Field Perimeter Trapping to Manage Rhagoletis mendax (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Wild Blueberry.

Rhagoletis mendax Curran (the blueberry maggot fly) is a major pest of wild blueberry. It is a direct pest of the fruit. Females lay eggs in fruit resulting in infestations of larvae unacceptable to most consumers.

Movement of Rhagoletis mendax (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Fruit-Bearing Wild Blueberry Fields. Part II.

During dispersal into fruit-bearing wild blueberry fields, blueberry maggot flies were highly active during all daylight hours as revealed by trap captures, although in one trial afternoon activity was greater than morning activity. Flies were not captured in traps at night, although observations in growth chambers showed that their activity at night, measured as displacement of position, was equal to daylight conditions. Flies were shown to fly at low altitude, just above the crop canopy, and screen fencing was shown to be effective at reducing colonization of plots, presumably due to their low height during flight.

Dispersal From Overwintering Sites, Action Thresholds for Blueberry Maggot Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae), and Factors That Can Influence Variation in Predicted Fruit Infestation Levels in Maine Wild Blueberry: Part I.

Between 1996 and 2003 field studies were conducted in wild blueberry, Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton (Ericales: Ericaceae) to determine action thresholds for the blueberry maggot fly, Rhagoletis mendax Curran (Diptera: Tephritidae). Thresholds were based upon cumulative fly trap captures on baited Pherocon AM traps. The cumulative numbers of R.

Temporal Dynamics of the Blueberry Maggot Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) and its Primary Parasitoid, Biosteres melleus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), in the Maine Wild Blueberry System.

Between 1998 and 2017, we conducted studies in wild blueberry, Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton (Ericales: Ericaceae), to elucidate the temporal dynamics of the blueberry maggot fly, Rhagoletis mendax Curran, and its parasitoid, Biosteres melleus (Gahan). A predictive model for the emergence of R. mendax was validated at two sites over 3 yr.

Spotted-Wing Drosophila (Diptera: Drosophilidae) Adult Movement, Activity, and Oviposition Behavior in Maine Wild Blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium; Ericales: Ericaceae).

Over a period of 5 yr (2012-2016), we conducted laboratory and field studies on activity, movement, and response to trap placement of adult Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) in wild blueberry, Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton, fields in Maine. When measuring temporal patterns in fruit infestation, we found that D. suzukii females are most active in the morning and that they are 10 times more likely to lay eggs in blueberries at the top of the plant canopy compared with berries located in the lower part of the bush.

The Blueberry Gall Midge (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae): A Recent Pest of Wild Blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium; Ericales: Ericaceae) and Its Impact on Potential Yield.

Blueberry gall midge, Dasineura oxycoccana (Johnson) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), is an emerging pest on wild blueberry, Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton (Ericales: Ericaceae). The purpose of this study was to document the population increase of blueberry gall midge on this crop in Maine since its discovery in 2003 until 2018. Dasineura oxycoccana appears to have three generations during the prune cycle in Maine wild blueberry, although this may vary among years.

Pupation Behavior and Predation on Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) Pupae in Maine Wild Blueberry Fields.

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura; Diptera: Drosophilidae) is an invasive vinegar fly and pest of soft fruits in North America, including wild blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton) in Maine. Despite its presence in the continental United States for 9 yr, little is known about its natural enemy complex. Here we report the results of a 3-yr study designed to identify naturally-occurring predators in Maine's wild blueberry fields.

133Xe contamination found in internal bacteria filter of xenon ventilation system.

Objective: We report on (133)Xe contamination found in the reusable internal bacteria filter of our xenon ventilation system.

Methods: Internal bacteria filters (n = 6) were evaluated after approximately 1 mo of normal use. The ventilation system was evacuated twice to eliminate (133)Xe in the system before removal of the filter.