountains). Lindgren funnel traps yielded higher catches of I. typographus (by 18.2% on average) than Theysohn traps, although this was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The traps baited with Pheroprax A caught a total of 3,833 individuals of I. typographus per trap, those baited with Ipslure 1,587 individuals per trap. In this particular case, the difference in the bark beetle catches between the two lures was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The flight pattern of I. typographus in both mountain areas was similar. It showed great decrease in abundance of flying individuals of I. typographus as a result of low temperatures in the middle of June. Flight patterns of the bark beetle in the two mountain areas were similar to those documented from other sites monitored in Slovakia over the growing season 2009. Altogether 25 bark beetle species (22 species in High Tatra Mts., 18 species in Low Tatra Mts.) and 1,066,494 individuals were caught. I. typographus was the dominant scolytid species in traps (over one million adults caught). Other important (abundant) bark beetles included Pityogenes chalcographus (15,914 adults), Xyloterus lineatus (2,008 adults), Dryocoetes autographus (308 adults), Hylastes cunicularius (421 adults), Hylurgops palliatus (227 adults), Orthotomicus laricis (77 adults), Crypturgus cinereus (76 adults), Polygraphus poligraphus (45 adults), followed by other less abundant and less important bark beetle species.
