Methyl bromide fumigation and delayed mortality: safe trade of live pests?

Live organisms intercepted from treated commodities during phytosanitary inspections usually arouse suspicions of treatment failure, sub-standard treatment application, or post-treatment infestation. The additional possibility that some treatments could kill slowly, meaning commodities might be inspected before pests have succumbed, is seldom considered for treatments other than irradiation. We used a novel biochemical viability assay to measure delays between methyl bromide fumigation and mortality of dipteran eggs, and evaluated the correspondence between egg viability and egg morphological features.

Development and validation of a quick easily used biochemical assay for evaluating the viability of small immobile arthropods.

Quickly, accurately, and easily assessing the efficacy of treatments to control sessile arthropods (e.g., scale insects) and stationary immature life stages (e.

Allozyme markers to help define the South American origins of Microctonus hyperodae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) established in New Zealand for biological control of Argentine stem weevil.

The thelytokous parasitoid, Microctonus hyperodae Loan, was collected from eight South American locations and introduced to New Zealand in 1991 for biological control of Argentine stem weevil, Listronotus bonariensis (Kuschel) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Parasitoids from each population were released in equal numbers at each New Zealand site to give them the same opportunities to establish. Population markers have been sought to identify the South American geographic populations that have become most successful in New Zealand.