Control methods and monitoring of Agriotes wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae)

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - The aim of this paper is to review and interpret relevant work on population monitoring, damage prediction, agronomic strategies, and chemical as well as...     

Feeding behaviour as a limiting step in insecticide absorption for the wireworm Agriotes sp. (Coleoptera: Elateridae)

The fipronil control of wireworms field populations (larval Agriotes sp., Coleoptera: Elateridae) is difficult because of the low integumental penetration rates of this insecticide into the target larval body. The main way of insecticide absorption being associated with food, analysis of the larval feeding behaviour is of key importance for designing a strategy of dietary chemical control of those subterranean pests. In this purpose, a standard method for assessing the long-term survival of field specimens in the laboratory was developed together with experimental designs for investigating food searching and choosing by larvae. Larval biological performances under those laboratory conditions were checked monthly. Three criteria were taken into account for measures: the duration of individual survival, the gain in average body weight, and the moulting rhythm. Experimentation revealed that seed flour was highly desired by larvae and that larval feeding choice was affected over short distances only. This suggests the involvement of dietary preference rather than attractivity in the larval feeding behaviour. This implies that, at the operational step, insecticide had better be associated to food, either as a coating on the seeds, or inside preferred baits.     

Identification of pheromones and optimization of bait composition for click beetle pests (Coleoptera: Elateridae) in Central and Western Europe

Based on analysis of pheromone gland extracts, highly attractive new baits have been developed for three click beetle pests. That for Agriotes brevis is a mixture of geranyl butanoate and (E,E)-farnesyl butanoate, and that for A rufipalpis and A sordidus contains geranyl hexanoate alone. From known data from species populating Russia, optimized bait compositions for species in Central and Western Europe were developed as follows: geranyl octanoate + geranyl butanoate for A lineatus, geranyl isovalerate for A litigiosus, geranyl hexanoate + geranyl octanoate for A obscurus, geranyl butanoate alone for A sputator and (E,E)-farnesyl acetate alone for A ustulatus. Although slight differences were found in gland contents with A litigiosus var laichartingi and fenotypus typicus, nevertheless there were no differences in response to the optimum bait. There were no differences in pheromone composition or response to the optimized bait between the two morphological forms ('black' and 'red') of A ustulatus. As a result of these studies, highly effective pheromone baits are now available for monitoring and population reduction in all important pest click beetle species in Central and Western Europe.     

金龟子绿僵菌小孢变种对筛胸梳爪叩甲幼虫致病力的生物测定

从筛胸梳爪叩甲Melanotus cribricollis僵死幼虫体内分离得到1株金龟子绿僵菌小孢变种Metarhizium anisopliae var.anisopliae菌株WP,首次采用拌土法对该菌寄生筛胸梳爪叩甲幼虫的致病力进行测定,并分析外界条件对绿僵菌致病力的影响。在WP菌株1×104~1×107孢子/g干土7个孢子浓度梯度下,随着浓度的提高,筛胸梳爪叩甲的校正死亡率从20%上升至100%。在15、20、25、30℃4个温度下,该菌对筛胸梳爪叩甲的致死率随着温度升高而上升。30℃时,筛胸梳爪叩甲死亡率达96.7%;当降至15℃,筛胸梳爪叩甲不会被寄生。在6%~18%土壤湿度条件下,土壤湿度的升高会提高WP菌株对筛胸梳爪叩甲的致死率,6%的土壤湿度不会导致该虫染病。     

松褐天牛的重要捕食性天敌──天牛霉纹斑叩甲

2003年至2006年对松材线虫病的主要传播媒介昆虫--松褐天牛的天敌昆虫进行了调查,在我国广东省首次发现了松褐天牛的一种重要捕食性天敌--天牛霉纹斑叩甲(Cryptalaus berus).对天牛霉纹斑叩甲的形态特征进行了描述;在室内条件下,观察研究了该天敌的捕食能力.结果显示,1头叩甲幼虫在130d的发育期里,累计捕食、杀死了27头松褐天牛幼虫,之后开始化蛹;另1头叩甲幼虫在138d的发育期里,累计捕食、杀死了19头松褐天牛幼虫.叩甲幼虫可在松褐天牛坑道之间转移捕食.     

萧氏松茎象林间诱捕技术的初步研究

应用纸型诱捕器进行林间萧氏松茎象成虫的诱捕试验。结果表明,在林间应用诱捕器防治萧氏松茎象以90个／hm^2的安装密度为宜,如作为监测手段则以45个／hm^2的安装密度为宜。在发生严重的林区安装诱捕器能有效控制萧氏松茎象种群。     

Biological traits and feeding capacity of Agriotes larvae (Coleoptera: Elateridae): A trial of seed coating to control larval populations with the insecticide fipronil

Until recently, the chemical control of phytophagous larvae of the genus Agriotes was exclusively achieved through soil treatment with insecticides. Under such conditions, the larvae receive the active ingredient (a.i.) by integumental penetration whilst moving through the subsurface soil. The selectivity of such treatments is only based on the biochemical selectivity of the a.i. which is generally very low across soil invertebrates. More recent a.i.s from new chemical families such as fiprols show not only a new biochemical mode of action but also a particular mode of penetration which is restricted to the digestive pathway. This allows a new type of selectivity, based on penetration after feeding, when the a.i. is associated with food. We demonstrate that Agriotes species, which are important pests for several crops, feed almost exclusively on the seeds of plant species. This dietary selectivity is based on appetency, rather than attractivity. The appetent molecules are mostly present in the seed’s acetonic powders but there is also an effect of the small lipophilic molecules extracted by the solvent. Taking into account the meal size and the feeding behaviour of the larvae, we show that when an insecticide such as fipronil is associated with food as a seed coating, much lower amounts of a.i. are required than those necessary in a full-soil treatment. The theoretical basis of this treatment, and limits to control Agriotes populations by such seed coatings are discussed.     

Development of strategies for monitoring indoxacarb and gel bait susceptibility in the German cockroach (Blattodea: Blattellidae)

BACKGROUND: Advion^® cockroach gel bait (6 g kg^?1 indoxacarb) is in widespread use for Blattella germanica (L.) control in the United States. However, baseline susceptibility levels to indoxacarb in German cockroach field populations are not known. Hence, this research sought to develop monitoring strategies to estimate the susceptibility of German cockroach populations to indoxacarb. RESULTS: Four bioassays were evaluated: topical lethal dose (LD), formulated gel bait lethal time (LT), vial lethal concentration (LC) and gel bait matrix LD. Of these methods, the vial LC and gel bait matrix LD bioassays were the most economical and relevant assessment strategies. For indoxacarb susceptibility monitoring, a two‐tiered approach was developed that utilizes diagnostic concentrations and doses in vial LC (30 and 60 µg vial^?1) and gel bait matrix LD (1.0, 1.5 and 2.5 µg insect^?1) formats. CONCLUSIONS: A two‐tiered susceptibility monitoring strategy was developed that includes testing field populations at diagnostic concentrations and doses in first‐tier vial LC bioassays and second‐tier gel bait matrix LD bioassays. The vial method facilitates rapid identification of field strains with reduced susceptibility. The feeding bioassay effectively simulates field exposure to Advion^® and therefore has utility for secondary confirmation of susceptibility shifts and identification of behavioral resistance (i.e. bait aversion). Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Damage pattern and status of the leaf miner Aphanisticus aeneus Kerremans (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) in Saccharum spp.

Biology, damage pattern, incidence levels and status of the leaf miner Aphanisticus aeneus Kerremans (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) were studied in accessions of Saccharum spp. Egg, grub and pupal periods of the miner lasted 6.0 ± 0.8, 18.5 ± 1.9 and 7.0 ± 1.3 days, respectively; adults lived for 8–10 days. The grub tunneled the leaf on the lower surface just above the epidermis forming a linear channel; infested tissues showed brownish discoloration. The extent of leaf miner attack among the 331 accessions of Saccharum spp. ranged 4.00%–76.47% on cane basis and 7.14%–100.00% on leaf basis; the mined leaf area ranged 3.22–11.00 cm². When the accessions were grouped on the basis of an infestation index developed with the above three parameters, 267 occupied very low category, 51 were in low category, 11 were in moderate category and 2 were placed in high incidence category. All accessions showed miner attack in at least one study year. Within each of the four Saccharum spp., accessions differed significantly among the three study years for all infestation parameters. Among the four species, while S. robustum accessions recorded significantly highest infestation index, the other three species remained on par.     

Sunflowers as a trap crop for reducing soybean losses to the stalk borer Dectes texanus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

Larvae of Dectes texanus LeConte cause significant losses to soybean production in the American High Plains by girdling the stalks of mature plants at their base, causing them to lodge. The authors demonstrated that cultivated sunflowers can reduce rates of D. texanus infestation in adjacent soybean fields because adult females prefer sunflower over soybean for feeding and oviposition. Since females do not avoid ovipositing in plants already containing their own eggs or those of conspecific females, sunflower plants can accumulate multiple eggs, and subsequent larval combat typically results in the survival of only one. In west central Kansas, planting one half of a center pivot irrigated field to sunflower in 2004 significantly reduced infestation of soybean plants in the other half of the field within 200 m of the crop border. Beyond 200 m from the sunflowers, the rate of soybean infestation increased significantly. Planting sunflowers in the non-irrigated corners of a center pivot irrigated soybean field in 2005 reduced D. texanus infestation of soybeans by 65% compared with a control field without adjacent sunflowers. Surrounding a 0.33 ha soybean field with six rows of sunflowers in 2006 reduced soybean infestation to < 5% of plants, compared with 96% of sunflower plants. These results reveal that sunflowers can reduce D. texanus infestation in adjacent soybeans by acting as an 'ovipositional sink'. Further research is warranted to determine the optimum crop area proportions and spatial configurations that will maximize the efficacy of a sunflower trap crop to reduce soybean losses due to D. texanus-induced lodging.     

Potential for a sticky trap monitoring system for the diamondback moth (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae) on cabbages in Indonesia

Experiments on the development of a sticky trap monitoring system for the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.), were carried out in six cabbage fields (two in each of three villages) in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. This region is characterized by small, closely‐situated, fields. Yellow cardboard traps with a sticky upper surface were placed 10 cm below the crop canopy, four traps per field, and were maintained throughout the 1991 growing season. Larvae were sampled weekly in quadrats centred around each trap. One village where continuous cabbage growing occurred had higher P. xylostella populations than the other two villages, where growing is discontinuous. Although the relationship between trap catches and larval populations for individual fields was weak, the relationship between catches in all fields pooled and larval populations 2 weeks later was very strong, suggesting that a region‐wide predictive system would be feasible. An increase in larval numbers as distance from the traps increased further suggests that sticky traps may have potential for use in mass trapping.     

Resistance to diclofop-methyl in two Lolium spp. populations from Italy: studies on the mechanism of resistance

The mechanisms of herbicide resistance were investigated in two diclofop-methyl-resistant Lolium spp. populations from central Italy, Roma '94 and Tuscania '97. These two populations were compared with two susceptible Italian populations (Vetralla '94, Tarquinia '97) and a resistant and a susceptible population from Australia, SLR31 and VLR1. The activity of acetyl Co-A carboxylase (ACCase) extracted from susceptible (S) or resistant (R) individuals from the Italian populations was inhibited by both aryloxyphenoxypropanoate (diclofop acid and fluazifop acid) and cyclohexanedione (sethoxydim) herbicides. Diclofop-methyl was rapidly de-esterified to diclofop acid at a similar rate in both R and S populations. In all populations, diclofop acid was subsequently degraded to other metabolites. The rate of degradation of diclofop acid was not significantly faster in R than in S populations; however, diclofop acid was degraded more completely in Roma '94 and Tuscania '97 compared with the S populations. Application of the mixed-function oxidase inhibitor 1-aminobenzotriazole (ABT) significantly enhanced diclofop-methyl toxicity towards both R populations, but not in S populations. However, enhanced herbicide metabolism does not completely account for the measured resistance level. A mechanism other than an altered ACCase and enhanced herbicide metabolism appears to be responsible for resistance to diclofop-methyl in Roma '94 and Tuscania '97.     

Pyrethroid resistance monitoring in European populations of pollen beetle (Meligethes spp.): a coordinated approach through the Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC)

BACKGROUND: Pollen beetle (Meligethes spp.) is a major pest of European oilseed rape crops. Its resistance to pyrethroid insecticides has been recorded in samples of beetles collected in Europe since at least 1999, and problems with the control of the beetle in the field have been widely reported. In 2007, a Pollen Beetle Working Group was formed through the Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC) in order to coordinate efforts for surveying pyrethroid resistance development. RESULTS: The results of the first 3 years of the pollen beetle pyrethroid susceptibility survey using a laboratory test are presented in this paper. Resistant beetle samples were collected from 20 of the 21 countries surveyed, with a general trend of increasing frequency and spread of resistant samples in European oilseed‐rape‐growing regions. CONCLUSION: Pyrethroid‐resistant beetles dominate in Western and Central Europe and are becoming established in the North and East, the main oilseed‐rape‐growing areas of Europe. The development and spread of pyrethroid‐resistant pollen beetles highlights the need for effective management strategies for oilseed rape insect pests. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Resistance to neonicotinoid insecticides in field populations of the Colorado potato beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

BACKGROUND: Neonicotinoid insecticides were first used commercially for Colorado potato beetle [Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae] control in the United States in 1995, and since then have been critical for management of this pest. Field populations from the northeastern and midwestern United States were tested from 1998 to 2010 for susceptibility to imidacloprid and thiamethoxam using standard topical dose assays with adults. RESULTS: From 1998 to 2001, imidacloprid resistance was present in only a few locations in the eastern United States. By 2003, imidacloprid resistance was common in the northeastern Unites States. In 2004, imidacloprid resistance in Colorado potato beetle was detected for the first time in the midwestern United States. In 2003, the first case of resistance to thiamethoxam was found in a population from Massachusetts. Neonicotinoid resistance in summer‐generation adults was higher than in overwintered adults from the same locations. By 2009, 95% of the populations tested from the northeastern and midwestern United States had significantly higher LD₅₀ values for imidacloprid than the susceptible population. CONCLUSIONS: The increasing resistance to neonicotinoid insecticides raises concerns for the continued effective management of Colorado potato beetles in potatoes and highlights the need for more rigorous practice of integrated pest management methods. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Optimizing components of pheromone-baited trap for the management of red palm weevil,Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in date palm agro-ecosystem

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - The red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier), is managed in date palm groves, inter alia, with food-baited pheromone traps. Laboratory...