Larra bicolor Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae): its distribution throughout Florida

We document the presence of Larra bicolor Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) in 46 of Florida's 67 counties. The species is represented by two stocks. The first (released in 1981) originated in Pará, Brazil, but was obtained from Puerto Rico, and became established in Broward County in southern Florida. The second (released in 1988) originated in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, and became established in Alachua County in northern Florida. The Bolivian stock, aided by additional satellite releases from Alachua County, is now widely distributed. The species probably occupies all counties in central and northern Florida, but may yet be absent from some southern counties. Introduction was made for classical biological control of invasive mole crickets

History of the International Organization for Biological Control Global Working Group on Mass Rearing and Quality Assurance

The International Organization for Biological Control Global Working Group on Mass Rearing and Quality Assurance (MRQA) was established in 1980 as the Working Group on Quality Control (WGQC) to assure success of insect mass rearing for pest management that was being developed in the 1950s and 1960s. Due mostly to the efforts of WGQC, quality control became institutionalized in several insect mass rearing facilities during the 1980s. After addressing autocidal control programs, the WGQC concentrated on entomophagous insects, especially testing the quality of commercial biological control products. Universal Implementation of Quality Control for Mass-Reared Arthropods was finally achieved in the 1990s, having encompassed all aspects from insect production to field application and evaluation. This increased scope prompted a name change from WGQC to Arthropod Mass Rearing and Quality Control (AMRQC). Subsequently, the scope of the Working Group was expanded again and it was renamed MRQA to include a range of applications for mass-reared beneficial invertebrates. The geographic range of MRQA recently was extended beyond North and South America and Europe to include India. This expansion continued as insects for food and feed, networking and instruction, and legal and ethical issues were added to the most recent workshop held in Mexico. Thus, the MRQA continues to evolve as additional invertebrate organisms are mass produced for both established and novel applications

Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Guidelines for Community Associations: Considerations for Selecting a Landscape Contractor and Writing an Effective Landscaping Contract

This document is intended to provide guidance to entities such as HOA community associations when developing a contract and hiring a landscape maintenance company to perform contracted service

A Worm in the Teacher\u27s Apple: Protecting America\u27s School Children from Pests and Pesticides

A Worm in the Teacher\u27s Apple: Protecting America\u27s School Children from Pests and Pesticides, a book on School IPM (integrated pest management), is a comprehensive; easy to read, four-part guide with information applicable to schools of any size in America. This is a valuable guide for Extension agents involved in School IPM

Advancement of integrated pest management in university housing

© 2018 Entomological Society of America. Research was conducted in collaboration with the University of Florida (UF), Department of Housing and Residence Education (DOHRE) to assess and advance the campus integrated pest management (IPM) program they initiated in 2003. Beginning in 2008, the UF, DOHRE advanced IPM program was based on resident education, periodic inspection, and a systematic decision-making process whereby apartments were monitored, pests identified, action thresholds determined, and safe and effective pest management options used. The continuously improved process began with pest management methods based on resident behavior, such as sanitation and pest exclusion accomplished by the residents, accompanied by physical controls, including barriers installed by maintenance personnel and pest control devices maintained by DOHRE IPM technicians. If pest problems persisted, low risk materials were used, for example, dishwashing detergent solutions, boric acid, diatomaceous earth, bait stations, and botanical or microbial insecticides. There was a significant improvement in pest prevention behavior of the residents after the 2008 DOHRE IPM education and inspection campaign; however, there was no change in the already low annual number of pest complaints. From 2003 through 2008, ants were the most commonpest reported, followed in order by cockroaches, stored product pests, and termites. The amount of insecticide active ingredient used per year decreased by ≈92%, virtually eliminating the use of hydramethylnon, borate, desiccants, organophosphates, fipronil, and pyrethroids. Further advancements can be made in campus IPM by increasing resident education and DOHRE IPM technician training, and the level of pest preventative inspection and maintenance

Linear Dispersal of the Filth Fly Parasitoid Spalangia cameroni (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) and Parasitism of Hosts at Increasing Distances.

Release of parasitic wasps (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) as biological control agents for house flies and stable flies in livestock confinements has had variable success. In part, this may reflect a lack of knowledge regarding the optimal distance to be used between parasitoid release stations. In the current study, we assessed the effect of linear distance on host parasitism by the wasp Spalangia cameroni Perkins. In open fields at distances ranging from 1 m to 60 m from a central point, house fly puparia were placed in a mixture of pine shavings soiled with equine manure, urine, and alfalfa hay. Releases of S. cameroni then were made using a 5:1 host: parasitoid ratio. Host pupae were parasitized at all distances, with the highest rate of total parasitism (68.9%) recorded ≤ 5 m from the release site. Analyses of results using non-linear and linear models suggest that S. cameroni should be released in close proximity to host development areas. Additionally, releases may not be suitable in pasture situations where long-distance flight is required for control. However, further testing is needed to examine the effect of density-dependent dispersal and diffusion of S. cameroni

Advances and challenges in insect rearing /

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Parameter estimates and coefficients of determination for six models tested and compared to parasitoid progeny recovered at six distances after releases of <i>Spalangia cameroni</i>.

<p>Parameter estimates and coefficients of determination for six models tested and compared to parasitoid progeny recovered at six distances after releases of <i>Spalangia cameroni</i>.</p

Observed and predicted dispersal of <i>Spalangia cameroni</i> in open fields analyzed using recoveries of progeny from house fly hosts with equine substrate and at a 1:5 parasitoid: host ratio.

<p>Four replicate releases were conducted for each distance (n = 400 female parasitoids per release, 1600 total)</p