Development of a Diet Production System for (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), a Major Cocoa Production Pest in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands.

The development of artificial diets for the cocoa pod borer , a major pest of cocoa plants, has undergone significant advancements. In this study, we present the success rates of two diet formulations, MM1 and MM4, which have been progressively improved. Nutritional composition analysis revealed that the MM1 diet differed from the natural host, cocoa pods, in several aspects, including protein, carbohydrate, and vitamin C content.

Does Host Plant Drive Variation in Microbial Gut Communities in a Recently Shifted Pest?

Biotic interactions can modulate the responses of organisms to environmental stresses, including diet changes. Gut microbes have substantial effects on diverse ecological and evolutionary traits of their hosts, and microbial communities can be highly dynamic within and between individuals in space and time. Modulations of the gut microbiome composition and their potential role in the success of a species to maintain itself in a new environment have been poorly studied to date.

Formulation of Artificial Diets for Mass-Rearing Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) Using the Carcass Milling Technique.

The carcass milling technique (CMT) formulates specific diets from nutrient analyses of species to be reared and their natural host plants. The first of four diets developed used the minimum ingredient specifications (MS) of published diets for Eldana saccharina. The remaining were based on the ideal amino acid composition and profile (IAAP) of its second (IAAP2), third/fourth (IAAP3/4) and fifth/sixth (IAAP5/6) instar larvae.

The Addition of Sterols and Cryoprotectants to Optimize a Diet Developed for Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) Using the Carcass Milling Technique.

Various combinations and concentrations of cholesterol (C) and stigmasterol (S) were added into a base diet developed for Eldana saccharina. Survival of inoculated neonate was high on all diets (>92% at day 20 and >95% at day 27). Fastest larval development occurred on the minimum specification (MS) (+1.

DNA barcoding for bio-surveillance of emerging pests and species identification in Afrotropical Prioninae (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae).

DNA barcoding has been succesfully used for bio-surveillance of forest and agricultural pests in temperate areas, but has few applications in the tropics and particulary in Africa. (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is a Prioninae species that is locally causing extensive damage in commercially-grown sugarcane in the KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa. Due to the risk of spread of this species to the rest of southern Africa and to other sugarcane growing regions, clear and easy identification of this pest is critical for monitoring and for phytosanitary services.