Combining Irradiation and Biological Control against Brown Marmorated Stink Bug: Are Sterile Eggs a Suitable Substrate for the Egg Parasitoid ?

The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), , is a phytophagous invasive pest native to south-eastern Asia, and it is now distributed worldwide. This species is considered to be one of the most damaging insect pests in North America and in Europe. In agriculture, the predominant approach to managing BMSB is based on the use of insecticides, specifically pyrethroids and neonicotinoids.

Effects of Irradiation on Biology and Mating Behaviour of Wild Males of Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Using a 6 MV Medical Linear Accelerator.

The brown marmorated stink bug, , is a pentatomid bug of Eastern Asian origin that became an economically relevant pest in the Eurasian and American continents. Management of this species is limited to use of chemical insecticides: an inefficient method due to the strong adaptability of the target pest. The sterile insect technique (SIT) is potentially a valid tactic in the search for nontoxic alternatives.

Identification of herbivore-induced plant volatiles from selected Rubus species fed upon by raspberry bud moth (Heterocrossa rubophaga) larvae.

Heterocrossa rubophaga (raspberry bud moth) feed on a range of Rubus species, including commercial berryfruit crops where they are a pest. This study aimed to characterize the responses of native and non-native Rubus species to feeding by raspberry bud moth larvae. In a laboratory environment, in situ headspace volatiles of three Rubus species were collected from healthy plants and those fed upon by raspberry bud moth.

Invasive potential of tropical fruit flies in temperate regions under climate change.

Tropical fruit flies are considered among the most economically important invasive species detected in temperate areas of the United States and the European Union. Detections often trigger quarantine and eradication programs that are conducted without a holistic understanding of the threat posed. Weather-driven physiologically-based demographic models are used to estimate the geographic range, relative abundance, and threat posed by four tropical tephritid fruit flies (Mediterranean fruit fly, melon fly, oriental fruit fly, and Mexican fruit fly) in North and Central America, and the European-Mediterranean region under extant and climate change weather (RCP8.

Synthesis and Electrophysiological Testing of Carbonyl Pheromone Analogues for Carposinid Moths.

Sex pheromone analogues were synthesized and tested on two pest carposinid moth species: the guava moth, , and the raspberry bud moth, . The pheromone analogues used for the electroantennogram testing included ()-11-methylenenonadec-7-ene, ()-nonadec-12-en-9-amine, ()-11-methoxynonadec-7-ene, ()-1-(octylsulfinyl)-dec-3-ene, and ()-nonadec-12-en-9-ol. An imine analogue, -(()-nonadec-12-en-9-ylidene)cyclopropanamine, was also synthesized but was too unstable for testing with the moths.

Irradiation-induced sterility in an egg parasitoid and possible implications for the use of biological control in insect eradication.

Classical biological control is a pest control tool involving the release of imported natural enemies. The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) comprises releasing sexually sterile insects of a pest into the wild population for suppression or eradication. Both these approaches are environmentally friendly and their combination can result in a synergistic impact on pest populations and improve eradication.

Operational Parameters for the Aerial Release of Sterile Codling Moths Using an Uncrewed Aircraft System.

The codling moth is a serious pest of apples in most regions of the world where this fruit is produced. The sterile insect technique is one strategy used to control this pest and is employed as part of an area-wide integrated pest management program for the codling moth in British Columbia, Canada. Modified fixed wing aircraft are the most common method for the release of sterile insects in large area-wide pest management programs.

Liquid Baits with Increase Captures of .

The spotted-wing drosophila (SWD), Matsumura (Diptera: Drosophilidae), native to Eastern Asia, is an invasive alien species in Europe and the Americas, where it is a severe pest of horticultural crops, including soft fruits and wine grapes. The conventional approach to controlling infestations of SWD involves the use of insecticides, but the frequency of application for population management is undesirable. Consequently, alternative strategies are urgently needed.

Combined Effects of Mating Disruption, Insecticides, and the Sterile Insect Technique on in New Zealand.

Codling moth was introduced into New Zealand, and remains a critical pest for the apple industry. Apples exported to some markets require strict phytosanitary measures to eliminate the risk of larval infestation. Mating disruption and insecticide applications are the principal means of suppression in New Zealand.

Kairomone and Camera Trapping New Zealand Flower Thrips, .

This project investigated how kairomone lures, camera traps, and counting software could together contribute to pest management. Images of cumulative daily catch of New Zealand Flower Thrips (NZFT) attracted to a ripe peach lactone (6-pentyl-2H-pyran-2-one; 6-PAP) were automatically loaded to the internet and compared with scanned bases checked weekly using in-house software and manual counting. Camera traps were able to provide thrips counts equivalent to delta traps, but daily and remotely.

Egg Sterilisation of Irradiated (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae).

Linnaeus (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is a polyphagous pest of a wide range of economically important crops. Because the control of this species and other pentatomids relies primarily on insecticide application, investigation into the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) is warranted. We aimed to investigate the irradiation biology of for the potential application of SIT against this pest.

Synthesis and Biological Testing of Ester Pheromone Analogues for Two Fruitworm Moths (Carposinidae).

A range of ester pheromone analogues for carposinid moths were synthesized and evaluated for biological activity. The analogues aimed to take advantage of the structural commonality of (7)-alken-11-ones found in this family. Analogues were tested on two pest species: and .

Can Vibrational Playbacks Disrupt Mating or Influence Other Relevant Behaviours in (Triozidae: Hemiptera)?

Behaviours of insects can be manipulated by transmitting vibrational signals to host plants in order to develop pest management techniques. is an important pest and uses vibrations for mate-finding. In order to design a future control strategy for , three different bioassays were performed to assess whether vibrational signals could affect relevant behaviours.

The Scent of Individual Foraging Bees.

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) forage by using their sense of smell and returning to floral odours that they have previously learned to associate with high-quality food rewards. Foraging bees communicate with other bees in the hive about food sources by exchanging chemical and locational information. It is well established that bees transfer non-volatile information regarding taste and quality of nectar via trophallaxis and communicate location information via directional dances.

Mazes to Study the Effects of Spatial Complexity, Predation and Population Density on Mate Finding.

The difficulty to locate mates and overcome predation can hamper species establishment and population maintenance. The effects of sparseness between individuals or the effect of predators on the probability of population growth can be difficult to measure experimentally. For testing hypotheses about population density and predation, we contend that habitat complexity can be simulated using insect mazes of varying mathematical difficulty.

Will Peri-Urban (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) Challenge Local Eradication?

Codling moth, (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), is a phytosanitary pest of New Zealand's export apples. The sterile insect technique supplements other controls in an eradication attempt at an isolated group of orchards in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. There has been no attempt in New Zealand to characterize potential sources of uncontrolled peri-urban populations, which we predicted to be larger than in managed orchards.

Electrophysiological and Behavioral Responses of Queensland Fruit Fly Females to Fruit Odors.

Females of the Queensland fruit fly (QFF), Bactrocera tryoni, are amongst the most damaging pests of horticulture in Australia and neighboring countries. Females can lay eggs into more than a hundred species of fruits and vegetables, resulting in large crop losses. Sexually mature males can be managed sustainably with traps baited with long-lasting synthetic lures, and sexually immature males and females can be attracted and killed by short-lived protein baits applied directly on surfaces, with a low success rate (< 20%).

Olfactory Receptor Neurons for Plant Volatiles and Pheromone Compounds in the Lucerne Weevil, Sitona discoideus.

Antennal olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) for pheromone-related and plant volatile compounds were identified and characterized in the lucerne weevil, Sitona discoideus (Gyllenhal), using the single sensillum recording technique. Our study using five pheromone-related compounds and 42 plant volatile compounds indicates that S. discoideus have highly specialized ORNs for pheromone and plant volatile compounds.

Selection of key floral scent compounds from fruit and vegetable crops by honey bees depends on sensory capacity and experience.

Flowers have complex odours often comprising hundreds of volatile compounds. Floral scents are species-specific, and vary also among populations, varieties, sexes or lines, as well as with phenology. Honey bees, Apis mellifera, generally associate only a few key compounds among the complex floral scent with the food reward which guides their foraging choices.

Trapping Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs: "The Nazgȗl" Lure and Kill Nets.

Improvements to current brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), , surveillance and killing systems are needed to improve detection sensitivity and to reduce pesticide use. Detection of BMSB in New Zealand with traps is reliant on sticky panels with aggregation pheromone, which are low cost but inefficient compared with beating foliage. Trapping for BMSB adults and nymphs was conducted daily with lethal traps consisting of an aggregation pheromone-baited-coat hanger covered with dark-colored long-lasting insecticide-treated mesh, we termed "The Nazgȗl", based on its sinister appearance.

The Competitive Mating of Irradiated Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs, , for the Sterile Insect Technique.

The sterility of eggs and nymphs from gamma-irradiated male was investigated to determine the potential for the sterile insect technique (SIT). Males irradiated at 0, 16, 24 and 32 Gy were placed with untreated virgin females, and egg sterility was determined, showing 54.3% at 16 Gy.

Live Traps for Adult Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs.

Surveillance for detection of the brown marmorated stink bug, , is reliant on sticky panels with aggregation pheromone, which are low cost, but very inefficient (est. 3%). Trapping for adults was conducted in Italy with novel live (or lethal) traps consisting of aggregation pheromone-baited cylinders with a wind vane, with the upwind end covered by mesh and the downwind end sealed by a removable entry-only mesh cone, admitting the attracted bugs.

Peri-Urban Community Attitudes towards Codling Moth Trapping and Suppression Using the Sterile Insect Technique in New Zealand.

New, more socially-acceptable technologies are being developed to suppress horticultural pests, because suppression is technically difficult with current technologies, especially in urban areas. One technique involves the release of sterile insects to prevent offspring in the next generation. This technology involves aerial or ground release systems, but this could also create issues for the public.

Odorant-Based Detection and Discrimination of Two Economic Pests in Export Apples.

Detection of pest infestations in fresh produce traded internationally could offer improved prospects for reducing the movement of unwanted pests. Because immature stages of some pests can be difficult to find visually, other cues such as herbivore-induced volatiles that can potentially be detected at the early stages of infestation are worth investigating. In this study, we artificially infested postharvested apples (Malus × domestica 'Royal Gala') with two economic apple pests, the specialist codling moth (CM, Cydia pomonella Linnaeus, Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) and the generalist Queensland fruit fly (QFF, Bactrocera tryoni, Froggatt, Diptera: Tephritidae) and collected volatile organic compounds (VOCs) over time (days 0, 6, and 14-15).

Multiple Mating in the Citrophilous Mealybug : Implications for Mating Disruption.

The citrophilous mealybug (Maskell) (Hemiptera, Pseudococcidae) is a primary pest of various crops, including grapevines. The use of insecticides against this species is difficult in most cases because its life cycle includes an extended duration of eggs, juveniles, and adults under the bark and on the roots. Pheromone-based control strategies can present new eco-friendly opportunities to manage this species, as in the case of (Signoret) and (Risso).