Delivery of Double-Stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) Produced by Escherichia coli HT115(DE3) for Nontransgenic RNAi-Based Insect Pest Management.

RNA interference (RNAi) is a powerful mechanism that can be exploited not only for physiology research but also for designing insect pest management approaches. Some insects cause harm by vectoring diseases dangerous to humans, livestock, or plants or by damaging crops. For at least a decade now, different insect control strategies that induce RNAi by delivering double stranded RNA (dsRNA) targeting essential genes have been proposed.

A Novel Genetic Sexing Strain of for Cost-Effective Sterile Insect Technique Applications: Improved Genetic Stability and Rearing Efficiency.

(Loew) is one of the most destructive insect pests damaging several fruits of economic importance. The sterile insect technique (SIT) is used under an area-wide integrated pest management approach, to suppress these pest populations. Mass rearing facilities were initially established to produce sterile males of bi-sexual strains in support of SIT.

The Role of Satellite DNAs in Genome Architecture and Sex Chromosome Evolution in Crambidae Moths.

Tandem repeats are important parts of eukaryotic genomes being crucial e.g., for centromere and telomere function and chromatin modulation.

Evaluation of horizontal gene transfer risk between the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata (Tephritidae) and its parasitoid Fopius ceratitivorus (Braconidae).

The transgenic strain of the Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly), Ceratitis capitata (Wied.) VIENNA 8 1260, developed from the classical genetic sexing strain VIENNA 8, has two molecular markers that exhibit red fluorescence in the body and green fluorescence in testicles and sperm. These traits offer a precise tool to discriminate between mass-reared sterile males and wild fertile males, and they could potentially increase the effectiveness of control programs for this pest.

Suppression of Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) With Trimedlure and Biolure Dispensers in Coffea arabica (Gentianales: Rubiaceae) in Hawaii.

To assess the potential to suppress Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann; Diptera: Tephritidae), via mass trapping with Trimedlure (TML), we compared fly catch (as catch per trap per time period) provided by either a novel, solid, triple-lure dispenser with TML, methyl eugenol (ME), and raspberry ketone (RK) (TMR) or solid TML plugs, both without insecticides, in addition to Biolure bait stations. Work was done in a coffee plantation that had a dense C. capitata population.

Effect of Irradiation Doses on Sterility and Biological Security in a Genetically Modified Strain of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae).

The genetically modified strain of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) VIENNA 8 1260, was developed from the genetic sexing strain VIENNA 8. It has two molecular markers that exhibit red fluorescence in the body and green fluorescence in testis and sperm. These traits offer a precise tool to discriminate between mass-reared and wild males, increasing the effectiveness of sterile insect technique.

Performance of a Genetically Modified Strain of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) for Area-Wide Integrated Pest Management With the Sterile Insect Technique.

The genetically modified strain of Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) VIENNA 8 1260 has two morphological markers that exhibit fluorescence in body and sperm. To assess the feasibility of its use in area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) programs using the sterile insect technique, its rearing performance and quality control profile under small, medium, and large scales was evaluated, as well as in field cages. The VIENNA 8 1260 strain had a lower yield than the control strains, VIENNA 8 with D53 inversion (VIENNA 8) and without D53 inversion (VIENNA 8 D53-).

Performance of Psyttalia humilis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) reared from irradiated host on olive fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) in California.

The parasitoid Psyttalia humilis (Silvestri) was reared on Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), third instars irradiated at 0-70 Gy at the USDA, APHIS, PPQ, Moscamed biological control laboratory in San Miguel Petapa, Guatemala, and shipped to the USDA, ARS, Parlier, CA. Irradiation dose did not affect the parasitoid's offspring sex ratio (53-62% females), percentage of unemerged adults (12-34%), number of progeny produced per female (1.4-1.

Efficacy of wax matrix bait stations for Mediterranean fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae).

Tests were conducted that evaluated efficacy of wax matrix bait stations for Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) adults in Guatemala. Bait stations were exposed to outdoor conditions to determine effect of weathering on longevity as indicated by bait station age. Results of laboratory tests found that bait stations with spinosad and ammonium acetate remained effective for at least 31 d compared with pesticide-free controls, although there was some loss of efficacy over time.

Psyttalia cf. concolor (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) for biological control of olive fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) in California.

The larval parasitoid, Psyttalia cf. concolor (Szépligeti), reared on Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Weidemann), by the USDA-APHIS-PPQ, Guatemala City, Guatemala, was imported into California for biological control of olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae (Gmelin), in olives, Olea europaea L. Mean percentage parasitism of olive fruit fly third instars infesting fruit in field cages ranged from 7.

Capture of Mediterranean fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in dry traps baited with a food-based attractant and Jackson traps baited with trimedlure during sterile male release in Guatemala.

Captures of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), in Jackson traps baited with trimedlure were compared with captures in cylindrical open-bottom dry traps baited with a food-based synthetic attractant (ammonium acetate, putrescine, and trimethylamine). Tests were conducted in Guatemala during a sterile male release program in an area where wild flies were present in low numbers. More wild and sterile females were captured in food-based traps, and more wild and sterile males were captured in trimedlure traps.

Effects of diet, ginger root oil, and elevation on the mating competitiveness of male Mediterranean fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) from a mass-reared, genetic sexing strain in Guatemala.

The release of sterile males is a key component of an areawide program to eradicate the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), from Guatemala and southern Mexico. The objective of our study was to assess the effects of adult diet, exposure to ginger root oil (Zingiber officinale Roscoe), and elevation on the mating competitiveness of the sterile males used in an areawide program. Sterile males were maintained on a protein-sugar (protein-fed) or a sugar-only (protein-deprived) diet and were exposed (for 4 h 1 d before testing) or not exposed to ginger root oil.