Investigating the Effectiveness of Pheromone-Based Mating Disruption for the Grape Mealybug, Pseudococcus maritimus

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is crucial for maintaining pest populations below the economic injury level (EIL) in crops. This dissertation explores the challenges and alternative strategies in IPM, focusing on the grape mealybug, Pseudococcus maritimus, a vector of grapevine leafroll-associated viruses (GLRaVs) in Washington State vineyards. The first chapter reviews Ps. maritimus biology, history, and current control measures. The second chapter explores a three-year investigation into the mating disruption of Ps. maritimus using pheromone dispensers. Despite two decades of using imidacloprid, growers face resistance and field failures. Deploying specific dispenser quantities significantly reduced male mealybug trap captures, suggesting the potential applicability of mating disruption strategies in controlling grape mealybugs in wine grape vineyards. In the third chapter, I characterized the development of a degree-day model for Ps. maritimus at temperature thresholds of 9℃ and 36°C. The model predicted the first and second flights, starting from Jan 1. While acknowledging variations in early instar development under bark, the study suggests using AgWeatherNet with set temperatures to monitor and spray insecticides effectively during peak Ps. maritimus flights. The research emphasizes the simplicity and accuracy of this approach, offering grape growers in Washington State a practical tool for optimal pest management, particularly during the crucial first generation. In the fourth chapter, I investigated the longevity and efficacy of pheromone dispensers from two companies, focusing on Ps. maritimus control. Pheromone dispensers are pivotal in insect pest management, releasing synthetic sex pheromones. The study reveals that dispensers remain effective for Ps. maritimus trap captures over two growing seasons, suggesting a field life exceeding a year. The results from these experiments will contribute to the body of knowledge and IPM tools to curb insecticide resistance and mitigate the spread of GLRaVs, contributing valuable insights for sustainable grapevine pest management

Transforming entomology to adapt to global concerns: 2021 student debates

The 2021 Student Debates of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) were held at the Annual Meeting in Denver, CO. The event was organized by the Student Debates Subcommittee (SDS) of the Student Affairs Committee (SAC). The theme of the 2021 Student Debates was “Transforming Entomology to Adapt to Global Concerns”, with 3 topics. Each topic had an unbiased introduction and 2 teams. The debate topics were (i) Nonnative insect introduction is an ethical approach for counteracting proliferation and overpopulation of consumers, (ii) What is the best technology to control undesirable insect pests in urban and agricultural settings? and (iii) Compared to other solutions, like plant-based diets, insect farming is the best method to address rising human global food and nutrient supply demands. Unbiased introduction speakers and teams had approximately 6 months to prepare for their presentations

INDOOR QUEEN BANKING AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO OUTDOOR BANKING PRACTICES

Honey bee queens are the most critical individual of a complex eusocial society. Most beekeepers usually replace their queens every 2 years in the U.S., making the demand extremely high. Northern California is one of the major queen production regions in the United States. Queen banking is the storage of queens individually in cages and placed in a colony intended to be cared for by bee workers. Queen producers bank excess queens as seasonal demand subsides in the summer to provide an on-demand supply to beekeepers. This approach, however, might be threatened by wildfires, decreased forage availability, and climate change. This study investigated the potential to bank honey bee queens indoors as an effective system during the summer. This research compared current summer outdoor queen banking practices in northern California with banking in indoor temperature-controlled storage facilities. Treatments were separated into three groups: indoor queen banks, outdoor queen banks, and a set of unbanked control queens. Three different stocking rates were tested (50, 100, and 198 queens per bank). Queen quality parameters and survival data were assessed using laboratory and field assessment methods. There was no significant difference in queen quality parameters apart from the weight of indoor queens banked at the rate of 100. There was no significant difference in the survival of queens held indoors vs. outdoors. However, there was a significant difference in the survival of different stocking rates. Queens banked indoors at a rate of 100 were more likely to survive than other stocking rates, both indoor and outdoor. Queens banked outdoors at the rate of 198 were more likely to survive than other outdoor banking rates. Although the weight of queens banked indoors at the rate of 100 was less than that of queens banked outdoors, other indoor banked queens had a similar weight as outdoor queens. Indoor banking performed as well as outdoor banking in terms of queen quality parameters and survival. Banking queens indoors has the potential to mitigate increased risk to the valuable fall queen supply caused by increasingly hot summer temperatures in northern California