Wind effects on individual male and female Bactrocera jarvisi (Diptera: Tephritidae) tracked using harmonic radar.

Wind affects the movement of most volant insects. While the effects of wind on dispersal are relatively well understood at the population level, how wind influences the movement parameters of individual insects in the wild is less clear. Tephritid fruit flies, such as Bactrocera jarvisi, are major horticultural pests worldwide and while most tephritids are nondispersive when host plants are plentiful, records exist for potentially wind-assisted movements up to 200 km.

Rapid headspace analysis of commercial spearmint and peppermint teas using volatile 'fingerprints' and an electronic nose.

Background: Spearmint and peppermint teas are widely consumed around the world for their flavor and therapeutic properties. Dynamic headspace sampling (HS) coupled to gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with principal component analysis (PCA) of 'fingerprint' volatile profiles were used to investigate 27 spearmint and peppermint teas. Additionally, comparisons between mint teas were undertaken with an electronic nose (enose).

Tracking and modeling the movement of Queensland fruit flies, Bactrocera tryoni, using harmonic radar in papaya fields.

Determining movement parameters for pest insects such as tephritid fruit flies is critical to developing models which can be used to increase the effectiveness of surveillance and control strategies. In this study, harmonic radar was used to track wild-caught male Queensland fruit flies (Qflies), Bactrocera tryoni, in papaya fields. Experiment 1 continuously tracked single flies which were prodded to induce movement.

Radio Telemetry and Harmonic Radar Tracking of the Spotted Lanternfly, (White) (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae).

(White) (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae), spotted lanternfly (SLF), is an invasive pest that feeds and oviposits on numerous woody and herbaceous plants important to agricultural, forest, ornamental, and nursery industries. Describing and understanding SLF movements is key to implementing surveillance and control strategies for this pest and projecting population spread. We used radio telemetry (RT) and harmonic radar (HR) to track the movements of individual SLF at field sites in eastern Pennsylvania and northwestern New Jersey.

Harmonic radar tracking of individual melon flies, Zeugodacus cucurbitae, in Hawaii: Determining movement parameters in cage and field settings.

Tephritid fruit flies, such as the melon fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae, are major horticultural pests worldwide and pose invasion risks due primarily to international trade. Determining movement parameters for fruit flies is critical to effective surveillance and control strategies, from setting quarantine boundaries after incursions to development of agent-based models for management. While mark-release-recapture, flight mills, and visual observations have been used to study tephritid movement, none of these techniques give a full picture of fruit fly movement in nature.

Headspace GC-MS analysis of differences in intra- and interspecific Terpene profiles of Picea pungens Engelm. and P. abies (L.) Karst.

Conifer terpenes mediate a number of ecological roles such as deterring herbivory and allelopathic (plant-plant) communication. These terpenes also effect air quality and climate models and are used in chemotaxonomic studies. Herein we report on variation in both intra- and interspecific spruce terpenes using static headspace gas chromatography mass spectrometry (HS-GC-MS) and principal component analysis (PCA) of 'fingerprint' volatile profiles.

Raspberry Ketone Trifluoroacetate Trapping of Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Diptera: Tephritidae)in Hawaii.

Melon fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett), is a serious pest of tropical horticulture, causing damage to cucurbits, other fruiting vegetables, and certain tree fruits. The deployment of male lures comprises an important component of several detection and control strategies for this pest, with the main male attractant currently in use being cuelure (CL). A novel fluorinated analog of CL, raspberry ketone trifluoroacetate (RKTA), has been developed for the control of Bactrocera tryoni, a related pest; here, we test this compound for attraction to Z.

Analysis of volatile profiles of green Hawai'ian coffee beans damaged by the coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei).

Background: The coffee berry borer (CBB), Hypothenemus hampei, is the most destructive insect pest of coffee globally, causing significant losses in yield and leading to 'off' flavors in damaged beans. Automated headspace sampling (AHS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were used to investigate changes in the volatile profiles of CBB-damaged green coffee beans. Green coffee from three coffee farms on the island of Hawai'i were sorted into three levels of CBB damage: non-damaged, slightly damaged (1-2 pinholes/bean), and heavily damaged (> 2 pinholes/bean).

Volatile changes in Hawaiian noni fruit, Morinda citrifolia L., during ripening and fermentation.

Background: Noni fruit (Morinda citrifolia L., Rubiaceae) has been used in traditional medicine throughout the tropics and subtropics and is now attracting interest in western medicine. Fermented noni juice is of particular interest for its promising antitumor activity.

Cucumber Lure Trapping of Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Hawaii and Taiwan: Longevity and Nontargets Captures.

The melon fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett), is a serious pest of tropical horticulture, causing damage to cucurbits, tree fruits, and fruiting vegetables. Melon flies are especially attractive to freshly sliced cucumber, and this has led to the identification of a nine-compound kairomone lure that can be used to trap both female and male flies. In this study, a seven-compound lure, containing (Z)-6-nonenal, (Z)-6-nonen-1-ol, 1-octen-3-ol, (E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal, (E)-2-nonenal, hexanal, and 1-hexanol, was formulated into PVC plugs (100 or 300 mg/plug) for field testing in wet traps.

Raspberry Ketone Analogs: Vapour Pressure Measurements and Attractiveness to Queensland Fruit Fly, Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) (Diptera: Tephritidae).

The Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) (Q-fly), is a major horticultural pest in Eastern Australia. Effective monitoring, male annihilation technique (MAT) and mass trapping (MT) are all important for control and require strong lures to attract flies to traps or toxicants. Lure strength is thought to be related in part to volatility, but little vapour pressure data are available for most Q-fly lures.

Raspberry Ketone Trifluoroacetate, a New Attractant for the Queensland Fruit Fly, Bactrocera Tryoni (Froggatt).

Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni (Q-fly), is a major pest of horticultural crops in eastern Australia. Lures that attract male Q-fly are important for detection of incursions and outbreaks, monitoring of populations, and control by mass trapping and male annihilation. Cuelure, an analog of naturally occurring raspberry ketone, is the standard Q-fly lure, but it has limited efficacy compared with lures that are available for some other fruit flies such as methyl eugenol for B.

Disruption of Darna pallivitta (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae) by Conventional and Mobile Pheromone Deployment.

Identification of the Darna pallivitta (Moore) pheromone component n-butyl (E)-7,9-decadienoate (E7,9-10:COOn-Bu) has made it possible to investigate communication disruption to control this lepidopteran pest. Conventional communication disruption trials showed marked decreases in the mean number of male moths captured in E7,9-10:COOnBu-treated fields compared with control fields. For traps baited with E7,9-10:COOnBu, percent disruptions were 94.

Differential field responses of the little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger), to alarm pheromone enantiomers.

The little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), is an invasive ant with negative impacts on both biodiversity and agriculture throughout the tropics and subtropics. Field experiments were conducted in order to elucidate the relative attractiveness of the enantiomers of the alarm pheromones, 2,5-dimethyl-3-(2-methylbutyl)pyrazine and 3-methyl-2-(2-methylbutyl)pyrazine. The enantiomers tested were synthesized from commercially available (S)-2-methylbutan-1-ol or kinetically resolved (R)-2-methylbutan-1-ol, prepared using Pseudomonas cepacia lipase (PCL).

Field trapping the little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata.

Two detection methods for the little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), both employing the pheromone attractant 2,5-dimethyl-3-(2-methylbutyl)pyrazine (2-MeBu-diMePy), were compared with peanut butter based detection, in order to evaluate differences in species specificity and detection reliability. Trapping was conducted using a transect through a macadamia orchard on the island of Hawaii. The transect consisted of a series of three-tree plots, each plot contained a peanut butter coated stick (the most common detection method used for W.

Di- and tri-fluorinated analogs of methyl eugenol: attraction to and metabolism in the Oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel).

Oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), males are attracted to the natural phenylpropanoid methyl eugenol (ME). They feed compulsively on ME and metabolize it to ring and side-chain hydroxylated compounds that have both pheromonal and allomonal properties. Previously, we demonstrated that mono-fluorination at the terminal carbon of the ME side-chain significantly reduced metabolic side-chain hydroxylation, while mono-fluorination of ME at position 4 of the aromatic ring blocked ring-hydroxylation but surprisingly enhanced side-chain hydroxylation.

Cucumber volatile blend attractive to female melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett).

The melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett), is a serious crop pest throughout the Asia Pacific sub-continent and Southeast Asia, causing damage to tree fruits, cucurbits, and related crops. Attractants for female melon flies are of particular interest as they could be used in control tactics to reduce pest levels. Previous work has shown that freshly sliced cucumbers are attractive to female melon flies, but the compounds responsible for this attraction were not identified.

Sex attractant for the banana moth, Opogona sacchari Bojer (Lepidoptera: Tineidae): provisional identification and field evaluation.

Background: The banana moth, Opogona sacchari Bojer, is a polyphagous agricultural pest in many tropical areas of the world. The identification of an attractant for male O. sacchari could offer new methods for detection, study and control.

Ring-fluorinated analog of methyl eugenol: attractiveness to and metabolism in the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel).

Oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), males are highly attracted to the natural phenylpropanoid methyl eugenol (ME). They compulsively feed on ME and metabolize it to ring and side-chain hydroxylated compounds that have both pheromonal and allomonal functions. Side-chain metabolic activation of ME leading to (E)-coniferyl alcohol has long been recognized as a primary reason for hepatocarcinogenicity of this compound in rodents.

Female-biased attraction of Oriental fruit fly, bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), to a blend of host fruit volatiles from Terminalia catappa L.

Coupled gas chromatography-electroantennogram detection (GC-EAD) analysis of volatiles from tropical almond fruit, Terminalia catappa L., revealed 22 compounds that were detected by antennae of oriental fruit fly females, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel). Both solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and Porapak Q were used for sampling odors in fruit headspace, with SPME collections producing larger EAD responses from a greater number of compounds.

Isolation and characterization of norharmane from Reticulitermes termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae).

The fluorescent alkaloid norharmane has been isolated from Reticulitermes termites and characterized by 1H NMR, UV/Vis, mass spectrometry, and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Microcoil 1H NMR spectroscopy allowed spectra to be obtained from mass-limited material, facilitating the identification of norharmane, which is the major component in termite fluorescence under UV light. Norharmane was uniformly present at approximately 1 ng/mg in Reticulitermes tibialis Banks workers, soldiers, and alates; Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) workers; and Reticulitermes virginicus (Banks) workers.