Integrated Management of European Cherry Fruit Fly Rhagoletis cerasi (L.): Situation in Switzerland and Europe

Abstract: The European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi (L.) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is a highly destructive pest. The low tolerance for damaged fruit requires preventive insecticide treatments for a marketable crop. The phase-out of old insecticides threatens cherry production throughout the European Union (EU). Consequently, new management techniques and tools are needed. With the increasing number of dwarf tree orchards covered against rain to avoid fruit splitting, crop netting has become a viable, cost-effective method of cherry fruit fly control. Recently, a biocontrol method using the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana has been developed for organic agriculture. However, for most situations, there is still a lack of efficient and environmentally sound insecticides to control this pest. This review summarizes the literature from over one hundred years of research on R. cerasi with focus on the biology and history of cherry fruit fly control as well as on antagonists and potential biocontrol organisms. We will present the situation of cherry fruit fly regulation in different European countries, give recommendations for cherry fruit fly control, show gaps in knowledge and identify future research opportunities

Getting more than a fair share: nutrition of worker larvae related to social parasitism in the Cape honey bee Apis mellifera capensis

Besides activation of ovaries and thelytokous reproduction of Cape workers, larval nutrition is an important aspect in parasitism of the African honey bee. When reared by workers of other subspecies, Cape larvae receive more food which is slightly more royal jelly-like. This results in worker-queen intermediates, with reduced pollen combs, enlarged spermathecae and higher numbers of ovarioles. The intermediates weigh more and develop faster than normal workers. The appearance of worker-queen intermediates probably affects parasitism of the African honey bee colonies by Cape workers. Different levels of larval nutrition resulting in less distinct caste differentiation may be important for the reproductive success of Cape workers in their own colonies. Similar processes, albeit less pronounced, may occur in colonies of other subspecies

Modulation of social behavior by the agouti pigmentation gene

Agouti is a secreted neuropeptide that acts as an endogenous antagonist of melanocortin receptors. Mice and rats lacking agouti (called non-agouti) have dark fur due to a disinhibition of melanocortin signaling and pigment deposition in the hair follicle. Non-agouti animals have also been reported to exhibit altered behavior, despite no evidence for the expression of agouti outside the skin. Here we confirm that non-agouti mice show altered social behavior and uncover expression of agouti in the preputial gland, a sebaceous organ in the urinary tract that secretes molecules involved in social behavior. Non-agouti mice had enlarged preputial glands and altered levels of putative preputial pheromones and surgical removal of the gland reversed the behavioral phenotype. These findings demonstrate the existence of an autologous, out-of-skin pathway for the modulation of social behavio

Neuroethology of olfactory-guided behavior and its potential application in the control of harmful insects

Harmful insects include pests of crops and storage goods, and vectors of human and animal diseases. Throughout their history, humans have been fighting them using diverse methods. The fairly recent development of synthetic chemical insecticides promised efficient crop and health protection at a relatively low cost. However, the negative effects of those insecticides on human health and the environment, as well as the development of insect resistance, have been fueling the search for alternative control tools. New and promising alternative methods to fight harmful insects include the manipulation of their behavior using synthetic versions of "semiochemicals", which are natural volatile and non-volatile substances involved in the intra-and/or inter-specific communication between organisms. Synthetic semiochemicals can be used as trap baits to monitor the presence of insects, so that insecticide spraying can be planned rationally (i.e., only when and where insects are actually present). Other methods that use semiochemicals include insect annihilation by mass trapping, attract-and-kill techniques, behavioral disruption, and the use of repellents. In the last decades many investigations focused on the neural bases of insect's responses to semiochemicals. Those studies help understand how the olfactory system detects and processes information about odors, which could lead to the design of efficient control tools, including odor baits, repellents or ways to confound insects. Here we review our current knowledge about the neural mechanisms controlling olfactory responses to semiochemicals in harmful insects. We also discuss how this neuroethology approach can be used to design or improve pest/vector management strategies.Fil: Reisenman, Carolina Esther. University of California at Berkeley; Estados UnidosFil: Lei, Hong. University of Arizona; Estados UnidosFil: Guerenstein, Pablo Gustavo. Provincia de Entre Ríos. Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia de Tecnología a la Producción. Universidad Autónoma de Entre Ríos. Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia de Tecnología a la Producción. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia de Tecnología a la Producción; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos. Facultad de Ingeniería; Argentin

Experiences of integrated management of European Cherry Fruit Fly (Rhagoletis cerasi) and how to utilize this knowledge for Sea Buckthorn Fly.

The genus Rhagoletis Loew includes about 65 known species distributed throughout Europe, Asia and America. Most species are oligophagous, attacking only a few closely related host plants. The European cherry fruit fly R. cerasi is the economically most important pest species in Europe. R. batava and R. alternata can also cause economic damage in Europe. In addition to these species, the American cherry fruit fly species R. cingulata, R. indifferens and R. fausta, as well as the apple maggot R. pomonella, the blueberry maggot R. mendax, and the walnut infesting species R. completa and R. suavis are pest insects of high economic importance. R. cingulata and R.completa were recently introduced to Europe and are currently spreading in Central Europe. A lot of research was conducted on integrated control of the European cherry fruit fly R. cerasi during the past hundred years. For the monitoring of flight period of R. cerasi yellow sticky traps are used. This method was shown to give reliable results for the timing of application. However, an economic threshold cannot be determined with yellow sticky traps, because fruit infestation is also influenced by crop load and weather conditions during oviposition period of flies. Chemical control (Insecticides) of R. cerasi is currently impeded by the withdrawal of “old” organophoshporus compounds (Dimethoate) and the debate on side-effects of neonicotinoids. Attract-and-kill strategies are available or under development: food baits (based on yeast hydrolysate and sugar) are mixed with the organic insecticides Spinosad or Neem. The baits attract the flies, stimulate feeding and thus increase uptake of the insecticide. However, the efficacy of attract-and-kill strategies strongly depends on the attractiveness of the bait which is influenced by climate conditions. Mass trapping by yellow sticky traps combined with baits is used for cherry fruit fly control in home-gardens. However, due to the high number of traps needed to achieve good control, this strategy is too expensive for commercial production. The use of kaolin as mechanical barrier on the fruit surface to prevent oviposition was shown to be effective against R. indifferens and R. mendax. Because kaolin treatments leave white residues on fruit, this method is not used against cherry fruit fly. Recently, it was shown that oil products can also prevent oviposition by creating a slippery layer on the fruit surface. A biocontrol method using the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana has been developed and is currently registered in serveral European countries (product Naturalis-L). This strategy is mainly used in organic production. Another biocontrol strategy could be the use of parasitoids. However, the use of larval parasitoids is hampered by the steadily increasing fruit size of cherries for fresh consumption: parasitoids are no longer able to reach the larvae in the center of the cherry fruit. The use of crop netting to protect trees is the currently most widely used method of cherry fruit fly control. With the increasing number of dwarf tree cherry orchards covered against rain to avoid fruit splitting, it has become a viable, cost-effective method of cherry fruit fly control. However, for high standard trees this method is not suitable. In this situation, the use of nets for soil covering (to avoid hatching of flies from overwintering pupae in the soil) can be used

Molecular and behavioural evidence for gene flow between host races of the larch budmoth Zeiraphera diniana

Larch and pine associated populations of Zeiraphera diniana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) differ in a number of heritable traits, but pheromone-mediated cross-attraction occurs between them in the wild. Using a quartet mate choice design (one male and one female of each type per cage) we estimate that, following cross-attraction by pheromones, the subsequent probability of hybridization is approximately 28%. We also examined molecular data, and were unable to distinguish between the races on the basis of 695bp of mitochondrial COI, tRNA-leucine, and COII gene sequence. Both results support earlier field studies suggesting that larch- and pine-feeding populations are host races that hybridize at an appreciable level in the wild. The shared mitochondrial haplotypes we observed are also consistent with ongoing and successful gene flow between the two host races

Dispersal and Re-Capture of Marked, Overwintering \u3ci\u3eTomicus Piniperda\u3c/i\u3e (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) From Scotch Pine Bolts

The pine shoot beetle (PSB), Tomicus piniperda is a recently established exotic pest of live pine in the southern Great Lakes of the U.S. and Canada. Scotch pine, Pinus sylvestris L. is the most susceptible pine species, but the adult also attacks several other North American species of Pinus. This research investigated the dispersal behavior of beetles emerging from overwintering sites to aid in the development of effective monitoring and management practices. Scotch pine logs with overwintering PSB were sprayed with fluorescent pigments to mark dispersing beetles. These logs were placed in piles in the centers of three circular trap arrays of 8-unit Lindgren traps, baited with a-pinene, and placed at distances of 50, 100,200, 300 and 400 meters from the center along equally spaced radii. An estimated average of 393 PSB, or 23.4% of the overwintering PSB, dispersed from each of three log piles during the initial spring dispersal flight, and 21.9% of these were captured in traps. Traps within 100 meters caught 56.0 to 67.8% of the marked PSB recovered. Most (95.3%) marked PSB were trapped within 400 meters, but 12 beetles (4.7%) were trapped 780-2,000 meters away in adjacent trap arrays. The dispersal pattern of the population, as indicated by trap catch, was to the northeast, in the direction of prevailing westerly/ southerly winds up to 4.77 mls daily average during beetle flight. Regression analysis suggests that the PSB within the experimental area had a predicted dispersal distance of 900 meters in an area that contained numerous traps. Dispersal distances may be greater under of conditions of strong and steady winds or iftraps or abundant host material removed fewer PSB from the dispersing population. The use of traps to monitor specific sites should consider the direction of prevailing winds. Trap catches of wild PSB suggest that optimal inter-trap spacing for efficient detection could be about 78 m

Le potentiel de l’écologie chimique dans la lutte contre les insectes nuisibles

En nature, plusieurs organismes vivants émettent des substances chimiques médiatrices (infochimiques) lorsqu'ils créent des liens complexes et variés entre les individus de la même espèce ou d'espèces différentes. Dans cet article, nous décrivons comment certains insectes utilisent les substances infochimiques pour la recherche d'un partenaire sexuel, de sources de nourriture ou d'un lieu favorable pour la ponte. De plus, nous discutons de l'intérêt de bien comprendre les fondements de l'écologie chimique afin de promouvoir le développement et l'utilisation de méthodes de lutte plus efficaces contre les insectes nuisibles et plus acceptables pour l'environnement.Infochemicals are important in modulating a large number of both intra- and interspecific interactions in nature and in this paper we examine examples of their use by insects in the location of mates, food and suitable oviposition sites. Furthermore, we consider how an understanding of chemical ecology can be used to develop more efficient and ecologically acceptable pest management programs