Parasitoids and Predators of Insect Pests on Chrysanthemums in Hawaii

Trials were conducted at a commercial cut-chrysanthemum nursery in Mountain View, Hawaii to evaluate biological control of chrysanthemum insect pests. No chemical pesticides were applied throughout the growing season. Numerous parasitoids and predators of the agromyzid leafminer, Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess), the green peach aphid (GPA), Myzus persicae (Sulzer), and the variegated cutworm (VC), Peridroma saucia (Hubner), were recovered. The two dominant parasitoid species of L. trifolii, Diglyphus intermedius (Girault), and Ganaspidium utilis Beardsley, provided biological control during the first 7 to 9 weeks after planting when the unmarketed portion of the chrysanthemum foliage was growing. Additional biorational or chemical control methods are necessary for GPA. VC, and L. trifolii when their damage affects the marketable portion of the crop

Phytotoxicity of Insecticides and Acaricides to Anthuriums

Insecticides and acaricides are commonly used on anthurium (Anthurium andraeanum Andre) to produce marketable flowers. A limiting factor in using certain insecticides and acaricides on anthurium is phytotoxicity, or plant injuries resulting from pesticide applications. Phytotoxic responses differ among anthurium cultivars; an insecticide that is safe on one cultivar may not be safe on another. The purpose of this study was to test certain registered and experimental insecticides and acaricides for phytotoxicity to anthuriums

Coconut and Palm Pests Alert

This brochure describes the coconut and palm pests: coconut rhinoceros beetle, red palm weevil, red palm mite, and American palm cixiid. It also describes pest damage and control practices

Scouting for Thrips in Orchid Flowers

Three monitoring methods are direct observation, flower shake, and the Berlese funnel, the latter being most accurate; instructions for constructing the funnel are given

Attractiveness of Gel, Granular, Paste, and Solid Formulations of Ant Bait Insecticides to the Little Fire Ant, Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

The little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), was first detected in plant nurseries in the Puna district of Hawaii island in 1999. W. auropunctata has since spread throughout Hawaii island, and is reported in homes, landscapes, plant nurseries and orchards, and forested areas. This study evaluated: 1) the attractiveness of several granular, liquid, gel, and paste insecticidal ant baits for homeowner and commercial use as compared with the standard granular baits containing hydramethylnon known to be attractive to and effective against W. auropunctata, and 2) the effects of weathering on granular bait attractiveness. Field attractiveness choice tests were conducted in an infested 37.2-m2 plot, and worker ant foraging and recruitment were recorded at 15-min intervals for 2 h. Granular and paste products that were as attractive as standard granular baits (Amdro Fire Ant Bait, Probait) included others formulated with hydramethylnon, abamectin, hydramethylnon and S-methoprene, indoxacarb, fipronil, and metaflumizone. None of the gel or liquid ant bait products evaluated (active ingredients hydramethylnon, sodium tetraborate pentahydrate, thiameth- oxam, fipronil or indoxacarb) were attractive to foraging workers. Attraction of these baits could possibly be improved with inclusion of preferred food sources, such as peanut butter or animal-based protein. Attractiveness of granular ant baits exposed to 7 and 14 days of weathering fell by 40 to 96% as compared to fresh deposits. Corn grit baits should be formulated to preserve attractiveness in tropical environments with high rainfall

Topological Defects and Cosmology

Many particle physics models of matter admit solutions corresponding to stable or long-lived topological defects. In the context of standard cosmology it is then unavoidable that such defects will form during phase transitions in the very early Universe. Certain types of defects lead to disastrous consequences for cosmology, others may play a useful role, as possible seeds for the formation of structure in the Universe, or in mediating baryon number violating processes. In all cases, topological defects lead to a fruitful interplay between particle physics and cosmology.Comment: 17 pages, no figures; Invited lectures at WHEPP-5, IUCAA, Pune, India, Jan. 12 - 26 199

Critical Exponents, Hyperscaling and Universal Amplitude Ratios for Two- and Three-Dimensional Self-Avoiding Walks

We make a high-precision Monte Carlo study of two- and three-dimensional self-avoiding walks (SAWs) of length up to 80000 steps, using the pivot algorithm and the Karp-Luby algorithm. We study the critical exponents $\nu$ and $2\Delta_4 -\gamma$ as well as several universal amplitude ratios; in particular, we make an extremely sensitive test of the hyperscaling relation $d\nu = 2\Delta_4 -\gamma$. In two dimensions, we confirm the predicted exponent $\nu = 3/4$ and the hyperscaling relation; we estimate the universal ratios $\ / \ = 0.14026 \pm 0.00007$, $\ / \ = 0.43961 \pm 0.00034$ and $\Psi^* = 0.66296 \pm 0.00043$ (68\% confidence limits). In three dimensions, we estimate $\nu = 0.5877 \pm 0.0006$ with a correction-to-scaling exponent $\Delta_1 = 0.56 \pm 0.03$ (subjective 68\% confidence limits). This value for $\nu$ agrees excellently with the field-theoretic renormalization-group prediction, but there is some discrepancy for $\Delta_1$. Earlier Monte Carlo estimates of $\nu$, which were $\approx\! 0.592$, are now seen to be biased by corrections to scaling. We estimate the universal ratios $\ / \ = 0.1599 \pm 0.0002$ and $\Psi^* = 0.2471 \pm 0.0003$; since $\Psi^* > 0$, hyperscaling holds. The approach to $\Psi^*$ is from above, contrary to the prediction of the two-parameter renormalization-group theory. We critically reexamine this theory, and explain where the error lies.Comment: 87 pages including 12 figures, 1029558 bytes Postscript (NYU-TH-94/09/01

New Physics Models of Direct CP Violation in Charm Decays

In view of the recent LHCb measurement of Delta A_CP, the difference between the time-integrated CP asymmetries in D --> K+K- and D --> pi+pi- decays, we perform a comparative study of the possible impact of New Physics degrees of freedom on the direct CP asymmetries in singly Cabibbo suppressed D meson decays. We systematically discuss scenarios with a minimal set of new degrees of freedom that have renormalizable couplings to the SM particles and that are heavy enough such that their effects on the D meson decays can be described by local operators. We take into account both constraints from low energy flavor observables, in particular D0-D0bar mixing, and from direct searches. While models that explain the large measured value for Delta A_CP with chirally enhanced chromomagnetic penguins are least constrained, we identify a few viable models that contribute to the D meson decays at tree level or through loop induced QCD penguins. We emphasize that such models motivate direct searches at the LHC.Comment: 24 pages, 13 figures. v2: typos corrected, reference added, published versio