Determination and management of weaver ant,Oecophylla smaragdina (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), marks on mango fruit in the Northern Territory of Australia

Weaver ants, Oecophylla smaragdina (Fabricius), can be used to manage insect pests in mango orchards in the Northern Territory of Australia, but previously unidentified black marks on fruit can reduce fruit marketability. To determine the cause of the marks, and to reduce the number of fruits by such marks, field experiments were conducted in three mango orchards in the Darwin area of Australia in 2001 and 2002. The results from netting bag-rearing showed that the black marks on fruit were due to the deposition of weaver ant formic acid, and fighting between weaver ant colonies was the major cause of the deposition. In treatments without isolation of weaver ant colonies, an average of 4.8% of fruits with the ant marks were downgraded, and this damage level was reduced to 2.1% in treatments with isolation of weaver ant colonies. Because of weaver ant foraging behaviour, this small proportion of downgraded fruits was unavoidable, but the benefits of the ants as biocontrol agents against a range of pests outweighs the cost of the damage the ants cause.     

The dimpling bug,Campylomma austrina Malipatil (Hemiptera: Miridae): the damage and its relationship with ants in mango orchards in the Northern Territory of Australia

The dimpling bug, Campylomma austrina Malipatil, has been recognised since 2002 as a serious mango pest in the Northern Territory, Australia. To fully understand the damage the bug causes and its relationship with ants, field experiments were conducted in five mango orchards in the Darwin area from 2001 to 2003 along with laboratory rearing trials. The latter revealed that the dimpling bug sucked sap mainly from the ovary of the flowers. As the ovary ripened, each puncture resulted in a black pimple on the skin of the marble-sized fruit (<5 mm in diameter). All of the most heavily damaged marble-sized fruits (>10 pimples/fruitlet) dropped from the trees. A field survey and field experiments showed that marble-sized fruit damage levels on trees bearing abundant weaver ants, Oecophylla smaragdina Fabricius, were similar to those protected by chemical insecticides, however both suffered less damage than trees bearing fewer or no weaver ants or black ants, Iridomyrmex sp. We propose that the weaver ant is an efficient bio-control agent of the dimpling bug, and to limit the bug damage, high levels of weaver ant populations are required in mango orchards.     

Thieves,bats and fruit flies: local ecological knowledge on the weaver ant Oecophylla longinoda in relation to three ‘invisible’ intruders in orchards in Guinea

We held interviews with 100 mango and cashew growers in Guinea, West Africa. Fewer than 20 questions dealing with the tree-inhabiting weaver ant Oecophylla longinoda were developed, based on local context and related research conducted on farmers' knowledge in other countries. More than half of the growers reported that ants protect their orchard from thieves. Apart from deterring snakes, about 46% of the growers mentioned that weaver ants reduce damage by fruit-eating bats; some reported that bats do dislike the smell of weaver ants. Whereas the relationship between ants and humans or conspicuous fruit bats is well understood, a quantitative appreciation of the effect of Oecophylla on small insect pests, such as fruit flies, is more complex. Despite the fact that 57% of the growers reported that Oecophylla had a positive effect on mango fruit quality, many classified Oecophylla as a pest due to its nuisance during harvest, and they requested the plant protection staff to help them with pesticides. Strategies to strengthen local ecological knowledge are discussed.     

Natural occurrence of Beauveria bassiana on adults of the invasive mango seed weevil Sternochetus mangiferae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Brazil

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - The mango seed weevil Sternochetus mangiferae (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) was detected in Brazil in 2014, becoming a potential threat to mango...     

Implementing wood ants in biocontrol: Suppression of apple scab and reduced aphid tending

BACKGROUND

Ants can become efficient biocontrol agents in plantation crops as they prey on pest insects and may inhibit plant pathogens by excreting broad-spectrum antibiotics. However, ants also provide a disservice by augmenting attended honeydew producing homopterans. This disservice may be avoided by offering ants artificial sugar as an alternative to honeydew. Here we tested the effect of artificial sugar feeding on aphid abundance in an apple plot with wood ants (Formica polyctena, Förster), and tested the effect of ant presence on apple scab (Venturia inaequalis, Cooke) disease incidence.

RESULTS

Over a 2-year period, sugar feeding eliminated ant-attended aphid populations on the apple trees. Furthermore, scab symptoms on both leaves and apples were reduced considerably on ant trees compared to control trees without ants. The presence of ants on the trees reduced leaf scab infections by 34%, whereas spot numbers on fruits were reduced by between 53 and 81%, depending on apple variety. In addition, the spots were 56% smaller.

CONCLUSION

This shows that problems with wood ant-attended homopterans can be solved and that ants can control both insect pests and plant pathogens. We therefore propose wood ants as a new effective biocontrol agent suitable for implementation in apple orchards and possibly other plantation crops. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.     

The management type used in plum orchards alters the functional community structure of arthropod predators

Abstract

The management practices in agroecosystems can alter the community structure of pests’ natural enemies, which can consequently disturb their biocontrol function. Here, we investigated how organic or conventional farming influence the community structure of arthropod predators (spiders, coccinelids, anthocorids, ants) in orchards. The three conventional orchards studied were plum tree monocultures where mainly fungicides were applied. The three organic orchards studied were dominated by plum trees with admixture of apple trees and no agrochemical was applied. We found that management significantly affected only spiders that were less abundant in the conventional orchards than in the organic orchards. In addition, the conventional management resulted in reduced species density and altered the community composition of spiders. The conventional management reduced the functional dispersion of spider body size, which may narrow the size-spectrum of pests that could be reduced by spiders. The conventional management also reduced abundances of foliage hunters and space-web spiders. Since these spiders are effective against various insect pests, the conventional management of applying fungicides might result in increased crop damage via increased insect pests.     

Implications of on-farm research for local knowledge related to fruit flies and the weaver ant Oecophylla longinoda in mango production

We interviewed half of the mango-growers in northern Benin, including 15 farmers involved in a regional fruit fly project, and held focus group discussions with women fruit-pickers. They were asked about pest management and their knowledge of a weaver ant, Oecophylla longinoda. All considered low yields due to fruit flies to be the principal constraint upon mango production, estimating economic losses to be between 20 and 45%. None could recognize damage during the first 2 days after fruit fly egg deposition. On-farm research persuaded farmers to stop using insecticides and it also changed negative perceptions of Oecophylla. Over 80% of the farmers involved in on-farm research, compared to 25% of those not involved, reported Oecophylla to be beneficial. All fruit-pickers knew that ants protected mango from fruit flies, with 60% attributing better mango quality in terms of appearance, shelf-life and sweetness to the presence of Oecophylla. Nevertheless, 40% of the pickers still considered weaver ants a nuisance pest during harvest. Ways of reducing this nuisance need to be developed for Oecophylla to gain wider acceptance by mango-growers.     

泰安市核桃园主要病虫害发生情况及其化学防治用药流程

为明确山东省泰安市核桃园主要病虫害的发生情况及其化学防治的用药流程，于2017—2018年采用田间调查法进行主要病虫害的调查，于2019年采用常规喷雾法对不同防治对象进行化学防治，研究不同用药时间及用药次数下3种农药对核桃的保果效果及对主要病虫害的防治效果，确定用药流程。结果表明，2017年泰安市核桃园主要病虫害以核桃细菌性黑斑病、核桃炭疽病和核桃举肢蛾Atrijuglans aristata为主，造成的病虫果率达83.25%。5月中旬至6月下旬，以核桃细菌性黑斑病和核桃举肢蛾单独发生为主；7月上旬至8月上旬，以核桃细菌性黑斑病和核桃炭疽病单独发生为主；8月中旬至下旬，以核桃炭疽病单独发生和核桃炭疽病+核桃细菌性黑斑病共同发生为主。2018年3种病虫害造成核桃的总体落果率为79.84%，共出现2次落果高峰，即在6月下旬以核桃举肢蛾造成的落果和在8月下旬以核桃炭疽病单独发生和核桃炭疽病+核桃细菌性黑斑病共同发生造成的落果。针对以上3种主要病虫害，在核桃生长期应至少喷药6次，其总体的保果效果和防治效果分别达到96.58%和93.70%，分别显著高于喷药4次的83.72%和70.56%，与喷药8次处理差异不显著。在实际生产中，建议对核桃细菌性黑斑病自5月上旬至8月上旬，每15~20 d用药1次，至少用药6次；对核桃炭疽病自6月下旬至8月上旬，每15~20 d用药1次，至少用药4次；对核桃举肢蛾在5月下旬和7月下旬各用药1次。     

Epidemiological aspects of mango malformation disease caused by Fusarium mangiferae and source of infection in seedlings cultivated in orchards in Egypt

Mango malformation, caused by the fungus Fusarium mangiferae , is one of the major diseases of this crop occurring worldwide. This study was conducted to investigate aspects of the epidemiology, survival and spread of the pathogen in general and specifically in seedlings, the majority of which are cultivated in infected orchards in Egypt. Survival of conidia of a representative isolate (506/2) declined very rapidly in soil under summer conditions (1·6 weeks for 50% population decline), but significantly less in controlled and winter conditions (17·9 and 15·0 weeks, respectively, for 50% population decline). Likewise, inoculum survival in naturally infected panicles on the soil surface declined faster than in those buried at 30-cm depths. Natural infections were evaluated on fruits and seeds in a heavily infected and a healthy orchard. In infected trees, the skins of all sampled fruits within a 2-m radius of infected panicles were infected, but the pathogen was not detected in the seeds, seed coats or flesh. The pathogen was not detected in any parts of fruits from a healthy orchard. Vegetatively malformed mango seedlings, growing under infected trees bearing infected panicles, were sampled in two locations in Egypt to determine whether infection in seedlings was systemic (evenly distributed within plant tissue) or whether the pathogen originated from malformed panicles. According to PCR-specific primer amplification, the pathogen was detected in 97% of seedling apical meristems, declining gradually to 5% colonization in roots. It was concluded that inoculum of the pathogen originates from infected panicles and affects seedlings from the meristem, with infections descending to lower stem sections and roots. Minor infections of roots may occur from inoculum originating from infected panicles, but the pathogen is not seedborne.     

贵州果园实蝇科害虫种群多样性分析

为明确贵州果园实蝇科害虫种类及多样性,评估贵州实蝇科害虫为害风险,保证特色果品质量及水果产业健康发展,本研究于2019年采用性诱剂、食诱剂等方式开展了贵州果园实蝇科害虫的诱集.经过1年持续调查监测,明确了贵州7个监测果园实蝇种类为8种,均属寡鬃实蝇亚科Dacinae,其中果实蝇属Bactrocera 2种,镞果实蝇属Z...     

苹果园种植覆盖作物对于树上捕食性天敌群落的影响

在苹果园果树行间种植覆盖作物——白花草木樨Melilotus albus Desr.是果园土壤管理制度中的一项措施。它影响到苹果树上捕食性天敌群落的组成。种植覆盖作物后,一些天敌,如拟长毛钝绥螨Amblyseius pseudolongispinosus Xin et Lian和中华草蛉Chrysopa sinica Tjeder等在苹果树上捕食性天敌群落中的个体数量相对百分比有所增加;而另一些,如小花蝽Orius minutus(Linnaeus)、塔六点蓟马Scolothrips takahashii Priesaer和瓢虫类(Coccinellidae)等天敌有所减少;还有一些天敌,由于发生数量较少,不易与免耕法对照区进行比较。当使用广谱性化学杀虫剂进行树上喷雾时,覆盖作物对于受到化学杀虫剂干扰的苹果树上小花蝽O.minutus(Linnaeus)种群的恢复与建立有着促进作用。     

A review of the pest management situation in mango agroecosystems

Integrated pest management programs for mango must be based on sampling and on economic thresholds, and must take into account the effects of cultural practices, horticultural sprays and disease control on pest and natural enemy interactions. An analysis of the mass of information available on the different mango pests,viz., fruit flies(Bactrocera sp.,Ceratitis sp.,Anastrepha sp.), mango seed weevil(Sternochetus mangiferae), thrips(Frankliniella spp.), gall midges(Procontarinia sp.), scales, mites and mealybugs is given, as well as different examples for future entomological research.     

The mango sudden decline pathogen, Ceratocystis manginecans, is vectored by Hypocryphalus mangiferae (Coleoptera: Scolytinae) in Oman

In Oman, the bark beetle Hypocryphalus mangiferae is closely associated with trees affected by mango sudden decline disease caused by Ceratocystis manginecans. Although it has previously been assumed that this beetle plays a role in the dispersal of the pathogen, this has not been established experimentally. The aim of this study was to determine whether H. mangiferae vectors C. manginecans from infected to healthy mango trees. A survey conducted in northern Al Batinah region of Oman revealed that H. mangiferae was closely associated with mango sudden decline disease symptoms and it was found on trees in the early stages of the disease. Healthy, 2-year-old mango seedlings were exposed to H. mangiferae collected from diseased mango trees. Seedlings were infested by the bark beetles and after 6 weeks, typical mango sudden decline disease symptoms were observed. Ceratocystis manginecans was isolated from the wilted mango seedlings while uncolonized control seedlings remained healthy. The results show that H. mangiferae vectors C. manginecans in Oman and is, therefore, an important factor in the epidemiology of this disease.     

黄色黏虫板在3种果园对蚜虫及其天敌的诱集作用

为减少黄色黏虫板(简称黄板)对果园害虫天敌的影响,明确黄板在果园中的使用方法,于2014年5月4日至9月30日在山西省太谷县的苹果、梨、桃园中进行了黄板诱集蚜虫及其天敌的动态调查。结果表明:在3种果园黄板可以诱集8目32科的昆虫,主要类群为蚜虫、叶蝉、瓢虫、食蚜蝇、草蛉和蚜茧蜂等。在苹果园和桃园中诱蚜量呈双峰谷线状,在梨园中呈三峰状;各果园寄生性天敌的数量变化趋势与蚜虫一致且有跟随效应,但苹果园和梨园诱集的捕食性天敌均在8月下旬至8月底出现高峰期,而桃园中捕食性天敌水平一直较高。3个果园在花期至幼果期即5月4日至6月22日益害比最小,苹果园仅为1:202.8,而在其它时段的益害比均大于1:150,甚至最高可达1:19.4,表明在果园中使用黄板的害处大于益处,建议在果园中慎用黄板诱蚜。     

世界四属果瘿蚊害虫比较及中国种类形态检索表

杧果Mangifera indica L.的果实和植株具有重要的经济价值,因而杧果上的害虫需要得到重视。本文为国内首次详细介绍世界已知四属杧果瘿蚊害虫的形态特征、地理分布、生物学特性和为害特点并进行比较,同时编写世界杧果瘿蚊害虫分属种检索表以及中国杧果瘿蚊分种形态特征检索表,以期使读者较全面地了解这类害虫的经济重要性,为进一步研究、鉴定、检疫和防治这类瘿蚊科害虫提供参考。     

Spongy tissue development in Alphonso mango: association with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Staphylococcus xylosus</Emphasis>

A Gram-positive and catalase positive Staphylococcus strain was found to be associated with spongy tissue defect of Alphonso mango. The organism was identified to species level by physiological, morphological and biochemical characterization and fatty acid profile. The strain was identified as Staphylococcus xylosus (IMTECH, India, Accession No. MTCC 7441). The optimal growth of the organism was observed in the pH range of 5.0–9.0 and temperature range of 10–45°C. It was mannitol and arabinose-positive and able to produce acid from various sugars. The organism was able to grow in a medium containing 2–10% NaCl. It was further identified to species level by genomic sequencing of 1,387 base pairs of DNA (Gene Bank accession No. EU019195). Based on nucleotide homology and phylogenetic analysis, the microbe was found to be S. xylosus. The survey of Alphonso mango trees with a known history of producing spongy fruits showed that some of the twigs, leaves and flowers were coated with a honeydew-like sticky substance and mango hopper insects were observed over the inflorescence. The source of contamination of spongy fruits by S. xylosus was in the sticky mass. Gram staining, the catalase test and morphological features of the culture isolated from the sticky mass exhibited characteristics identical to the Staphylococcus strain isolated from the spongy pulp. Pathogenicity tests on different varieties of mangoes, apples and guavas indicated that the disease was experimentally transmitted from infected to healthy fruits. This observation suggested that this organism develops spongy symptoms in the fruits post-harvest and lacks specificity. In inoculated fruits, catalase and peroxidase enzymes were expressed as in naturally infected fruits. This report shows that the infection by S. xylosus could be a major initiating factor for spongy tissue development in Alphonso mangoes.     

山东烟台地区苹果园和桃园主要害虫及天敌昆虫发生动态

山东烟台地区是我国苹果和桃的重要产区.本研究利用性诱剂诱捕器和黄色粘虫板调查烟台地区果园中主要害虫和其他常见害虫及天敌昆虫的发生动态.结果 表明:山东烟台地区苹果园和桃园中主要害虫—梨小食心虫、桃小食心虫、小绿叶蝉在两个果园中的年发生总量存在一定差异,苹果园桃小食心虫年诱捕量为545.8头/诱捕器,显著高于桃园年诱捕量...     

三种果园中实蝇粘虫板对橘小实蝇及天敌的诱杀作用

为减少实蝇粘虫板对天敌的诱杀作用,完善实蝇粘虫板在果园的使用方法,于2018年和2019年分别在湖南省农业科学院园艺研究所橘园、桃园、梨园悬挂实蝇粘虫板,调查其诱杀的橘小实蝇、其他害虫和天敌数量。结果表明,橘园、梨园和桃园共诱杀到15个种、4个科和9个类群,包括靶标害虫橘小实蝇、其他害虫和天敌。3种果园中粘虫板诱杀的昆虫种、科或类群数量有差异,其中梨园中诱杀的昆虫总数最多,为13 653头,其次是桃园,橘园中诱杀的昆虫总数最少。在橘园、梨园和桃园中,橘小实蝇的相对丰富度分别为5.90%、23.45%和21.73%,最早出现时间均为6月;在橘园中橘小实蝇诱杀量高峰期在8月下旬至10月上旬,下半年天敌诱杀量高峰期略滞后于橘小实蝇的诱杀量高峰期,在梨园和桃园中橘小实蝇诱杀量高峰期主要集中在7月中下旬至10月中旬,橘小实蝇诱杀量高峰期与天敌诱杀量高峰期无明显相关性;3种果园中粘虫板诱杀的主要天敌有瓢虫、食蚜蝇、草蛉、寄生蜂,桃园和梨园中诱杀的草蛉较多,橘园中诱杀的瓢虫和寄生蜂较多。应用实蝇粘虫板防控橘小实蝇时,梨园和桃园应从6月上旬开始悬挂,橘园应从8月上旬开始悬挂,先少量悬挂,根据诱杀橘小实蝇数量,再逐渐增加粘虫板。     

Notes on the biology and ecology of Ptecticus testaceus (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) a soldier fly associated with mango fruit (m. indica) in Costa Rica

Abstract

The association between Ptecticus testaceus Fabr. (Dipt.: Stratiomyidae) and mango fruits attached to the tree is reported, with some observations on the ecology and behaviour on the soldier fly. P.testaceus apparently synchronized its biological cycle to mango fruit set in Costa Rica, and its adults feed on nectar of sunflower inflorescences. More detailed studies to determine the status of this dipteran, and its association with mango fruits, are suggested.     

Entomopathogenic fungi and nematodes against larvae of the chestnut weevil,Curculio elephas (Coleoptera: Curculionidae): a laboratory evaluation

Pest control in chestnut orchards is mainly achieved by chemicals, but there is growing focus on the potential use of biological control agents. The larval susceptibility of the chestnut weevil Curculio elephas L. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) to different strains/species of entomopathogenic fungi and nematodes was evaluated in laboratory by soil cup bioassays. In the experiments with fungi, a wild strain of Metarhizium anisopliae caused the highest larval mortality (about 90%) compared with a commercial and a wild strain of Beauveria bassiana (80% and 77% respectively). Regarding nematodes, the commercial strain of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora was more effective in the control of chestnut larvae (77% insect mortality) than Steinernema carpocapsae (43%).