A 2-component blend of coconut oil-derived fatty acids as an oviposition deterrent against Drosophila suzukii (Drosophilidae: Diptera).

Coconut free fatty acid (CFFA), a mixture of 8 fatty acids derived from coconut oil, is an effective repellent and deterrent against a broad array of hematophagous insects. In this study, we evaluated the oviposition deterrent activity of CFFA on spotted-wing drosophila (SWD; Drosophila suzukii), a destructive invasive pest of berries and cherries, and identified bioactive key-deterrent compounds. In laboratory 2-choice tests, CFFA deterred SWD oviposition in a dose-dependent manner with the greatest reduction (99%) observed at a 20-mg dose compared with solvent control.

Coconut oil derived five-component synthetic oviposition deterrent for oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis.

Background: Bactrocera dorsalis, oriental fruit fly (OFF), is one of the most destructive agricultural pests. Although bait sprays can effectively control OFF, resistance development has been a concern. We evaluated the oviposition deterrent activity of coconut free fatty acids (CFFA), a mixture of eight coconut oil-derived fatty acids known to repel hematophagous insects and deter their feeding and oviposition, against OFF females.

Selection for, and characterization of, malathion and zeta-cypermethrin resistance in vineyard-collected Drosophila melanogaster.

Background: Drosophila melanogaster is a pest in vineyards because of its role in sour rot disease. Insecticides are commonly used, particularly late in the season, to control D. melanogaster and thus sour rot.

Using Red Panel Traps to Detect Spotted-Wing Drosophila and its Infestation in US Berry and Cherry Crops.

Spotted-wing drosophila (SWD), Drosophila suzukii Matsumura (Diptera: Drosophilidae), is an invasive pest of thin-skinned fruits in the United States. Monitoring traps are an integral part of SWD integrated pest management, allowing early detection and timely management of this pest. An ideal monitoring trap should be easy to use, effective in capturing SWD, sensitive and selective to male SWD which are easy to identify due to their spotted wings, and able to predict fruit infestation from trap captures.

Effects of SmartWater, a fluorescent mark, on the dispersal, behavior, and biocontrol efficacy of Phytoseiulus persimilis.

New marking methods for studying small biocontrol agents (especially predatory mites) are needed because many current techniques are expensive, ineffective or not applicable to small organisms. The objective of this study was to determine whether SmartWater, a liquid and permanent fluorescent dye, can be used to mark Phytoseiulus persimilis for experimentation without any deleterious effects on its dispersal, behavior, reproduction, and biocontrol efficacy. Our results show that there were no significant differences in movement, inter-plant dispersal, feeding behavior, survivability, and reproduction between marked P.

The effect of UVB-blocking plastics on the efficacy of Beauveria bassiana and a conventional product against Lygus lineolaris on low tunnel strawberry.

Background: Effective, safe and practical biocontrol options are greatly needed for combating Lygus lineolaris on protected culture strawberry. This study demonstrated how ultaviolet (UV)-selective plastics can improve the efficacy of the fungal biocontrol agent Beauveria bassiana (Mycotrol) compared to the conventional insecticide acetamiprid (Assail) against L. lineolaris on low tunnel strawberry.

CropPol: A dynamic, open and global database on crop pollination.

Seventy five percent of the world's food crops benefit from insect pollination. Hence, there has been increased interest in how global change drivers impact this critical ecosystem service. Because standardized data on crop pollination are rarely available, we are limited in our capacity to understand the variation in pollination benefits to crop yield, as well as to anticipate changes in this service, develop predictions, and inform management actions.

Insecticide resistance in Drosophila melanogaster in vineyards and evaluation of alternative insecticides.

Background: Cultivation of grapes is a major crop globally, particularly in support of the wine production industry which has significant economic impact in numerous countries. Sour rot is an economically important disease of grapes. It is caused by an interaction of yeast + acetic acid bacteria, and vectored by Drosophila spp.

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.

Field and Laboratory Testing of Feeding Stimulants to Enhance Insecticide Efficacy Against Spotted-Wing Drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura).

The invasive spotted-wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura), is a key insect pest of berries globally, causing lost revenues and increased production costs associated with applications of insecticides. The insecticides utilized are commonly broad-spectrum pyrethroids, organophosphates, or carbamates in conventionally managed fields and spinosad in organically managed fields. Adoption of more selective insecticides has been limited due to their lower residual activity, and the requirement that some must be ingested to be effective.

Winter warm-up frequency and the degree of temperature fluctuations affect survival outcomes of spotted-wing drosophila winter morphotypes.

Among overwintering Drosophila suzukii, discrete environmental changes in temperature and photoperiod induce a suite of biochemical changes conferring cold tolerance. However, little is known regarding how temperature fluctuations, which can influence metabolic and cellular repair activity, affect survival outcomes in this species. For that reason, we designed three experiments to test the effects of intermittent warm-up periods and the degree of temperature fluctuation on winter-morphotype (WM) D.

Grapevine Red Blotch Virus Is Transmitted by the Three-Cornered Alfalfa Hopper in a Circulative, Nonpropagative Mode with Unique Attributes.

The transmission mode of grapevine red blotch virus (GRBV, genus , family ) by , the three-cornered alfalfa hopper, is unknown. By analogy with other members in the family , we hypothesized circulative, nonpropagative transmission. Time-course experiments revealed GRBV in dissected guts, hemolymph, and heads with salivary glands after a 5-, 8-, and 10-day exposure to infected grapevines, respectively.

2-Pentylfuran: a novel repellent of Drosophila suzukii.

Background: Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura), spotted-wing drosophila (SWD), is a major invasive pest of soft-skinned fruits in North America and Europe. Although insecticides are currently the primary method of SWD control, it is imperative to develop alternative management approaches, such as behavioral control through the use of repellents and attractants. This study explores the repellent properties of 2-pentylfuran as an oviposition deterrent on raspberries.

Automated aerosol puffers effectively deliver 1-OCTEN-3-OL, an oviposition antagonist useful against spotted-wing drosophila.

Background: Automated aerosol puffers releasing behaviorally active volatile organic compounds can deter insect pests in crops. During 2016, we tested the efficacy of aerosol puffer arrays emitting 1-octen-3-ol at reducing Drosophila suzukii oviposition in fall-bearing raspberries in Western New York State. During 2017, we compared the performance of aerosol puffers with a passive diffusion release method (vial dispensers), as well as puffer timing and placement within the field.

Proximate Mechanisms of Host Plant Location by a Specialist Phytophagous Insect, the Grape Berry Moth, Paralobesia Viteana.

There are contrasting hypotheses regarding the role of plant volatiles in host plant location. We used the grape berry moth (GBM; Paralobesia viteana)-grape plant (Vitis spp.) complex as a model for studying the proximate mechanisms of long distance olfactory-mediated, host-plant location and selection by a specialist phytophagous insect.

A QTL associated with leaf trichome traits has a major influence on the abundance of the predatory mite in a hybrid grapevine population.

The abundance of predatory phytoseiid mites, , important biological control agents of spider mite pests in numerous crops, is positively influenced by the density of leaf trichomes and tuft-form domatia in vein axils. Identification of the genetic regions controlling both trophic levels could facilitate the improvement of predatory mite habitat in breeding programs. The abundance of and non-glandular trichomes was measured in a segregating F family derived from the cross of the complex hybrid, 'Horizon', with Illinois 547-1 ( B38 ×  B9), finding positive correlation among traits.

Behavioral evidence for contextual olfactory-mediated avoidance of the ubiquitous phytopathogen Botrytis cinerea by Drosophila suzukii.

Herbivorous insects may benefit from avoiding the smell produced by phytopathogens infecting plant host tissue if the infected tissue reduces insect fitness. However, in many cases the same species of phytopathogen can also infect host plant tissues that do not directly affect herbivore fitness. Thus, insects may benefit from differentiating between pathogen odors emanating from food and nonfood tissues.

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.

Phenotypic Plasticity Promotes Overwintering Survival in A Globally Invasive Crop Pest, .

Spotted wing drosophila, Matsumura, is a major pest of small fruit worldwide in temperate and subtropical growing regions. In Northern climates, likely overwinters locally under leaf litter and snow pack, but our understanding of the factors affecting thermal susceptibility is limited. While previous investigations of thermal susceptibility in this species have employed conventional static acclimation protocols, we aimed to determine whether gradual cooling, or dynamic acclimation, may extend the limits of known thermal tolerance by more closely approximating naturally occurring shifts in temperature.

Grape Sour Rot: A Four-Way Interaction Involving the Host, Yeast, Acetic Acid Bacteria, and Insects.

Sour rot, a disease affecting berries of cultivated Vitis spp. worldwide, has not been clearly defined. Reported symptoms of the disease include browning of the berry skin, oozing of disintegrated berry pulp, and the smell of acetic acid, all in the presence of fruit flies (Drosophila spp.