Inoculative release strategies of Macrolophus pygmaeus Rambur (Hemiptera: Miridae) in tomato crops: population dynamics and dispersal

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - Macrolophus pygmaeus Rambur (Hemiptera: Miridae) is a key biological control agent in greenhouse tomato crops. In the present study, we describe the...     

Occurrence,ecology and potential impact of the New Zealand wheat bug Nysius huttoni White (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) in Belgium

In 2002 the New Zealand wheat bug Nysius huttoni White was observed for the first time in the Netherlands and Belgium. The introduction of N. huttoni to these regions presumably occurred via overseas transport of apple and kiwi fruits from New Zealand. Laboratory experiments showed that both eggs and adults of N. huttoni were capable of surviving cold conditions similar to those in overseas transportation. Specimens were sampled in Belgium and the Netherlands, and a DNA sequence analysis indicated a 100% similarity with N. huttoni material collected in Christchurch, New Zealand. The distribution of the lygaeid in Belgium in 2008 was studied based on a systematic sampling at 105 locations. The bug had been able to spread over most of the Belgian territory, with the exception of the most southern and eastern provinces. Given the poor flight capacity of Belgian N. huttoni populations, other methods of dispersal may be involved. N. huttoni occurred primarily in ruderal habitats, and its weedy host plants belong to very common plant families. Several observations support N. huttoni not being a threat for agricultural crops in Belgium under the present conditions of climate and soil usage.     

Evolution of cacao-pests over a six year period

During a six year period (1991–1996) 284 cacao samples have been inspected for pests. Twenty six different taxa have been observed, but five of them represent 92% of the total population:Ahasverus advena, Carpophilus obsoletes, Cryptolestes ferrugineus, Ephestia cautella andTribolium castaneum. Over the total period, a trend cannot be shown neither in the number of pests nor in the number of taxa. The change of the composition of the population is mainly due to the substitution ofA. advena byC. ferrigineus and later byC. obsoletes. Both Hill’s indices are increasing during the first five years.     

HarmVect – a simulation‐based tool for pathway risk maps of invasive arthropods in Belgium

HarmVect is a tool simulating the introduction of arthropods into Belgium. The tool is designed to guide the user to divide the complex arrival of the arthropod into all its potential pathways, which in turn are further subdivided into individual pathway segments. These manageable pathway segments are then used to specify which detailed data the user needs to gather to input into the tool. This information is used to simulate the magnitude of the arthropod population during the successive pathway segments throughout each potential introduction pathway. The tool simulates the fluctuating propagule pressure throughout the successive segments of each pathway to calculate risk indices, which are then used to generate pathway risk maps of the arthropod for Belgium. The tool generates 2 types of pathway risk map: (a) a point of entry pathway (POE) risk map consisting of concentrated hotspots relating to the arthropod's entry at national borders, and (b) a point of appearance (POA) pathway risk map, succeeding the POE and visualizing the locations and level at which undetected propagules of the arthropod are exposed to the outside environment throughout Belgium. In conclusion, the tool produces an establishment risk map for the arthropods, which is generated by combining the POA with a map of climate suitability and host availability.