Biology, distribution and management of brown marmorated stink bug

Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is an invasive pest from eastern Asia. This species was first confirmed in the United States in 1998 near Allentown, Pennsylvania. It is believed individuals were accidentally introduced with packing crates from China or Japan. Since 1998, BMSB has rapidly spread to 41 states and the District of Columbia (Leskey et al. 2014). Live adults were first detected in Scott County, Iowa in 2012 and have now been confirmed in eight counties as of 2014

Detecting Invasive Insects with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

A key aspect to controlling and reducing the effects invasive insect species have on agriculture is to obtain knowledge about the migration patterns of these species. Current state-of-the-art methods of studying these migration patterns involve a mark-release-recapture technique, in which insects are released after being marked and researchers attempt to recapture them later. However, this approach involves a human researcher manually searching for these insects in large fields and results in very low recapture rates. In this paper, we propose an automated system for detecting released insects using an unmanned aerial vehicle. This system utilizes ultraviolet lighting technology, digital cameras, and lightweight computer vision algorithms to more quickly and accurately detect insects compared to the current state of the art. The efficiency and accuracy that this system provides will allow for a more comprehensive understanding of invasive insect species migration patterns. Our experimental results demonstrate that our system can detect real target insects in field conditions with high precision and recall rates.Comment: IEEE ICRA 2019. 7 page

Toward the Integration of an Attract-and-Kill Approach with Entomopathogenic Nematodes to Control Multiple Life Stages of Plum Curculio (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Efforts to reduce insecticide inputs against plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar, a key pest of apples in eastern North America, include perimeter-row insecticide sprays applied after the whole-orchard petal fall spray to manage dispersing adults and, more recently, insecticide sprays confined to odor-baited trap trees. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) are virulent to ground-dwelling stages of C. nenuphar, and may be applied to the ground underneath trap-tree canopies. Here, we (1) compared the efficacy of the odor-baited trap tree approach with grower-prescribed (=grower standard) sprays to manage C. nenuphar populations over a six-year period in seven commercial apple orchards in New England; and (2) assessed the performance of the EPN Steinernema riobrave at suppressing ground-dwelling stages of C. nenuphar. In addition, the performance of S. riobrave was compared against that of S. carpocapsae and S. feltiae in one year. Across the six years, percent fruit injury on trap tree plots averaged 11.3% on odor-baited trap trees and 1.4% on unbaited trees in grower standard plots, highlighting the ability of trap trees to aggregate C. nenuphar activity and subsequent injury. Mean percentage injury on fruit sampled from interior trees, the strongest measure of treatment performance, in trap tree plots did not differ significantly from that recorded on interior trees in grower standard spray plots (0.95 vs. 0.68%, respectively). Steinernema riobrave consistently reduced C. nenuphar populations as indicated by the significantly lower number of adult C. nenuphar that emerged from the soil, when compared to water control. Steinernema carpocapsae and S. riobrave performed similarly well, and both EPN species outperformed S. feltiae. Our combined findings indicate that an IPM approach that targets multiple life stages of C. nenuphar has the potential to manage this pest more sustainably in a reduced-spray environment

Strategic considerations for invasive species managers in the utilization of environmental DNA (eDNA): Steps for incorporating this powerful surveillance tool

Invasive species surveillance programs can utilize environmental DNA sampling and analysis to provide information on the presence of invasive species. Wider utilization of eDNA techniques for invasive species surveillance may be warranted. This paper covers topics directed towards invasive species managers and eDNA practitioners working at the intersection of eDNA techniques and invasive species surveillance. It provides background information on the utility of eDNA for invasive species management and points to various examples of its use across federal and international programs. It provides information on 1) why an invasive species manager should consider using eDNA, 2) deciding if eDNA can help with the manager’s surveillance needs, 3) important components to operational implementation, and 4) a high-level overview of the technical steps necessary for eDNA analysis. The goal of this paper is to assist invasive species managers in deciding if, when, and how to use eDNA for surveillance. If eDNA use is elected, the paper provides guidance on steps to ensure a clear understanding of the strengths and limitation of the methods and how results can be best utilized in the context of invasive species surveillance

Attraction of the Invasive Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) to Traps Baited with Semiochemical Stimuli Across the United States

A recent identification of the two-component aggregation pheromone of the invasive stink bug species, Halyomorpha halys (Stål), in association with a synergist, has greatly improved the ability to accurately monitor the seasonal abundance and distribution of this destructive pest. We evaluated the attraction of H. halys to black pyramid traps baited with lures containing the pheromone alone, the synergist methyl (2E,4E,6Z)-decatrienoate (MDT) alone, and the two lures in combination. Traps were deployed around areas of agricultural production including fruit orchards, vegetables, ornamentals, or row crops in Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia from mid-April to mid-October, 2012 and 2013. We confirmed that H. halys adults and nymphs are attracted to the aggregation pheromone season long, but that attraction is significantly increased with the addition of the synergist MDT. H. halys adults were detected in April with peak captures of overwintering adults in mid- to late May. The largest adult captures were late in the summer, typically in early September. Nymphal captures began in late May and continued season long. Total captures declined rapidly in autumn and ceased by mid-October. Captures were greatest at locations in the Eastern Inland region, followed by those in the Eastern Coastal Plain and Pacific Northwest. Importantly, regardless of location in the United States, all mobile life stages of H. halys consistently responded to the combination of H. halys aggregation pheromone and the synergist throughout the entire season, suggesting that these stimuli will be useful tools to monitor for H. halys in managed system

A Simple Character for Sex Differentiation of Pupae and Pupil Exuviae of the Dogwood Borer (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae)

The sex of dogwood borer pupae and pupal exuviae can be easily differentiated based on characteristics of the fused terminal abdominal segment. In males, it is composed of segments 8- 10 and has three distinct rows of posteriorly projecting spines. By contrast, in females, the fused terminal abdominal segment is composed of segments 7-10 and has four distinct rows of posteriorly projecting spines

Olfactory and visual cues guiding plum curculios (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) to host plants

The plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar (Herbst), is a major pest of stone and pome fruit in eastern North America. I determined generalized olfactory and visual cues guiding plum curculios to host plants as a first step in the creation of a reliable monitoring trap for this important tree fruit pest. Olfactory attraction of overwintered adults to volatiles from extracts of McIntosh apple tissues was evaluated in the laboratory using a still-air dual choice bioassay system to determine the most attractive odor sources. For hexane-extracted or water-extracted volatiles from McIntosh apple tissues (twigs, leaves or fruit) at seven phenological stages of development (pink through 5 weeks after bloom), greatest numerical responses were recorded to volatiles from extracts made between bloom and 2 weeks after bloom. This same laboratory bioassay system was used to evaluate the influence of barometric pressure on degree of olfactory discrimination by adult females; response indices used as a measure of discrimination were significantly and positively correlated with barometric pressure. Olfactory attraction of overwintered adults to individual volatile components of unripe plum odor was evaluated in the laboratory and in the field using baited boll weevil traps placed on the ground beneath the canopy of unsprayed apple trees. Two compounds, ethyl isovalerate and limonene, were significantly attractive in both laboratory bioassays and field experiments. Olfactory attraction of overwintered adults to volatiles released from same- and opposite-sex conspecifics alone, synthetic grandisoic acid alone, wild plums alone, or combinations of live single-sex conspecifics or grandisoic acid with plums was observed in the laboratory. Females may produce a sex pheromone attractive to males, but in general both male and females were strongly attracted to host plum volatiles and only mildly attracted to conspecific odors or synthetic grandisoic acid, with little evidence for synergy or enhancement of host plum odors when combined with conspecific odors or synthetic grandisoic acid. Laboratory, semifield, and field experiments were conducted to determine the most visually-stimulating and acceptable version of a branch-mimicking trap (PVC cylinder topped with an inverted screen funnel) to capture adults in the canopy of host fruit trees. Tall cylinder traps (50 cm tall x 6 cm diam) coated with flat black latex paint were significantly more visually stimulating than cylinder traps of lesser height and/or different diameter. Lining inverted screen funnels with paper cones and joining cylinders to inverted screen funnels with wooden inserts increased surface acceptability of traps. I conclude that a reliable monitoring trap for adult plum curculios should be baited with attractive host fruit volatiles, and a trap placed in the canopy of fruit trees should include visual cues provided by a supernormal branch-mimicking cylinder

Impact of insecticide and fungicide residue contact on plum curculio, \u3ci\u3eConotrachelus nenuphar\u3c/i\u3e (Herbst),mobility and mortality: implications for pest management

BACKGROUND: An evaluation was made of the effects of seven neurotoxic insecticides (esfenvalerate, indoxacarb, clothianidin, thiacloprid, azinphosmethyl, phosmet and imidacloprid), one insect growth regulator (novaluron) and two fungicides (myclobutanin and mancozeb), with water as the control, on the horizontal mobility of plum curculios exposed to dried pesticide residues. Mobility was recorded over a 2 h period using ethological tracking software. Mortality was recorded immediately after horizontal mobility experiments and 24 h later. RESULTS: Esfenvalerate had the greatest impact on mobility. Immediately after exposure to this compound, plum curculios moved significantly greater distances and for a significantly longer period of time compared with all other compounds. After 24 h, esfenvalerate also led to high mortality rates (\u3e86.0%). Exposure to azinphosmethyl and phosmet also led to high rates of mortality, although the impact on mobility was less pronounced. Exposure to indoxacarb, thiacloprid, imidacloprid, novaluron, myclobutanin and mancozeb had no impact on mobility and resulted in little to no mortality. Clothianidin affected mobility after a 2 h exposure period, and high mortality (60%) was recorded after 24 h. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that, in the context of a treated orchard, plum curculios exposed to dried pesticide residues may be capable of foraging before succumbing to toxicant exposure, while exposure to pesticides such as esfenvalerate may rapidly incapacitate adult plum curculios