Transgenerational effects of grandparental and parental diets combine with early-life learning to shape adaptive foraging phenotypes in Amblyseius swirskii.

Transgenerational effects abound in animals. While a great deal of research has been dedicated to the effects of maternal stressors such as diet deficiency, social deprivation or predation risk on offspring phenotypes, we have a poor understanding of the adaptive value of transgenerational effects spanning across multiple generations under benign conditions and the relative weight of multigenerational effects. Here we show that grandparental and parental diet experiences combine with personal early-life learning to form adaptive foraging phenotypes in adult plant-inhabiting predatory mites Amblyseius swirskii.

Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae): A Decade of Research Towards a Sustainable Integrated Pest Management Program.

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) also known as spotted-wing drosophila (SWD), is a pest native to Southeast Asia. In the last few decades, the pest has expanded its range to affect all major European and American fruit production regions. SWD is a highly adaptive insect that is able to disperse, survive, and flourish under a range of environmental conditions.

Cultural Control of in Small Fruit-Current and Pending Tactics in the U.S.

Spotted-wing drosophila, (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae), a vinegar fly of Asian origin, has emerged as a devastating pest of small and stone fruits throughout the United States. Tolerance for larvae is extremely low in fresh market fruit, and management is primarily achieved through repeated applications of broad-spectrum insecticides. These applications are neither economically nor environmentally sustainable, and can limit markets due to insecticide residue restrictions, cause outbreaks of secondary pests, and select for insecticide resistance.

Mulching as a cultural control strategy for Drosophila suzukii in blueberry.

Background: Fruit growers largely depend on chemical control to reduce populations of the economically damaging invasive fly, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura). Drosophila suzukii is susceptible to high temperatures and low humidity; therefore, it may be possible to implement cultural control practices that create microclimates unfavorable for its development and survival. In addition to other fruit production benefits, in-row mulches may impede the development of D.

Interactions among morphotype, nutrition, and temperature impact fitness of an invasive fly.

Invasive animals depend on finding a balanced nutritional intake to colonize, survive, and reproduce in new environments. This can be especially challenging during situations of fluctuating cold temperatures and food scarcity, but phenotypic plasticity may offer an adaptive advantage during these periods. We examined how lifespan, fecundity, pre-oviposition periods, and body nutrient contents were affected by dietary protein and carbohydrate (P:C) ratios at variable low temperatures in two morphs (winter morphs WM and summer morphs SM) of an invasive fly, The experimental conditions simulated early spring after overwintering and autumn, crucial periods for survival.

Host and Non-host 'Whistle Stops' for Psyllids: Molecular Gut Content Analysis by High-Throughput Sequencing Reveals Landscape-Level Movements of Psylloidea (Hemiptera).

Psyllids (Hemiptera: Psylloidea) are phloem-feeding insects that tend to be highly specific in their host plants. Some species are well-known agricultural pests, often as vectors of plant pathogens. Many pest psyllids colonize agricultural fields from non-crop reproductive hosts or from non-host transitory and winter shelter plants.

Interactions Between Biotic and Abiotic Factors Affect Survival in Overwintering Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae).

Drosophila suzukii Matsumura is an invasive species affecting berry crops and cherries throughout North America, South America, and Europe. Previous research suggests that in temperate climates, the overwintering success of D. suzukii is likely dependent on access to food, shelter, and adequate cold hardening.

Does prey encounter and nutrient content affect prey selection in wolf spiders inhabiting Bt cotton fields?

Wolf spiders are abundant and voracious predators at the soil-plant interface in cotton crops. Among other prey, they attack late-instar larvae of the cotton bollworm Helicoverpa spp., an economically important pest.

Drip and Overhead Sprinkler Irrigation in Blueberry as Cultural Control for Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in Northwestern United States.

Overhead sprinkler compared to drip irrigation in cropping systems can result in increased relative humidity (RH) and decreased temperature within the plant canopy. Such conditions may also result in a more favorable microclimate for pests. Drosophila suzukii Matsumura is an invasive agricultural pest of berries in America and Europe.

Survival and Fecundity Parameters of Two Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) Morphs on Variable Diet Under Suboptimal Temperatures.

Life history parameters are used to estimate population dynamics, mortality, and reproduction in insects relative to their surrounding environment. For Drosophila suzukii Matsumura (Diptera: Drosophilidae), an invasive agricultural pest, previous studies have estimated net reproductive rate (Ro), generation time (T), and intrinsic rate of population increase (rm). A main limitation is that these estimates were measured under relatively favorable settings, and do not reflect environmental conditions and physiological states encountered during dormancy periods.

Seasonal Reproductive Biology of Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in Temperate Climates.

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura; Diptera: Drosophilidae) is a key pest of sweet cherry and small fruits worldwide. The present studies were designed to describe the reproductive physiology in both sexes, through dissections of their reproductive organs. We extensively dissected female D.

Influence of Crop Management and Environmental Factors on Wolf Spider Assemblages (Araneae: Lycosidae) in an Australian Cotton Cropping System.

Wolf spiders (Lycosidae) are the most abundant ground-hunting spiders in the Australian cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) agroecosystems. These spiders have potential in controlling pest bollworms, Helicoverpa spp.