Molecular Characterization Reveals Diverse and Unknown Malaria Vectors in the Western Kenyan Highlands.

The success of mosquito-based malaria control is dependent upon susceptible bionomic traits in local malaria vectors. It is crucial to have accurate and reliable methods to determine mosquito species composition in areas subject to malaria. An unexpectedly diverse set of Anopheles species was collected in the western Kenyan highlands, including unidentified and potentially new species carrying the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. This study identified 2,340 anopheline specimens using both ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer region 2 and mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 loci. Seventeen distinct sequence groups were identified. Of these, only eight could be molecularly identified through comparison to published and voucher sequences. Of the unidentified species, four were found to carry P. falciparum by circumsporozoite enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and polymerase chain reaction, the most abundant of which had infection rates comparable to a primary vector in the area, Anopheles funestus. High-quality adult specimens of these unidentified species could not be matched to museum voucher specimens or conclusively identified using multiple keys, suggesting that they may have not been previously described. These unidentified vectors were captured outdoors. Diverse and unknown species have been incriminated in malaria transmission in the western Kenya highlands using molecular identification of unusual morphological variants of field specimens. This study demonstrates the value of using molecular methods to compliment vector identifications and highlights the need for accurate characterization of mosquito species and their associated behaviors for effective malaria control

Two new iassine leafhopper genera from Ecuador (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)

Krishnankutty, Sindhu M., Dietrich, Christopher H. (2012): Two new iassine leafhopper genera from Ecuador (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). Zootaxa 3530: 43-50, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.28278

Data from: Entomopathogenic Nematodes Combined with Adjuvants Presents a New Potential Biological Control Method for Managing the Wheat Stem Sawfly, Cephus cinctus (Hymenoptera: Cephidae)

The wheat stem sawfly, (Cephus cinctus Norton) Hymenoptera: Cephidae, has been a major pest of winter wheat and barley in the northern Great Plains for more than 100 years. The insect's cryptic nature and lack of safe chemical control options make the wheat stem sawfly (WSS) difficult to manage; thus, biological control offers the best hope for sustainable management of WSS. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) have been used successfully against other above-ground insect pests and adding adjuvants to sprays containing EPNs has been shown to improve their effectiveness. We tested the hypothesis that adding chemical adjuvants to sprays containing EPNs will increase the ability of EPNs to enter wheat stems and kill diapausing WSS larvae. This is the first study to test the ability of EPNs to infect the WSS, C. cinctus, and test EPNs combined with adjuvants against C. cinctus in both the laboratory and the field. Infection assays showed that three different species of EPNs caused 60-100% mortality to WSS larvae. Adding Penterra, Silwet L-77, Sunspray 11N, or Syl-Tac to solutions containing EPNs resulted in higher WSS mortality than solutions made with water alone. Field tests showed that sprays containing S. feltiae added to 0.1% Penterra increased WSS mortality up to 29.1%. These results indicate a novel control method for WSS, and represent a significant advancement in the biological control of this persistent insect pest

Entomopathogenic Nematodes Combined with Adjuvants Presents a New Potential Biological Control Method for Managing the Wheat Stem Sawfly, Cephus cinctus (Hymenoptera: Cephidae).

The wheat stem sawfly, (Cephus cinctus Norton) Hymenoptera: Cephidae, has been a major pest of winter wheat and barley in the northern Great Plains for more than 100 years. The insect's cryptic nature and lack of safe chemical control options make the wheat stem sawfly (WSS) difficult to manage; thus, biological control offers the best hope for sustainable management of WSS. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) have been used successfully against other above-ground insect pests, and adding adjuvants to sprays containing EPNs has been shown to improve their effectiveness. We tested the hypothesis that adding chemical adjuvants to sprays containing EPNs will increase the ability of EPNs to enter wheat stems and kill diapausing WSS larvae. This is the first study to test the ability of EPNs to infect the WSS, C. cinctus, and test EPNs combined with adjuvants against C. cinctus in both the laboratory and the field. Infection assays showed that three different species of EPNs caused 60-100% mortality to WSS larvae. Adding Penterra, Silwet L-77, Sunspray 11N, or Syl-Tac to solutions containing EPNs resulted in higher WSS mortality than solutions made with water alone. Field tests showed that sprays containing S. feltiae added to 0.1% Penterra increased WSS mortality up to 29.1%. These results indicate a novel control method for WSS, and represent a significant advancement in the biological control of this persistent insect pest

Adjuvant: product name, manufacturer, main chemical ingredients, and formulation.

<p>Adjuvant: product name, manufacturer, main chemical ingredients, and formulation.</p

Number of seconds required for three artificial plugs (avg. length: 4–5 mm; avg. mass: 3.1 mg) to become completely saturated when placed in 5.0 ml of carrier solution.

<p>Recordings were stopped after 300 seconds had elapsed.</p

Average (mean ± SE) percent mortality (N = 5) of wheat stem sawfly larvae (<i>Cephus cinctus</i>) treated with three species of EPNs (<i>Heterorhabditis indica</i>, <i>Steinernema feltiae</i>, and <i>Steinernema kraussei</i>), 2 days and 3 days after exposure.

<p>Average (mean ± SE) percent mortality (N = 5) of wheat stem sawfly larvae (<i>Cephus cinctus</i>) treated with three species of EPNs (<i>Heterorhabditis indica</i>, <i>Steinernema feltiae</i>, and <i>Steinernema kraussei</i>), 2 days and 3 days after exposure.</p

Mortality of wheat stem sawfly (<i>Cephus cinctus</i>) from wheat stubble treated with three species of EPNs (<i>Heterorhabditis bacteriophora</i>, <i>Steinernema feltiae</i>, and <i>Steinernema riobrave</i>) combined with different carrier solutions.

<p>Percent mortalities were pooled across EPN species and bars represent average percent mortality (mean ± SEM) for each treatment solution (N = 9). Asterisks indicate significant differences in percent mortality (Dunnett’s test, α = 0.05) compared to controls (H₂O).</p