Aversion of the feral pigeon and the house sparrow to pellets and sprouts treated with commercial formulations of methyl anthranilate

Two methyl anthranilate formulations, ReJex‐iT® TP‐40 and AG‐36, were tested as bird‐repelling agents for animal feed and vegetable sprouts, respectively. Feral pigeons (Columba livia) and house sparrows (Passer domesticus) are important pests of animal husbandry and field crops in Israel. In each 4‐day experiment, four birds were held together in an aviary, and were offered four trays or dishes with animal feed or cauliflower sprouts in four corners of the cage. The trays and dishes were transposed daily in a Latin square sequence. Pigeons consumed significantly more untreated feed than treated feed. When no alternative untreated food was offered, there was no significant repellency. Treatment of animal feed with TP‐40 to give 2.0 ml methyl anthranilate kg^?1 or less had no repellent effect on sparrows. Concentrations of 4.0 ml kg^?1 or more repelled the sparrows significantly. When no untreated feed was presented, pigeons and sparrows preferred the lowest concentration of methyl anthranilate presented. When AG‐36 was tested on vegetable sprouts, the sparrows tended significantly to avoid the highest concentration used—14.5 ml methyl anthranilate litre^?1 spray. The inter‐specific differences between the birds indicate that the efficacy of methyl anthranilate formulations as a repellent has to be specified for every species. This study did not determine (1) the possibility of developing habituation, (2) the behaviour of birds under natural conditions in the field, or (3) the influence of the feeding behaviour of a sympatric bird species on the repellency of methyl anthranilate to other species. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Review of anthraquinone applications for pest management and agricultural crop protection

We have reviewed published anthraquinone applications for international pest management and agricultural crop protection from 1943 to 2016. Anthraquinone (AQ) is commonly found in dyes, pigments and many plants and organisms. Avian repellent research with AQ began in the 1940s. In the context of pest management, AQ is currently used as a chemical repellent, perch deterrent, insecticide and feeding deterrent in many wild birds, and in some mammals, insects and fishes. Criteria for evaluation of effective chemical repellents include efficacy, potential for wildlife hazards, phytotoxicity and environmental persistence. As a biopesticide, AQ often meets these criteria of efficacy for the non‐lethal management of agricultural depredation caused by wildlife. We summarize published applications of AQ for the protection of newly planted and maturing crops from pest birds. Conventional applications of AQ‐based repellents include preplant seed treatments [e.g. corn (Zea mays L.), rice (Oryza sativa L.), sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), wheat (Triticum spp.), millet (Panicum spp.), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.), pelletized feed and forest tree species] and foliar applications for rice, sunflower, lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), turf, sugar beets (Beta vulgaris L.), soybean (Glycine max L.), sweet corn and nursery, fruit and nut crops. In addition to agricultural repellent applications, AQ has also been used to treat toxicants for the protection of non‐target birds. Few studies have demonstrated AQ repellency in mammals, including wild boar (Sus scrofa, L.), thirteen‐lined ground squirrels (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus, Mitchill), black‐tailed prairie dogs (Cyomys ludovicainus, Ord.), common voles (Microtus arvalis, Pallas), house mice (Mus musculus, L.), Tristram's jirds (Meriones tristrami, Thomas) and black rats (Rattus rattus L.). Natural sources of AQ and its derivatives have also been identified as insecticides and insect repellents. As a natural or synthetic biopesticide, AQ is a promising candidate for many contexts of non‐lethal and insecticidal pest management. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.     

4种植物精油对瓜实蝇毒杀及驱避作用

瓜实蝇 Bactrocera cucurbitae (Copullett)是我国瓜类蔬菜的重要入侵害虫, 为筛选出对瓜实蝇具有毒杀及驱避作用的植物精油, 室内测定了4种植物精油在不同浓度下对瓜实蝇的毒杀及产卵驱避效果, 并进行了田间验证。结果表明:4种植物精油对瓜实蝇成虫的毒杀效果随精油浓度升高而升高, 浓度为7 mg/mL和10 mg/mL的肉桂精油对瓜实蝇的毒杀效果极显著高于其他精油, 处理后24 h瓜实蝇校正死亡率分别为75.9%和100%;雌虫对冬青精油的嗅觉反应率为93.3%, 显著高于紫苏精油和山苍子精油。不同植物精油对雌虫产卵的驱避效果不同，当植物精油浓度为10 mg/mL时, 冬青精油对雌虫的产卵驱避率为69.04%, 显著高于其他精油。田间试验结果显示:不同植物精油对瓜实蝇成虫具有一定防控效果, 但处理间差异不显著, 可能是由于田间环境复杂、植物精油理化性质存在差异等因素导致。     

Résumés français: Resumes espanoles

Abstract

Laboratory studies were conducted, using a millet grain bait, to estimate the minimum concentration of 4‐aminopyridine (4‐AP) needed to produce abnormal behaviour and distress calls in house sparrows (Passer domesticus L.). Three concentrations (0.50, 0.75 and 1.0%) were tested and three doses (6, 18 and 30 mg) were administered by forcing birds to eat one, three or five treated grains. There were differences among the three concentrations in time from dosing to first distress call and in abnormal behaviour, but not in the duration and number of distress calls. At each concentration different doses had different effects. Males emitted more and higher pitched distress calls than did females. It is concluded that concentrations of 0.75 and 1.0% could be effective in reducing damage to cereal crops by house sparrows in Pakistan. The calculated LD₅₀ was 5.9 mg/kg (4.5–7.7 mg/kg, 95% confidence limits).     

Preference of birds for zinc phosphide bait formulations

BACKGROUND: Zinc phosphide baits are used for controlling pest rodents but are also highly toxic to other vertebrates. The base for rodent baits containing zinc phosphide is usually wheat kernels which are highly attractive to birds. In this study, wheat-based pellets of different shapes and colours without zinc phosphide were tested for their attractiveness for pigeons (Columba livia Gmelin) and Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica Temm. & Schleg.) in aviaries and for pigeons and corvids (Corvus monedula L., Corvus corone L., Pica pica L.) in the field. RESULTS: In aviaries, wheat was clearly preferred over other bait. In the field, some bait formulations were avoided by birds in certain conditions. However, no formulation was avoided consistently across species to lower the potential uptake of zinc phosphide below the LD(50) for highly susceptible bird species (8 mg kg(-1) body weight). The formulations that were not rapidly eaten by birds (blue granules, red lentil-shaped pellets) were not avoided consistently at low and high vegetative cover.CONCLUSIONS: The bait formulations tested may not considerably enhance the safety of birds when using zinc phosphide for rodent control. Field testing other combinations of bait colour and shape to minimise background contrast may result in bait with higher potential for bird protection.     

茉莉酸诱导小麦幼苗对麦蚜取食行为的影响

茉莉酸可诱导小麦品种郑州891的防御反应，使麦长管蚜Sitobion avenae(F.)和禾谷缢管蚜Rhopalosiphum padi(L.)的取食行为发生明显改变。尽管此两种蚜虫在正常的小麦相干株上取食的EPG各波型参数出现的次数及历时变化较大，但经茉莉酸诱导后，都再现了NP波次数和历时显著增加、E1与E2波历时明显缩短、首次出现E1波时间显著延长以及口针在细胞间穿刺频率明显升高等变化。这说明茉莉酸诱导后，郑州891的取食适合度降低，其机理与茉莉酸诱导产生挥发性的蚜虫取食拒避剂及诱导维管液营养成份的改变有关。试验还证实；麦长管蚜和禾谷缢管蚜的嗅觉和味觉感受器在其对寄主植物适合度的鉴别中共同起作用；植物适合度不能仅由1－2个EPG波形参数作为指示因子，要视具体情况全面分析，才能得出可靠的结论。     

Decoding attraction: Improving vine weevil monitoring by exploiting key sensory cues

BACKGROUND

Monitoring is an integral component of integrated pest management (IPM) programmes used to inform crop management decisions. Vine weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus F. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), continues to cause economically significant losses in horticultural crops due to an inability to reliably detect the presence of this species before crop damage occurs. To improve vine weevil monitoring we investigated the behavioural responses of adult vine weevils to visual (monitoring tool shade/colour, height and diameter as well as the effect of monitoring tool and plant density) and olfactory (host plant and conspecifics) cues under glasshouse conditions.

RESULTS

Monitoring tool shade, height and diameter all influenced monitoring tool efficacy, with individuals exhibiting a preference for black, tall and wide monitoring tools. The total number of individuals recorded in monitoring tools increased with monitoring tool density. By contrast, plant density did not influence the number of individuals recorded in monitoring tools. Yew-baited monitoring tools retained a larger number of individuals compared to unbaited ones. Similarly, more vine weevils were recorded in monitoring tools baited with yew and conspecifics than in unbaited monitoring tools or those baited with only yew. Baiting monitoring tools with conspecifics alone did not enhance the number of vine weevils recorded in monitoring tools.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study confirms that visual and olfactory cues influence vine weevil behaviour. This provides information on key factors that influence vine weevil monitoring tool efficacy and can be used to inform the development of a new monitoring tool for this pest. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.     

Sublethal effect of Beauveria bassiana on feeding and fecundity of the sunn pest,Eurygaster integriceps Puton (Hemiptera: Scutelleridae)

The sunn pest, Eurygaster integriceps Puton, is a major pest of wheat in West and Central Asia. Studies were conducted to investigate the effect of Beauveria bassiana (teleomorph; Cordyceps bassiana) isolates on the sunn pest. Bioassays were done with adult insects collected from overwintering sites at three different times. The effect of sublethal doses of fungi on the insects’ feeding and fecundity was determined. When the sunn pest adults were treated with 2 × 10⁷ conidia mL^?1, all isolates caused significant sunn pest mortality varying between 24 and 100% 12 days after inoculation. There were significant differences between mortality, depending on the date of fungal application. Adult sunn pests treated with B. bassiana at sublethal concentrations caused significantly less damage to wheat leaves than sunn pests in the control. The number of eggs laid by the sunn pest was significantly fewer when wheat plots in plastic greenhouse and field cages were infested with adult sunn pests treated at sublethal concentrations, compared with sunn pests in control plots. Results show that sublethal dosages of B. bassiana reduced sunn pest feeding and fecundity. Applying B. bassiana in sunn pest overwintering sites minimizes the pest populations, which would move to wheat fields in spring.     

肉桂精油对辣椒疫霉菌的生物活性

为了研究肉桂精油对辣椒疫霉菌Phytophthora capsici的生物活性,离体条件下测定了肉桂精油对辣椒疫霉菌各个生长发育阶段的影响;观察了处理后供试菌菌丝形态结构的变化;测定了对菌丝体细胞膜通透性的影响;盆栽试验测定了药剂对辣椒疫病的防治效果。结果表明,肉桂精油对辣椒疫霉菌菌丝生长的有效中浓度（EC₅₀）为111.89 mg/L;对病菌孢子囊产生的EC₅₀为61.09 mg/L;对孢子囊萌发的EC₅₀为95.14 mg/L;对游动孢子萌发的EC₅₀为54.88 mg/L。肉桂精油可显著降低辣椒疫霉菌菌丝的鲜重和干重,并使菌丝分支增多、变短;亦能提高该菌的细胞膜通透性。盆栽试验表明,肉桂精油对辣椒疫病具有很好的保护和治疗作用。可见,肉桂精油对辣椒疫霉菌具有明显的抑制作用,在防治辣椒疫病上具有较大的应用潜力。     

Laboratory trials of fatty acids as repellents or antifeedants against houseflies,horn flies and stable flies (Diptera: Muscidae)

BACKGROUND: Straight‐chain, saturated fatty acids (particularly C8, C9 and C10) have some known behavioral effects on insects such as mosquitoes, and were tested in combination for potential repellency/antifeedant activity in bioassays against three significant muscoid flies of medical/veterinary importance: houseflies, horn flies and stable flies. RESULTS: Mixtures of C8, C9 and C10 (1:1:1; 15% total actives in formulation) were highly repellent to houseflies and horn flies at or below 1 mg formulation cm^?2. Repellency time varied from < 1 day for houseflies to usually at least 3 days for horn flies. Individual longer‐chain‐length fatty acids were tested, and C11 repelled houseflies for up to 5–8 days, while C12 lasted 2 days. Minimum statistically significant repellency levels of the C8, C9 and C10 mixture (3 h after application) against horn flies were 0.06–0.12 mg cm^?2. A liquid formulation of the 15% C8, C9 and C10 mixture in a silicone oil carrier (at 2.8 mg AI cm^?2) was highly repellent against hungry stable flies in a blood‐feeding membrane bioassay for at least 8 h. CONCLUSION: The low toxicity and reasonable activity and persistence of these carboxylic acids make them good candidates for development as protective materials against pest flies in livestock settings. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

The Problem of Protecting Crops Against Harmful Birds in Poland

From the point of view of Polish agriculture, the rook (Corpus frugilegus L.) causes the most damage. Jackdaws (C. monedula L.) usually forage together with rooks and are equally abundant as a breeding species in the southern and central regions of Poland. Fields under spring oats, barley, wheat, maize, peas and winter wheat are the main feeding grounds of rooks and jackdaws. Unlike the corvine birds, starlings (Sturnus vulgaris L.), in Poland, only cause damage to cherry orchards, although in certain areas they also attack strawberries and currants. The house sparrows (Passer domesticus L.) cause considerable damage to ripening crops of wheat, barley, and sunflowers. Domestic pigeons cause considerable damage to crops of peas, wheat and maize grown within a 50 km radius of a town.     

蚜虫嗅觉行为及昆虫嗅觉信号转导途径研究进展

综述了蚜虫较典型的3种嗅觉行为即报警信息素反应、植物挥发物对蚜虫的引诱行为和驱避行为以及嗅觉在寄主定位中的作用,结合由G蛋白介导的昆虫嗅觉信号转导途径的研究现状,从一个全新的角度总结了近年来针对蚜虫嗅觉反应及其机制的研究进展。文章还就麦蚜嗅觉信号转导途径研究的可行性及意义进行了讨论。     

肉桂精油对4种重要果蔬病原真菌的生物活性研究

为进一步明确肉桂精油的农用抑菌活性,采用菌丝生长速率法、孢子萌发法和活体组织法系统测试了其对番茄灰霉病菌、苹果青霉病菌、番茄茎枯病菌和黄瓜镰刀菌4种重要果蔬病原真菌的抑菌活性。结果表明,肉桂精油对番茄灰霉病菌的抑制效果较好。离体活性测试中,肉桂精油对4种供试菌菌丝生长的抑制中浓度（EC50）分别为272.17、324.78、316.24、326.95 mg/L;对4种供试菌孢子萌发的EC50分别为196.01、273.52、390.44、311.23 mg/L。果实针刺法试验结果表明,在10 g/L处理剂量下,肉桂精油对番茄灰霉病的治疗作用和保护作用分别为64.16%和34.90%（3 d）,保护作用与对照药剂1 g/L腐霉利无显著差异。     

Quantitative impact assessment of spray coverage and pest behavior on contact pesticide performance

BACKGROUND: Standard procedures for evaluation of pesticide performance do not take into account pest behavioral response or incomplete spray coverage. In this study, a series of laboratory experiments was conducted with two non‐systemic miticides (propargite and hexythiazox) applied to cotyledon cotton plants, which were subsequently infested with spider mites. The results of these laboratory experiments are discussed through a comprehensive pest population dynamics model. RESULTS: When cotton leaves were submerged in miticide solutions, both miticides provided effective control of spider mites. In a two‐choice test it was demonstrated that propargite was repellent to spider mites, but not hexythiazox. Finally, the spray coverage on cotton plants was varied, and, for both miticides, significantly positive relationships between spray coverage and spider mite mortality were shown. However, propargite required higher spray coverage (20%) than hexythiazox (10%) to control spider mites. A theoretical model showed that, without repellency, the pesticide performance is positively correlated with target pest mobility. If the pesticide is repellent, the probability of exposure decreases, especially for a less mobile pest. CONCLUSION: With an experimental and theoretical modeling approach, it was demonstrated how the combination of behavioral avoidance and low spray coverage can markedly reduce pesticide performance. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Response of economically important aphids to components of Hemizygia petiolata essential oil

The essential oil of Hemizygia petiolata Ashby (Lamiaceae) contains high levels (>70%) of the sesquiterpene (E)-beta-farnesene, the alarm pheromone for many economically important aphid species. In order to test the suitability of H. petiolata oil as a source of (E)-beta-farnesene for use in new integrated aphid control strategies, behavioural responses of pest aphid species were studied in laboratory and field experiments. In alarm pheromone assays the peach-potato aphid, Myzus persicae Sulzer, and the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harr), showed a lower level of response to the oil than expected given the high levels of (E)-beta-farnesene. It was shown that minor components in the oil, (+)-bicyclogermacrene and (-)-germacrene D, caused inhibition of the alarm response for M. persicae and A. pisum respectively. Nevertheless, in olfactometer studies the oil was directly repellent to A. pisum and the grain aphid, Sitobion avenae F. Sitobion avenae was not only repelled by (E)-beta-farnesene but also by (-)-germacrene D. Furthermore, although it was not directly repellent to M. persicae, the oil interfered with its attraction to host plant stimuli. In field plot experiments, numbers of A. pisum were significantly reduced in plots treated with a slow release formulation of the oil, when compared with control plots.     

Effect of the combined treatment of insecticides and an attractant for the control of Phloeotribus scarabaeoides,a pest of Olea europea

Different insecticides have been tested for the control of the olive bark beetle, Phloeotribus scarabaeoides Bern. This scolytid can be managed at two points in its biological cycle: in pruned logs, where it excavates reproduction galleries, or in living trees, after emergence from the logs, where it digs feeding galleries. In mortality laboratory bioassays, the efficiency of organophosphorus insecticides has been ranked as follows: chlorpyrifos + dimethoate < formothion < methidathion. Formothion and methidathion, the two most efficient, were sprayed on olive logs together with a pyrethroid insecticide, deltamethrin, and a formulation which combined an organophosphorus (fenitrothion) and a pyrethroid (cypermethrin) insecticide. Deltamethrin inhibited the excavation of new reproduction galleries and induced a repellent effect on the olive pest. In contrast, none of the organophosphorus insecticides or the combination, fenitrothion + cypermethrin, were able to control the olive bark beetle. In olive trees, deltamethrin controlled this olive pest without showing the repellent effect observed for logs. Ethylene, a plant hormone, has been reported as an attractant for the olive bark beetle. The use of dispensers which released ethylene increased the number of P. scarabaeoides approaching the treated olive trees, thus favouring its use in a lure-and-trap control system.     

Coyote hair as an area repellent for white-tailed deer

Increasing white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) populations create numerous conflicts with agricultural production and transport safety. Lethal control is not always an option and area repellents, such as predator waste products, have generally shown limited effectiveness. We tested coyote ( Canis latrans ) hair as a repellent at feeding stations during the winters of 2000 and 2001 and along established deer trails during the summer of 2000 in northern Ohio. Feeding station experiments were conducted in which five treatment sites received one or three bags containing 17 g of coyote hair placed adjacent to or in front of a trough of whole kernel corn and five control sites received empty bag(s). In all feeding trials, corn consumption decreased at treated sites from 59 to 91%. Intrusions by deer at treated sites decreased by 48-96% in three tests, but did not vary in the first 3-week test when coyote hair was adjacent to the corn. Corn consumption and deer intrusions at control sites generally remained constant or showed an increase over the test period. In the deer trail test, use of trails did not differ between the pre-treatment and treatment periods for the control or treated trails. Coyote hair therefore served as an effective repellent to keep deer from a desired food source and should have use in protecting limited, discrete sites. However, coyote hair did not deter deer from moving along established trails.     

Toxic and repellent effects of Baccharis salicifolia essential oil on Tribolium castaneum

Allelochemical effects were observed when Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) adults were treated with Baccharis salicifolia (Ruiz & Pavon) Pers essential oil. The main biological activities were toxicity and repellence. Terpenes present in the essential oil were identified by GC-MS, and some authentic samples were tested to assess their activity individually. The most acutely toxic compounds after 3 days were beta-pinene and pulegone. Most of the monoterpenes elicited symptoms indicative of neurotoxicity. The most repellent compound was alpha-terpineol. Toxic and repellent effects of chemical derivatives of the major sesquiterpene present in B salicifolia essential oil, as well as a series of monoterpenes, were evaluated in order to investigate structure-activity relationships. The reduced derivatives of the monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes were more repellent that their carbonyl analogues. In addition, unsaturation in the germacrane skeleton enhanced repellent activity.     

Combining visual cues and pheromone blends for monitoring and management of the tarnished plant bug Lygus lineolaris (Hemiptera: Miridae)

BACKGROUND

The tarnished plant bug Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois) is considered the most damaging pest of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in the mid-southern United States. Previous studies have reported the role of different ratios of volatile metathoracic gland components such as hexyl butyrate, (E)-2-hexenyl butyrate and (E)-4-oxo-2-hexenal in eliciting low-level attraction of L. lineolaris. In this study, we tested different visual cues (colored sticky cards) in combination with olfactory cues (pheromone blends) to optimize the attraction and capture of L. lineolaris in the field.

RESULTS

Red-colored sticky cards were more attractive to L. lineolaris adults than white, blue or yellow cards. Red sticky cards combined with blends of three potential pheromone components attracted significantly more L. lineolaris adults than sticky cards without a blend added. Traps baited with a blend of hexyl butyrate, (E)-2-hexenyl butyrate and (E)-4-oxo-2-hexenal in 4:10:7 ratio, respectively, caught a significantly higher number of L. lineolaris than those baited with 10:4:2 or 7:10:4 blends or an unbaited control in the first week of the experiment.

CONCLUSIONS

Combining visual cues (red color) with olfactory cues (pheromone blends) significantly increased the capture of L. lineolaris in the field. This device or a future iteration could contribute towards sustainable and environmentally appropriate early-season monitoring and management of L. lineolaris in the field. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.     

11种植物精油对茶橙瘿螨的触杀和驱避作用研究

分别采用喷雾法和半叶法测定了11种植物精油对茶橙瘿螨的触杀和驱避活性。结果表明, 浓度为1%、0.5%、0.25%、0.125%(V/V)的11种植物精油对茶橙瘿螨都表现出了不同程度的触杀活性。随着作用时间的延长和精油浓度的增加, 其校正死亡率均有不同程度的升高。总体来看, 肉桂精油触杀效果最好, 在不同试验浓度和处理时间条件下校正死亡率均高于其他精油。所试精油对茶橙瘿螨都有一定的驱避作用, 其中百里香等8种精油的驱避率达80%以上。以上结果将为筛选对茶橙瘿螨具有较好防效的新型低毒高效植物源农药提供重要依据。