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Designing wildflower habitats to support beneficial insects providing pollination and pest control services is important for supporting sustainable crop production. It is often desirable to support both groups of insects, making the selection of resource plants for insect conservation programs more challenging. Moreover, the process of selecting resource plants is complicated by the array of possible options in each region, and the need to provide resources over the entire growing season. Identifying traits shared by resource plants that are attractive to both bees and natural enemies can reduce the need to evaluate new plants in each region, by providing a guide for the types of plants expected to be rewarding to these insects. Using insect visitation data collected from replicated common garden plantings of native wildflower and shrub species from the Great Lakes region of the United States, we found a high degree of correlation between the abundance of bees and natural enemies visiting native plant species. These results were used to identify a set of 15 plant species that can provide resources for these insects throughout the summer. Across all tested species, pollen quantity per flower and the week of bloom were positively correlated with some, but not all, taxonomic groupings of beneficial insects. In contrast, floral area was consistently positively associated with visitation of both natural enemies and wild bees. This trait is easy to document and can allow for efficient local testing of potential resource plants, providing a faster path to implementing insect conservation in working landscapes.

Imidacloprid, one of the most commonly used insecticides, is highly toxic to honeybees and other beneficial insects. Imidacloprid is a chloronicotinyl insecticide, which has a highly specific affinity to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the honeybee’s nervous system. So it may interfere with dance behavior and memory formation. We found the waggle dances were modulated in honeybees fed sucrose water containing imidacloprid (pesticide group) compared to those fed normal sucrose water (control group). In our data, dancers of the pesticide group significantly increased the variance of divergence angle and the return phases in waggle dances than the control group. And the dance followers in pesticide group significantly increased the variance of crop content than the control group. Furthermore, four learning and memory related genes were significantly regulated at the gene expression levels between pesticide and control group. Our data revealed that the sub-lethal dose of imidacloprid impaired the honeybees’ learning and memory and resulted in cognitive disorder. The dancers may adjust their recruitment behavior leading to the observed reduced number of followers. We conclude that modulation of in-hive communication serves to protect the colony from foraging toxic food.

Thiamethoxam with mefenoxam is the most widely used neonicotinoid insecticide/fungicide mixture applied to soybean (Glycine max [L]) as seed treatments. Based on the systemic nature of thiamethoxam and mefenoxam, residues of this insecticide/fungicide mixture may be present in soybean vegetative and floral tissue and negatively impact beneficial insects. Although neonicotinoids are often applied in combination with systemic fungicides, the research on ecological risks of neonicotinoids has been focused on the analysis of these compounds without considering their interaction with other agrochemicals. The objective of this study was to identify the concentration of thiamethoxam and mefenoxam in soybean flowers and leaves during early reproductive soybean stages. A field experiment with three treatments: a thiamethoxam-mefenoxam combination, thiamethoxam only, and untreated seeds, was conducted. Flowers were collected during early reproductive soybean stages R1-R2 at different locations in Nebraska during two years. Quantification of the pesticides in floral tissue was conducted using a modification of the QuEChErs extraction method and HPLC-MS/MS analysis. Mean concentrations of thiamethoxam and mefenoxam in floral and vegetative tissue were exteremely low or not detected although trace levels of thiamethoxam were higher in floral tissues from seed treatments relative to the control. The only residue consistently detected above the method detection limit among plants grown from thiamethoxam treated seeds was the thiamethoxiam metabolite, clothianidin. Results from this study provide important baseline information to estimate the window of activity for this compound in soybean in the North Central Region of the United States.

Influence of certain insecticides, ie. emamectin benzoate, acetamiprid, indoxacarb, and two bio-agents; entomopathogenic nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (EKB20) and Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt); in alternating the organization of entomophagous and their biological agents complexes were studied in tomato ecosystem in Minia Governorate, Egypt. The results reflected the tendency of entomopathogenic nematode and B. thuringiensis for selectivity, followed by emamectin benzoate when compared with the other insecticides. Diversity indexes after application of entomopathogenic nematode, emamectin benzoate and B. thuringiensis were higher at the two applications in the two successive seasons, followed by indoxacarb and acetamiprid. The highest values of equitability were shown in the treatment of entomopathogenic nematode and B. thuringiensis until 10 days post-treatment. The results showed that EKB20, Bt and emamectin benzoate have highly toxic effect against Spodoptera littoralis and Tuta absoluta with low effect on the beneficial insects in tomato. The difference can be attributed to different mode of action of product and number of sprays. Therefore, emamectin benzoate, EKB20, and Bt are considered good promised control elements, especially in successful release of some schemes of tomato integrated control.

Protected tree fruit cultivation using sustainable environmently-friendly practices is considered a promising alternative to meet the challenge of various biotic and abiotic stresses threatening fruit production under climate changes. Nowadays, nets are being globally used to protect the trees against harsh environmental conditions including hail, wind, excess sunlight and pests while improving tree health and enhancing fruit quality. Different types of nets including anti-hail, exclusion and photoselective nets have a different impact on the fruit tree response and production depending on their type, shading factor, mesh size, timing of display in the orchard and the netting system erected in the orchard. This review analyzes the effect of various types of nets on the microclimate, tree growth and management, fruit quality, diseases, disorders, economical insect pests and beneficial insects.

The orange wheat blossom midge, Sitodiplosis mosellana (Gehin) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), is a common pest of wheat that is frequently parasitized by Macroglenes penetrans (Kirby) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae). Both species need to be detected and quantified using a reliable monitoring system to assess the risk for wheat crops and, if necessary, determine the timing of insecticide treatments in order to ensure their efficiency against the pest and prevent adverse side-effects on beneficial insects. Four trap types, placed at 0.6 m above ground level, were compared for their efficiency in catching S. mosellana and M. penetrans: yellow sticky traps, white sticky traps, yellow water traps and pheromone-baited traps. For the pheromone-baited and yellow water traps, three heights (0.2, 0.6 and 1 m above ground level) were tested. For S. mosellana, the pheromone-baited trap was the most efficient and 0.2 m was the best height. In non-source fields with important flights of immigrant female midges, however, yellow water traps could be more efficient than pheromone-baited traps, capturing males almost exclusively. For M. penetrans, the most efficient traps were the sticky and yellow water traps and the best height was 0.6 m. These relative efficiencies of traps and height positions were clearly related to differences in flight behavior between the species and between the sexes.

The macadamia felted coccid, Eriococcus ironsidei Williams, is an invasive pest in Hawaii that causes severe damage and yield losses in macadamia nuts. Developing integrated pest management options including effective conservation biological control is essential. Combining techniques of canopy thinning with the provision of nectar and pollen plant sources for beneficial insects in the understory may result in improved E. ironsidei suppression. The role of canopy modification and understory habitat in enhancing natural enemy effectiveness to reduce E. ironsidei populations was investigated. Plots with pruned trees plus wild plants had up to 48% less E. ironsidei than the control plots, and the pruned-only plots had up to 32% less E. ironsidei compared to the control plots. A greater abundance of natural enemies was found in the treated plots than in the control plots. Predatory beetles were up to 62% more abundant in the pruned trees plus wild plants than in the control plots, and in the pruned-only plots there were up to 54% more predatory beetles than in the control plots. Encarsia lounsburyi (Berlese and Paoli), a wasp that parasitizes E. ironsidei was up to 73% more abundant in the pruned plus wild-plant plots, and up to 50% more abundant in the pruned-only plots than in the control plots. Pruning macadamia trees potentially enhanced natural enemy populations within the orchards increasing predation from 36% to 60% and parasitism from 1.3% up to 4.3% compared to control plots. Yields of macadamia trees were not affected by the pruning during the period of the study, and current results suggest a potential increase in yields over time after pruning. This study provides evidence that pruned macadamia trees and understory plant species diversification support natural enemy populations and may provide enhancement of biological control of E. ironsidei in macadamia nut orchards.

One of the major aims of pollination ecology has been to understand the role and relative importance of different pollinator species in both natural and agricultural systems. This study explores how the quantity of pollen delivered in a single visit to a stigma (SVD) differs across insect species from a wide range of taxa (Orders: Hymenoptera, Diptera and Coleoptera) and assesses the morphological and behavioural traits that lead to differences in pollen delivery. We used oilseed rape (OSR) (Brassica napus L.), an economically important crop with open self-fertile flowers, as a test system. Behavioural traits and SVD were measured in the field for individuals of all frequent flower-visiting species of OSR. Individuals were collected and morphological traits were measured in the laboratory. The quantities of free pollen on different body parts of flower visitors, or ‘pollen load’, were also measured. Behavioural and morphological traits were then assessed as predictors of SVD. The individuals that delivered most pollen were (in order of greatest median number of pollen grains delivered): bumblebees (Bombus spp.), mining bees (Andrenidae) and honeybees (Apis mellifera). However, all but one family of flies tested delivered a significantly greater median number of pollen grains than the control, and most delivered more than sweat bees (Halictidae). Behavioural and morphological traits were important in determining pollen delivery, with greater body length, hairiness and visit duration all resulting in greater SVD. Pollen load was measured for a proportion of individuals and we found that for momentary flower visits, a greater quantity of pollen on the head of the flower visitor was linked to a greater SVD. This study demonstrates that, while bees are important pollinators in this system, many fly taxa are also effective at delivering pollen and this is linked to morphological and behavioural traits found in both groups.

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) and a mix of native warm season grasses with forbs (NWSG-mix) have received attention as cellulosic biofuel sources. While numerous studies support greater biodiversity within those biofuel crops than corn, it is unclear how switchgrass and NWSG-mix affect beneficial insects such as pollinators (PO) and predators/parasites/parasitoids (PPP). Also, few empirical studies have explored the effects of biofuel crop harvest on insects. We investigated the responses of PO and PPP insects to those two biofuel crops and harvest frequency in Mississippi, USA, during 2011–2013. We established 16 fields on agricultural lands and randomly assigned each one of 4 treatments: switchgrass with single harvest; switchgrass with multiple harvests; NWSG-mix with single harvest; NWSG-mix with multiple harvests. We set up 3 sampling stations per field and conducted insect sampling 1–3 times monthly during summer to fall using colored pan traps. We tested treatment effects with general linear mixed models and redundancy analyses. While treatment effects varied by season and year, biofuel crop type influenced abundance and insect family diversity but harvest frequency did not. During summer, total abundance and guild-level (PO and PPP) abundance were high in switchgrass in 2011. During fall, total abundance and abundance of PPP were high in NWSG-mix in 2011 and 2012 and abundance of PO in 2011 and 2013. Family richness was also greater in NWSG-mix across seasons in 2011 and 2012 and during fall in 2013. More families tended to be associated with NWSG-mix than switchgrass. Our results suggest that 1) biofuel crop type is a more important factor influencing beneficial insects than harvest frequency and 2) compared to NWSG-mix, switchgrass may provide more resources for insects during summer or during the first year after establishment; however, NWSG-mix could enhance insect diversity and abundance of pollinators for a longer period of time.

The parasitoid communities in organic and integrated pest management (IPM) kiwifruit orchards have previously been found to differ significantly, but we do not know if this affects the quality or quantity of biocontrol services. We compared parasitism of two leafroller (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) pest species, Ctenopseustis obliquana (Walker) and Cnephasia jactatana (Walker), in the two types of orchard. Within each orchard, we focussed on a large shelterbelt between the kiwifruit vines and an alternative land-use to also investigate whether the shelterbelts and neighbouring habitat were a source of pests or beneficial insects for these orchards. Sentinel larvae were used to determine both parasitoid identity and parasitism rate each month during the kiwifruit growing seasons in 2013/14 (16 orchards) and 2014/15 (12 orchards). The numbers of Tortricidae and parasitoids in the shelterbelt on each orchard in each month was also assessed in 2014/15. Four parasitoid species emerged from the sentinel larvae, although average parasitism rates were very low (1–3%). There were no detectable effects of orchard management, shelterbelt type or neighbouring land-use on parasitism rates. Parasitoid numbers were low in all orchards in 2014/15, although more parasitoids were collected from the IPM orchards than the organic ones. This may have been in response to the increasing numbers of Tortricidae in the shelterbelts on the IPM orchards during the season, a trend that was not observed in the organic orchards. Both shelterbelt composition and neighbouring land-use were found to affect total combined counts of Tortricidae and parasitoids, with higher counts in shelterbelts composed of Cryptomeria japonica and where adjacent land contained native bush or tree-based scrub. Each may therefore be a source of both taxa for the orchards. Modifications to the shelterbelts that increase parastoids but not Tortricidae are needed.

On the Ground • Grasshopper outbreaks in Nebraska have resulted in losses over $2 million per year due to lost forage for livestock. As much as 23% of western U.S. forage is consumed by grasshoppers annually. • Controlling grasshoppers reduced grasshopper numbers without negatively impacting beneficial insects. • In 2011, 29 more 318 kg steers could have grazed a 1000 hectare pasture for a 5 month growing season due to grasshopper suppression. In 2012 (a drought year), 54 more steers could have been grazed if grasshoppers were controlled. Grasshopper infestation can result in significant reduction in livestock grazing capacity especially in dry conditions.

Understanding beta-diversity, i.e. species turnover in space and time, is essential for informing conservation actions. Soaring cultivation of mass flowering crops (e.g. oil seed rape OSR) and loss of semi-natural habitats (SNH) can strongly affect populations of native pollinators, yet it remains unclear how OSR and SNH affect spatial and temporal turnover of pollinator communities. Here, we examined how the landscape-scale proportions of OSR and SNH affect spatial and temporal community turnover in solitary bees and hoverflies, two key provider groups of pollination and pest control services in temperate agro-ecosystems. Using a novel grid-based landscape-wide sampling approach, we quantified pollinator communities within ten 1 km × 1 km landscapes representing independent gradients in OSR and SNH availability. We sampled during and after OSR flowering, in two subsequent years, yielding app. 8800 specimens representing 160 species. Spatial community turnover, measured as the slope of the dissimilarity-distance relationship, was not influenced by the proportion of OSR at any time. In contrast, SNH decreased community turnover for bees during OSR flowering and for hoverflies after flowering, likely caused by pollinator movement between land use types. This suggests that a high availability of SNH may help to promote an even distribution of native bees and hoverflies within temperate agricultural landscapes, hereby potentially stabilizing landscape-wide pollination services.

Soybean, the main crop of Argentina, has promoted spatial and temporal homogenization of the agricultural landscape accompanied by significant losses of biodiversity, along with increases in the use of chemical inputs. One of the possible solutions to overcome these effects is the diversification of the agroecosystem, avoiding the control of weed species that could act as attractants of beneficial insects and deterrents of herbivory, without compromising crop yield. The aims of this work were to evaluate the composition, abundance and richness of insect assemblages in different soybean-weed (Artemisia annua and Chenopodium album)-herbivory combinations and to determine the relationship between insect assemblages and volatile signals emitted by the different combinations. Two factorial experiments were conducted during two consecutive seasons under field conditions. Factors were: i) crop-weed combinations with five levels: pure soybean (PS), soybean + 2 A. annua plants m−2 (2A), soybean + 4 A. annua plants m−2 (4A), soybean + 2 C. album plants m−2 (2C) and soybean + 4 C. album plants m−2 (4C) and ii) herbivory with two levels: with (+H) and without (−H). Volatile signals were measured with an electronic nose and insects were sampled with pitfall traps located in the center of each plot. Different insect assemblages related to treatments were identified. Richness increased when soybean was accompanied by weeds. The proportion of non-herbivores was always higher than that of herbivores. In both seasons, the same sensors detecting volatile cues were the main explanatory variables of the insect data, being responsible for the separation of A. annua treatments from the others. Many non-herbivore species were attracted to A. annua and repelled by signals captured by these sensors and, on the contrary, many herbivore and non-herbivore species were attracted to those blends associated to PS and C. album. PS and C. album could represent a food source for herbivores and alternative food or host for non- herbivores. Herbivory was not a discriminant explanatory variable. This work highlights that insect assemblage varies according to different crop-weed combinations and their volatile signals. Considering the positive impact on insect diversity of some species currently considered as weeds, could be useful to design future agro-ecosystems in which the regulation of pests is accomplished by increasing the fauna of beneficial insects and, thus, reducing the use of pesticides.

cis-Jasmone (CJ) is a natural plant volatile derived from linolenic acid via the octadecanoid pathway, and acts as a semiochemical and plant defense elicitor. In the present study, the effects of three different CJ doses (25 g.ha−1; 50 g.ha−1; 100 g.ha−1), applied at two different wheat growth stages (flag leaf just visible and emergence of inflorescence completed), on wheat insect pests and beneficial insects were investigated using three different sampling methods (direct visual counting, sweep-netting, colored sticky traps) under semi-arid conditions during 2011–2013. Depending on the insect species, CJ dose-effects varied with study years, plant growth stages and/or sampling methods. Among the pest species, cereal aphids (apterous and alate) were the most prominently affected by CJ treatment, irrespective of the dose; fewer aphids were detected on the CJ-treated plants than on untreated control plants by direct visual counting, sweep net and yellow sticky trap samplings. CJ treatment also had deterrent effects on phytophagous thrips species and wheat stem sawflies (Hymenoptera: Cephidae), whereas CJ was an attractant for aphid parasitoids, coccinellid species and the wheat stem sawfly parasitoid Collyria coxator (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). CJ treatment had no effect on syrphid species (Diptera: Syrphidae). There was no significant effect of CJ treatment on wheat yield; however, CJ-treated plants were taller than untreated control plants. Although the behavioral responses of the studied species to CJ treatment varied with the plant growth stage and treatment dose, and were not consistent across all sampling methods, our findings indicate CJ treatment may be used to reduce some insect pest populations and manipulate some natural enemy species under field conditions.

Honey bees are considered as critical beneficial insects in the term of honey production and pollination of crops. One of the essential honey bee species in Pakistan is Apis florea Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Apidae). These make nests on trees near human dwellings and agriculture crops. During foraging in the field for nectar and pollen collection from agriculture flowering plants, honey bees may be exposed to pesticide sprays which may cause a change in their foraging behavior and the death of their workers. The current study evaluates the toxicity of six insecticides (emamectin benzoate, spinetoram, chlorantraniliprole, fipronil, flonicamid, and imidacloprid) against workers of A. florea. There were six concentrations of each insecticide (causing > 0% to

Insects are the largest, most diverse organism class. Their key role in many ecosystems means that it is important they are identified correctly for effective management. However, insect species identification is challenging and labour-intensive. This has prompted increasing interest in image-based systems for rapid, reliable identification supported by advances in deep learning, computer vision, and sensing technologies. We conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) to analyse and compare primary studies of image-based insect detection and species classification methods. We initially identified 980 studies published between 2010–2020 and selected from these 69 relevant studies using explicitly defined inclusion/exclusion criteria. In this SLR, we conducted a detailed analysis of the primary studies’ dataset properties (i.e. insect species targeted, crops, geographical locations, image capture methods) and insect classification techniques. We provide recommendations for future research based on the gaps our survey identified. We found many studies were conducted in China, the USA, and Brazil, but none in the African continent. The majority of the studies (78.3%) aimed to identify crop pests, mainly of rice and wheat. Only three studies specifically targeted beneficial insects, bee species and predatory species. Insect species targeted by the studies were centred around 10 insect orders out of 28. The analysis of classification methods shows a recent trend toward applying deep learning techniques compared to shallow learning techniques for insect identification. The SLR provides insight into the current state of the art and indicates promising future directions for image-based insect identification and species classification relevant to Computer Science, Agriculture and Ecology research.

The rice moth, Corcyra cephalonica, is an economically significant stored product pest (SPP). It is widely distributed and causes severe damage to grains and products in storage under varying environmental conditions. However, compared to other Lepidopterous pests like Ephestia kuehniella and Plodia interpunctella, the pest potential of C. cephalonica is often underestimated. While farmers typically rely on chemical control to manage insect pests, recent studies suggest that non-chemical control methods can be used successfully as alternatives for their management. Therefore, in-depth knowledge of rice moth biology and its current pest status is essential for developing integrated management systems. Besides being a pest under natural conditions, Corcyra cephalonica also serves as a factitious host of natural enemies. It has a short life cycle and can be easily mass-reared on a variety of feeding media, making it a preferable alternative host with year-round availability, which can help in the cost-effective production of beneficial insects such as biocontrol agents and, as a result, in better management of other harmful agricultural insect pests. In the second part of this review, we examine the suitability of the rice moth as a laboratory host and conclude by determining whether Corcyra is best addressed as a serious pest of stored products or as a factitious host of biocontrol agents.

Freshwater ecosystems provide environmental conditions for many arthropod species, including pests like mosquitoes and beneficial insects. Giant water bugs, Belostoma anurum (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae), are aquatic insects that provide biological control of mosquitoes and small vertebrates in freshwater environments. However, the application of insecticides aiming to control mosquitoes can lead to insecticide exposures of aquatic predators that can result in their death or significant reductions in their behavioral abilities. Here, we assessed the susceptibilities of B. anurum to the pyrethroid insecticide deltamethrin and evaluated whether sublethal exposure to deltamethrin would change the abilities of B. anurum to prey upon larvae of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae). Bioassays of predator performance were conducted at three prey densities (i.e., 3, 6 and 9 larvae/100 mL of water) just after insecticide exposure and on the three following days. Our results revealed that B. anurum (LC50 = 90.9 μg a. i./L) was approximately 32-fold less susceptible to deltamethrin than A. aegypti larvae (LC50 = 2.8 μg a. i./L). However, the number of larvae eaten by B. anurum sublethally exposed to deltamethrin (at 13 μg a. i./L for 24 h) was significantly (P < 0.05) smaller than that recorded for unexposed predators. Furthermore, the deltamethrin-mediated behavioral changes were higher at the highest availability of prey and, as expected, just after insecticide exposure. Thus, sublethal exposure to deltamethrin reduces the ability of B. anurum to capture and prey upon A. aegypti larvae, compromising the efficacy of these insects as naturally occurring mosquito control agents.

Aromatic plants can affect arthropod community composition and reduce herbivore populations by attracting beneficial insects such as generalist predators. To investigate the possible mechanisms underlying the attraction of aromatic plant species to natural enemies in the field, we assessed the attractiveness of Ocimum basilicum L. (basil), Mentha piperita L. (peppermint), Melissa officinalis L. (lemon balm) (Lamiaceae) and Cordia verbenacea DC (black sage) (Boraginaceae) to adults of the green lacewing Ceraeochrysa cubana Hagen (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), a generalist predator widely distributed across the Americas. Additionally, we tested whether access to leaves and flowers of these plant species would affect larval survival, development or oviposition by C. cubana . The green lacewing was attracted to basil but not to the other aromatic plants. Larvae and adults did not benefit from the presence of any plant leaves, but basil flowers enhanced C. cubana larval and adult survival. Basil can be recommended as a companion crop in conservation biological control programs, not only for its well-known negative effects on pests, but also for its attractiveness to generalist predatory insects such as C. cubana . Besides attracting adults, basil flowers benefit both larvae and adults, which is desirable for conservation biological control.

Aedes aegypti Linn is one of the most important mosquito species. The vectors are responsible for causing deadly diseases like dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever. Several chemical pesticides used to control these dengue vectors caused severe toxic significances on human health and other non-target beneficial insects. Therefore the current investigation has been made to access the bio-efficacy of the crude seed extracts of T. chebula against the dengue vector Ae. aegypti . The GC-MS analysis of crude seed extracts of T. chebula identified nine chemical compounds with major peak area in the 1,2,3-Benzenetriol (61.96%), followed by Tridecanoic acid (09.55%). Ae. aegypti larvae showed dose dependent mortality rate was observed between the treatments. Prominent protection rate at greater concentrations of 100 ppm and moderate protection at 75 and 50 ppm was observed in the repellent assay. Lethal concentration (LC 50 and LC 90 ) of fourth instar larvae of Ae. aegypti was observed in 138 and 220 ppm concentration respectively. Similarly, the seed extracts showed 100% adulticidal activity at the concentration of 400 ppm at 30 min of exposure time. Phytochemicals present in the seed extracts of T. chebula significantly affects the major portions of the midgut tissues of Ae. aegypti at the concentration of 100 ppm. The toxicological evaluation of seed extracts also proved non-toxic towards the A. bouvieri and Tx. splendens aquatic predatory insects. Hence, the present result suggest that bio-rational plant derived T. chebula could be incorporated in the dengue vector control and have no adverse effects on non-target beneficial insects.

We investigate consumers’ willingness to pay for edible and non-edible plants protected by beneficial insects and those protected by pesticides, respectively, as well as the influence of message framing on willingness to pay. We use basil, heather, and orchids as experimental objects in two stated-choice experiments (one lab-in-the-field experiment and one online experiment) conducted in Germany. In both experiments, we find strong evidence that consumers prefer plants protected by beneficial insects. Moreover, we find that message framing affects consumers’ willingness to pay, where gain framing produces greater overall willingness to pay. To check for the robustness of our results, we implemented instruments to mitigate concerns for social desirability and hypothetical bias, finding that our results are robust in terms of our key findings. This is the first comprehensive experimental study specifically on consumer’s willingness to pay for plants protected by beneficial insects. Our findings are valuable for practitioners, as the use of beneficial insects in greenhouse production is already rather common. Following our results, this information could be successfully used for marketing purposes.

The European corn borer (ECB), Ostrinia nubilalis Hubner (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), is a key pest of maize (Zea mays L.). In Northern Italy, larvae of the 2nd generation may damage cobs and kernels and the feeding activity can promote the proliferation of aflatoxigenic fungi, such as Aspergillus flavus, the major producer of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). During 2017–2018, the efficacy of two strategies to control ECB in maize was assessed. Biological control strategy (Trichogramma brassicae Bezdenko and Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner), conventional chemical strategy (chlorantraniliprole) and an untreated control were compared to assess: i) the effect of the strategies on ECB infestation; ii) the association of ECB and AFB1 kernels contamination; iii) the impact of the strategies on beneficial arthropods. The conventional chemical strategy demonstrated the best control of ECB infestation, followed by biological control strategy and the untreated control. No significant differences in maize yield were found among strategies. The role of ECB on AFB1 concentration was demonstrated only in 2017, when higher level of infestations occurred simultaneously with an extended period of drought and high temperatures, sanctioning the important role of meteorological conditions on AFB1 contamination. The activity density of ground beetles, rove beetles and spiders and the mean number per leaf of the most abundant beneficial insects dwelling on plants (coccinellids, predatory thrips and lacewings) did not show significant changes between pre-and post-treatment with chlorantraniliprole, highlighting the selectivity of this pesticide in the short time. This study provides some contribution for the reduction of non-renewable input in Italian maize fields, demonstrating that biological control strategy, although less effective than conventional chemical control, can be a feasible approach to control ECB second larval generation, without any increment of AFB1 level in grains and yield loss.

A mixture of Mesotrione and Atrazine (Calaris®) has been reported as an improvement of the atrazine herbicides, which are agrochemicals used for weed control. However, its possible harmful effects on non-target organisms, including pollinators, needs to be better understood. In this work, the effects of the mix of herbicides on food consumption, behaviour (walking distance, and meandering), and the morphology of the midgut of the stingless bee Partamona helleri were studied. Foragers were orally exposed to different concentrations of the mix. The concentrations leading to 10% and 50% mortality (LC10 and LC50, respectively) were estimated and used in the analysis of behaviour and morphology. The ingestion of contaminated diets (50% aqueous sucrose solution + mix) led to a reduction in food consumption by the bees when compared to the control, bees fed a non-contaminated diet (sucrose solution). Ingestion of the LC50 diet reduced locomotor activity, increased meandering, induced the degradation of the epithelium and peritrophic matrix, and also changed the number of cells positive for signalling-pathway proteins in the midgut. These results show the potential toxicological effects and environmental impacts of the mix of herbicides in beneficial insects, including a native bee.

Pemphigus bursarius L. is a serious pest of the witloof chicory (Cichorium intybus L. var. foliosum) during its growing phase in the field. Trials investigating many ways of improving control of this aphid were carried out, including improved knowledge of the pest's life cycle and of beneficial insects, tests of biological and chemical insecticides, impact of plants' growing conditions in the field (water stress) and research for resistance in different chicory families. The work showed that the winged flights of P. bursarius should be monitored in Northern France according to the temperature-based model established at Horticulture Research International, Wellesbourne (now Warwick Crop Center). An insecticide spray with spirotetramat during the fundatrigeniae migration strongly reduced the wingless colonies in summer. Beneficial insects also contributed to limiting the populations of P. bursarius, particularly several species of a genus of a fly (Thaumatomyia spp.) whose larvae are able to predate on about 100 wingless aphids on the root chicory. The use of an insecticide has been authorized based partly on efficacy results obtained in these reported trials. Italian chicories were more resistant than witloof chicories (“Belgian endive”) and could be used in breeding programs. Data on the life cycle of some species of the genus Thaumatomyia have been recorded and will be useful for biological management programs in the future.

As part of a USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative project to enhance biological control (BC) in western U.S. orchard systems, we surveyed walnut growers in California and pear growers in Oregon and Washington about their pest management decision-making and use of BC practices. Seventy-six percent of pear growers and 54% of walnut growers reported using one or more BC practices. BC users were more likely to minimize factors that harm natural enemies than enhance natural enemy habitats or release commercially produced natural enemies. Walnut growers with more education and orchard experience, as well as larger and more diversified operations, were more likely to use BC practices. Walnut and pear growers with some certified organic acreage, who considered environmental impacts when making pest management decisions, and who used selected pest management practices (pheromone mating disruption and degree-day calculations for codling moth control) were more likely to use BC practices. BC users relied more heavily on industry publications and university-based sources of pest management information, compared with non-users. The perceived benefits of BC adoption included reduced reliance on pesticides, reduced production costs, environmental protection, protection of beneficial insects, and improved worker safety and human health. The perceived barriers to BC adoption included lack of knowledge, questionable effectiveness, high cost, and lack of recommendation by pest management consultants. Our research not only contributes to the literature on the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices, but also can inform future BC research and outreach by offering insight into who uses BC practices and assessment of perceived adoption benefits and barriers.

Attract-and-kill is a possible alternative to the conventional control of Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly), Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann (Diptera: Tephritidae) with bait or cover sprays of organophosphate insecticides. In this study, we determined if an attract-and-kill device (MagMED ® ) could be applied alone at the recommended rate (80 devices/ha), or needed to be combined with other conventional control tactics to suppress medfly in deciduous fruit orchards (apple, nectarine, peach, pear, plum). We also determined if attract-and-kill had any detrimental effects on naturally occurring beneficial insects. Based on an acceptable level of crop loss of 2–5% (the level of crop loss growers can tolerate), attract-and-kill suppressed medfly and reduced crop loss below the acceptable level in orchards with additional controls. Attract-and-kill was most effective when combined with either bait spraying, cover spraying or both. Combining attract-and-kill with cover sprays of fenthion resulted in a drop in crop loss of apples from 2.5% to 0.5%. By combining attract-and-kill with weekly bait sprays and two cover spray applications, crop loss fell from 13.7% to 4.3% in peaches, from 6.3% to 5% in nectarines and from 6.3% to 3.7% in pears. Twice weekly bait spraying was the most effective technique at suppressing medfly, providing acceptable control when applied alone, which further improved by combining with attract-and-kill. By combining attract-and-kill with twice weekly bait spraying crop loss fell from 2% to 1% in nectarines and from 4% to 2% in apples. In laboratory trials, attract-and-kill devices killed 100% of brown lacewings ( Micromus tasmaniae Walker) and 94% of transverse ladybeetles ( Coccinella transversalis Fabricius) 24 h after contact. However, orchard samples suggest that it may not pose any significant negative impact on naturally occurring beneficials such as Neuroptera, Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, Thysanoptera and Syrphidae in the field.

The effect of an irrigated buckwheat cover crop on populations of beneficial insects and grape pests, vine growth, grape yield, and berry quality was investigated over 1 year in a commercial organic vineyard in southern California, USA. Buckwheat was grown in the spring and summer with additional irrigation that supplemented prevailing vine watering regimens. Treatments replicated four, three and six times respectively were: (1) buckwheat cover crop with supplemental irrigation between vine rows; (2) supplemental irrigation with no buckwheat cover crop; and (3) control plots with no buckwheat cover crop or supplemental irrigation. Flowering buckwheat was extremely attractive to beneficial insects at the beginning of the trial, resulting in 27 times more insects captured from shake sampling, compared with grape foliage in control plots. Results from sticky trap and visual count data indicated that buckwheat may enhance the abundance of generalist predators at certain times. However, densities of pestiferous leafhoppers on grape leaves in August was significantly higher (129–240% greater) in irrigated buckwheat and irrigated plots lacking buckwheat when compared with control plots. This increase in leafhopper density may be attributed to these pests preferring well-irrigated, vigorously growing vines. Mean cane weight was 222% and 170% greater for vines in irrigated buckwheat and irrigated plots lacking buckwheat, respectively, compared with controls indicating that vine vigor increased with supplemental irrigation. An irrigated buckwheat cover crop increased berry size, on average, by 0.67 mm for berries harvested on the side of the row that contained buckwheat, and reduced sugar content of berries by 3.2° Brix, compared with non-irrigated controls. Additionally, the buckwheat cover crop was associated with reduced berry quality because of insect feeding damage. Under drought conditions and water shortages, supplemental irrigation to support cover crops may result in water use penalties. Irrigated cover cropping during summer months may not be a viable pest management option for grape growers in southern California.

Providing nectar and pollen through the establishment of insectary plants is one approach to conserving natural enemies and enhancing biological control of arthropod pests. Recent studies show that natural enemy performance may be influenced by the diversity of insectary plant species and the resources they provide. We conducted laboratory assays to investigate the influence of buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench.) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) alone and in a mixture on the performance of the insidious flower bug, Orius insidiosus (Say, 1832). We measured performance as longevity, fecundity and predation of O. insidiosus reared on a laboratory diet of Ephestia kuehniella or its field prey, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner). O. insidiosus survived on average 20–25% longer and oviposited 67–88% more eggs when provided with either insectary species compared to a water only control. However, when provided with a biculture of cowpea and buckwheat, O. insidiosus survived 35% longer and laid 111% more eggs compared to the water only control, with a strong preference for cowpea as an oviposition host. This study provides novel empirical evidence that cowpea, a plant anecdotally cited for its insectary properties, functions as a preferred oviposition sites compared to buckwheat and laboratory standard green beans. The presence of insectary resources, however, did not significantly influence predation on O. nubilalis sentinel prey by O. insidiosus as we anticipated. These results indicate that the performance of beneficial insects like O. insidious may be differentially influenced by the resources provided by insectary species and should be screened for potential benefits before establishing in field settings. Further implications of plant diversification for conservation biological control are discussed.

Ryanodine receptors (RyRs) are the molecular target of diamides, a new chemical class of insecticides. Diamide insecticides are used to control lepidopteran pests and were considered relatively safe for mammals and non-targeted beneficial insects, including honey bees. However, recent studies showed that exposure to diamides could cause long-lasting locomotor deficits of bees. Here we report the crystal structure of RyR N-terminal domain A (NTD-A) from the honeybee, Apis mellifera, at 2.5 A resolution. It shows a similar overall fold as the RyR NTD-A from mammals and the diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella, and still several loops located at the inter-domain interfaces show insect-specific or bee-specific structural features. A potential insecticide-binding pocket formed by loop9 and loop13 is conserved in lepidopteran but different in both mammals and bees, making it a good candidate targeting site for the development of pest-selective insecticides. Furthermore, a conserved intra-domain disulfide bond was observed in both DBM and bee RyR NTD-A crystal structures, which explains their higher thermal stability compared to mammalian RyR NTD-A. This work provides a basis for the development of novel insecticides with better selectivity between pests and bees by targeting a distinct site on pest RyRs, which would be a promising strategy to overcome the current toxicity problem.

Insects provide vital ecosystem services to agricultural systems in the form of pollination and natural pest control. However, there are currently widespread declines in the beneficial insects which deliver these services (i.e. pollinators and ‘natural enemies’ such as predators and parasitoids). Two key drivers of these declines have been the expansion of agricultural land and intensification of agricultural production. With an increasing human population requiring additional sources of food, further changes in agricultural land use appear inevitable. Identifying likely trajectories of change and predicting their impacts on beneficial insects provides a scientific basis for making informed decisions on the policies and practices of sustainable agriculture. We created spatially explicit, exploratory scenarios of potential changes in the extent and intensity of agricultural land use across Great Britain (GB). Scenarios covered 52 possible combinations of change in agricultural land cover (i.e. agricultural expansion or grassland restoration) and intensity (i.e. crop type and diversity). We then used these scenarios to predict impacts on beneficial insect species richness and several metrics of functional diversity at a 10km (hectad) resolution. Predictions were based on species distribution models derived from biological records, comprising data on 116 bee species (pollinators) and 81 predatory beetle species (natural enemies). We identified a wide range of possible consequences for beneficial insect species richness and functional diversity as result of future changes in agricultural extent and intensity. Current policies aimed at restoring semi-natural grassland should result in increases in the richness and functional diversity of both pollinators and natural enemies, even if agricultural practices remain intensive on cropped land (i.e. land-sparing). In contrast, any expansion of arable land is likely to be accompanied by widespread declines in richness of beneficial insects, even if cropping practices become less intensive (i.e. land-sharing), although effects of functional diversity are more mixed.

Aulacaspis tubercularis Newstead (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) is a tropical, cosmopolitan, polyphagous armored scale which is considered one of the key pests of mango crops around the world, because it produces conspicuous pink blemishes on the mango fruits, which depreciate their commercial value and make them unacceptable for export markets. If no control measures are taken, the pest can cause up to 90% yield losses in mango groves and may pose a threat to sustainability mango production. At present, control of A. tubercularis is based on the application of a reduced number of insecticides, most of which show a limited efficacy and are disruptive to beneficial insects. Considering the current European regulations on the sustainable use of phytosanitary products, the application of other management alternatives, such as the use of cultural control measures or biological control agents, is a priority. However, despite its economic importance, there is limited information on control methods for A. tubercularis, and most of the literature has focused on the description of its biological cycle and natural enemies in different mango producing regions. This report is an updated review on its biology, ecology and sustainable control measures, aimed to help in the development of integrated management strategies of this pest in the main mango growing areas of Spain and other countries of the Mediterranean Basin.

Imidacloprid quickly gained popularity as the first commercial neonicotinoid following the invention of neonicotinoids by Bayer in 1985. Its relationship with agriculture is linked to protection of field crops against a range of insect pests. Beyond this, imidacloprid applications – foliar spraying, soil and seed treatment – have become intertwined with the negative impacts on ecosystem services, including killing of non-target organisms with great economic value such as pollinators, honey providers and beneficial insects which assist farmers with natural pest control. Because early plant growth (e.g. tissue, organ and seedling phase) forms an important part of a plant's life history, the current review draws attention to applying imidacloprid in priming or selection of physiologically important traits. And it reasons that neonicotinoid(imidacloprid)-driven priming/selection is enriched with the potential to integrate robust responses in, and for, plants to better deal with future hostile encounters from early life. Further discussed are some of the metabolites and synthetic compounds that are analogous to imidacloprid. Such compounds appear to greatly influence plant biochemical processes, and thus reflect the potential for imidacloprid to select traits important to safeguard plants against environmental stresses.

Almonds (Prunus dulcis) are one of the high-value nuts facing insect pest infestation predicaments during post-harvest operations and subsequent storage. The red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) is an economically important and notorious insect pest that globally infest almonds thereby resulting in high storage losses. Currently, the fumigants (hydrogen phosphide and propylene oxide) commonly used during almond storage pose a health hazard to the applicator and consumer as well as the environment. Other disadvantages of chemical methods include chemical residue, high exposure time (2–4 days), pest resistance, the demise of beneficial insects and incomplete disinfestation of the egg stage of the target pest. Among other physical disinfestation methods, the use of microwave as a disinfestation technique offer advantages of less processing time, lower energy consumption, clean technology, and no residues. Therefore to test the efficacy of microwave in pest control of stored almonds, we exposed life stages of T. castaneum to microwave irradiation at different power levels (120–600 W) and durations (30–90 s). Hundred percent mortality of all selected life stages was achieved at 480 and 600 W when infested almonds exposed for 90 and 60 s respectively. The quality attributes of treated almonds such as color difference, water activity, hardness, peroxide value, free fatty acid, and iodine value were measured and found to be acceptable. The fatty acid composition and sensory analysis demonstrated no significant difference (p > 0.05) in control and microwave treated almonds. The storage studies revealed that microwave treated almonds were free from infestation and rancidity for up to 12 months, whereas untreated almonds were spoiled within 3 months.

The question of whether organic or conventional agriculture is most suitable for meeting world food requirements and improving resilience to climate change is the topic of much current research. Most comparisons, however, focus either on output efficiency such as yields or on impacts of different nutrient management strategies on the sustainability of the agrosystems, and the impacts of each on the agricultural food webs and beneficial insects responsible for pest control – or outbreaks – has been often overlooked. While standard cropping models can explain if, why and how organic nutrient and crop management work and how they should be adapted to climate change, the lack of mechanistic models of agroecology prevents us from explaining why and how passive and active biocontrol and integrated pest management function, when they do not function, and what optimal management strategies could be employed. In this research, we show that agroecological food web models calibrated with field population dynamics data can be used to demonstrate the mechanisms behind food web dynamics that have been previously observed in the field. Results of scenario simulations show that chemical control provides immediate relief from pest pressures, but at high risk of later pest resurgence if control is not repeated; on the contrary, biological control requires more time to reduce pest populations to acceptable levels but with minimal risk of causing resurgence. In all cases, success of pest control measures is highly dependent on the date of action. In addition, the use of modelling tools to optimise biological control application dates led to much better control than either fixed date or pest population threshold-based applications. These analyses and resulting integrated pest management intervention recommendations are only possible with agroecological food web population dynamics models. We encourage future studies to examine more complex food webs from a variety of agroecosystems to test whether functional responses differ significantly, and hope that this approach will succeed in bringing agroecological food web predictive modelling to the level where it can routinely be used as a decision-making support tool, as hydrological and crop models are employed today.

The Comet assay has been recently adapted to investigate DNA damage in insects. The first reports of its use in Drosophila melanogaster appeared in 2002. Since then, the interest in the application of the Comet assay to studies of insects has been rapidly increasing. Many authors see substantial potential in the use of the Comet assay in D. melanogaster for medical toxicology studies. This application could allow the testing of drugs and result in an understanding of the mechanisms of action of toxins, which could significantly influence the limited research that has been performed on vertebrates. The possible perspectives and benefits for science are considered in this review. In the last decade, the use of the Comet assay has been described in insects other than D. melanogaster. Specifically, methods to prepare a cell suspension from insect tissues, which is a difficult task, were analyzed and compared in detail. Furthermore, attention was paid to any differences and modifications in the research protocols, such as the buffer composition and electrophoresis conditions. Various scientific fields in addition to toxicological and ecotoxicological research were considered. We expect the Comet assay to be used in environmental risk assessments and to improve our understanding of many important phenomena of insect life, such as metamorphosis, molting, diapause and quiescence. The use of this method to study species that are of key importance to humans, such as pests and beneficial insects, appears to be highly probable and very promising. The use of the Comet assay for DNA stability testing in insects will most likely rapidly increase in the future.

A solution was sought for control of Spodoptera exempta in cereal crops. The proposed solution enhanced a previous scheme since it provided control of the pest eggs and larvae and improved the quality of crop products by replacing pesticides. The scheme consists of a surveillance and monitoring system to activate a measured response to pest invasion. In the control phase naturally beneficial insects (NBIs) were deployed via an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system to control the pest population; parasite egg wasps (Trichogramma) were combined with a larval parasite Diptera (Tachinidae) to achieve greater control of the life cycle stages of the African Armyworm – Spodoptera exempta.

Insect predators and parasitoids act as biological pest control agents in agro-ecosystems, and thus provide valuable ecosystem services. These natural enemies of pest species often need a greater diversity of resources than the crops themselves provide. In intensive farm management the numbers of these beneficial arthropod species may be constrained by a lack of additional prey, floral resources or suitable overwintering sites. While previous studies have indicated that targeted field margin management can positively influence the population dynamics of beneficial insects, the relative contribution of the various resources provided by these targeted margins remains unclear. To help optimise field margins for conservation biological control, this study assessed the relative contribution of three key resources; aphid prey, floral resources, and grass overwintering sites, in supporting natural enemies of cereal aphids within an agricultural landscape. Trial plots were managed adjacent to wheat fields within agro-ecosystems in the UK to assess the relative importance of these three resources in isolation and in combination. The abundance of aphidophagous natural enemies was monitored with respect to these resources during two periods; prior to cereal aphid infestation in the crop, and during the infestation period. In addition, the abundance of cereal aphids and natural enemies was monitored in the crop next to the trial plots during the infestation period. The results show that resource needs of natural enemies vary both over time and between natural enemy groups. Some predators benefited from higher aphid abundance, particularly in combination with the availability of floral resources. Floral resources had the greatest individual effect in increasing natural enemy abundance, both prior to and during periods of aphid infestation. Grassy overwintering habitat provided little overall benefit during the two study periods. In the UK, most non-crop habitat in agro-ecosystems is grass dominated winter habitat. Few Stewardship scheme initiatives are designed to provide suitable floral resources targeting natural enemies of crop pests, or to provide suitable additional prey. Given the importance of floral resources to the majority of natural enemies, providing suitable nectar and pollen sources represents the greatest opportunity for enhancing naturally occurring predators and parasitoids in agro-ecosystems.

A photovoltaic sensor was developed for analyzing wingbeat characteristics of bumblebees.Morphological characteristics of the wings had a significant influence on the wingbeat.The area of the forewings was the most determining factor for wingbeat, not the wing loading.Wingbeat characteristics allowed to discriminate between two bumblebee species with an accuracy of 88%. Insects play a very important role in agriculture: while pests have a negative influence on the yield, beneficial insects are indispensable for pollinating purposes. Because of this importance, several systems are developed to monitor insect activity. These are mainly based on manual counting procedures which are very time consuming and labour intensive. In order to automate this procedure, the possibility to detect and classify insects based on their optical signatures has been investigated using two bumblebee species (Bombus terrestris and Bombus ignitus) as case study. Also the influence of morphological parameters of the bumblebee wings on the wingbeat is investigated. It is shown that the wingbeat frequencies of the two species are significantly different, and that bumblebees with larger wings had a lower wingbeat frequency. Based on the differences found, a simple classifier was built to discriminate between both species with an accuracy of 88%.

Recent survey data revealed that many California citrus growers did not know whether or not important beneficial insects were found on their fields while other growers were relying heavily or even entirely on these insects for pest control. Some pesticides are toxic both to the targeted pest and the predaceous or parasitic insect that could provide pest control. Alternative pesticides with fewer or no negative effects on the beneficial insect often exist but can be more expensive. Additionally, some beneficial insects are commercially available and can be purchased and released in the field. This paper models the pest control decisions of a grower who utilizes a pesticide and a predaceous insect to control the crop pest and compares these decisions to that of a grower who does not know that the predaceous insect exists. The results show that the latter grower will drive the predator population to zero and will overutilize chemical control. When the predator is known and utilized, the optimal decisions involve entirely mitigating the negative effects of the pesticide as well as releasing additional predators.

Many insects, including some bees, have extensive subcontinental distributions that can differ in climatic conditions. Within and beyond these distributions, humans intentionally transport beneficial insects, including bees, to non-natal geographic locations. Insects also are experiencing unprecedented climatic change in their resident localities. For solitary bees, we know very little about the adaptive plasticity and geographic variation in developmental physiology that accommodates the different climates experienced within distributional ranges. Osmia lignaria Say (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) is a widely distributed North American spring-emerging bee being developed as a managed pollinator for tree fruit crops, including almonds. We examined the development and survival of O. lignaria progeny that were descended from populations sourced from southern California, western Washington, and northern Utah, and then were reared together under an hourly and weekly temperature regime simulating those of a California almond-growing region. We found that developmental physiologies of Washington and Utah progeny were generally similar. However, California progeny developed slower, were more metabolically active, and survived better under California conditions than did populations native to regions at higher latitudes. Regardless of geographic origin, cocooned adults managed under prescribed thermal regimes emerged faster and lived longer after wintering. Progeny of parents from different regions exhibited some acclimatory plasticity in developmental phenologies to a novel climatic regime, but overall their responses reflected their geographic origins. This outcome is consistent with their developmental phenologies being largely heritable adaptations to regional climates.

Widespread use of highly toxic pesticides primarily for agricultural purpose has generated increasing concerns about the negative impact of pesticides on human health and the environment. Integrated pest management (IPM) usually seeks to minimize the use of pesticides and can be utilized to solve pest problems while minimizing risks to people and the environment. A total of 220 vegetable farmers in Nakhon Ratchasima Province of Thailand was interviewed with the objective of investigating the factors determining their adoption or non-adoption of IPM practices. The findings demonstrated that farmers had different uncompromising reasons for determining the use of IPM for their insect pest management. Higher costs of insecticides (91%), adverse effects of insecticides on human health and the environment (80%), and a greater risk of insect pests developing resistance to insecticides (28%) were the primary reasons for the adoption of IPM by vegetable growers in the study area. The reasons for the rejection of IPM practice were unsuitability of IPM for a large farm (52%), implementation difficulties (80%) and a greater belief in synthetic insecticides and their efficacy for target pest control (39%). A comparison between the IPM and the non-IPM farmers showed a significant difference (P

The use of “insectary strips” of sunflowers and buckwheat is widely promoted by organic certifiers to promote control of the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae) and other pests in organic tobacco. However, no published research supports this recommendation in tobacco, and results from other crops are mixed. We performed a series of experiments to test the effects of non-crop plantings of sunflowers and buckwheat on key pest and beneficial insects adjacent to organic tobacco fields in North Carolina. Although some reduction in M. persicae infestations and increases in numbers of beneficial insects were observed on tobacco plants near field-edge insectary treatments, these effects were small and were observed only over a short distance into the crop. Planting additional insectary strips in the field interior did not reduce aphid numbers in comparison to control treatments and led to increases in some pest insects. These conservation biological control techniques are unlikely to be a reliable method of controlling M. persicae and other pest insects in organic tobacco.

Made available in DSpace on 2019-10-06T17:16:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2019-10-01 Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Governo Brasil Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Rufford Foundation The expansion of monocultures and the overuse of agrochemicals have resulted in the loss of beneficial insects and disruption of ecosystem services such as pollination and biological control in agricultural landscapes. Bees, wasps and flower flies were our model groups to investigate how landscape structure attributes affect alpha and beta diversity of different beneficial insect groups in Brazilian landscapes containing coffee crops. Species richness and abundance of wasps, and bee richness were positively correlated with forest cover at multiple spatial extents. Bee abundance, and species richness and abundance of flower flies did not respond to any landscape predictor. The community composition of wasps and bees in landscapes with low forest cover was composed of subsets of the communities located in forested landscapes, leading to species loss in structurally impoverished landscapes. High variations in landscape diversity and edge density between landscapes resulted in flower fly species replacement suggesting that pairs of landscapes with high and low diversity of habitat types and edge density harbor different species. Such results indicate that initiatives for the conservation of beneficial insects in the Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot must focus on forest conservation and restoration, because high levels of forest loss can result in the loss of wasp and bee species with potential negative consequences for the provision of pollination and pest control services in agroecosystems. Our findings can aid conservationists and policy makers to define priority actions for biodiversity conservation as well as the selection of appropriate spatial scales in landscape planning and management. Department of Ecology Spatial Ecology and Conservation Lab (LEEC) UNESP – Universidade Estadual Paulista Graduate Program in Applied Ecology (Interunidades) CENA – Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture Universidade de São Paulo Department of Environmental Sciences UFSCAR - Universidade Federal de São Carlos Department of Biology Comparative Biology and Bees Lab Universidade de São Paulo Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, 160 Biology Department Saint Mary's University School for Resource and Environmental Studies and College of Sustainability Dalhousie University Department of Zoology and Botany Universidade Estadual Paulista Department of Ecology Universidade de São Paulo Department of Forest Sciences College of Agriculture “Luiz de Queiroz” Universidade de São Paulo Department of Ecology Spatial Ecology and Conservation Lab (LEEC) UNESP – Universidade Estadual Paulista Department of Zoology and Botany Universidade Estadual Paulista Governo Brasil: 142147/2015-0/141932/2016-3 FAPESP: 2013/23457-6 FAPESP: 2013/50421-2 CNPq: 304735/2016-7 CNPq: 305484/2017-6 CNPq: 306121/2016-6 CNPq: 312045/2013-1 CNPq: 312292/2016-3 CNPq: 459826/2014-0

In urban habitats, plant resources for herbivorous insects and their parasitoids are spatially subdivided and embedded in a matrix of built environment. These conditions could affect insect colonization and persistence, leading to altered trophic interactions. Here we tested whether spatial attributes (size and isolation) of patches of an urban spontaneous plant (Commelina erecta) affect the parasitism rates on a specialist leaf miner (Liriomyza commelinae) from its diverse parasitoid assemblage. To achieve this goal we performed an observational study in Córdoba city (Argentina), by sampling 893 naturally established C. erecta patches on 18 neighborhoods. Overall parasitism rates of the leaf miner augmented at increasing patch size and decreasing patch isolation, and those effects were mediated by changes in parasitoid richness. Leaf miners in larger or less isolated plant patches supported more parasitoid species which, independently of host abundance, led to higher parasitism rates. Individual parasitoid species showed different responses to patch attributes, with some species being more efficient in large or less isolated plant patches whereas parasitism rates of other species were independent of patch attributes. Our results highlight the importance of spatial availability of urban plant resources for parasitoid diversity and for the key process of biological control in which they are involved. Understanding how natural enemies respond to the patchiness of herbivore resources in the urban context could contribute to the development of strategies to preserve beneficial insects in these highly modified landscapes. Highlights We tested the effect of spatial attributes of urban plant patches on parasitoids. We analyzed parasitism rates of a leaf miner from its diverse parasitoid assemblage. Parasitism rates increased at increasing patch size and decreasing patch isolation. Plant patch effects on parasitism were mediated by changes in parasitoid richness. Fil: Fenoglio, Maria Silvina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (p); Argentina; Fil: Salvo, Silvia Adriana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (p); Argentina; Fil: Videla, Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (p); Argentina; Fil: Valladares, Graciela Rosa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (p); Argentina

Durch Landwirtschaft verursachte Störungen können weitreichende Auswirkungen auf die assoziierte Biodiversität und die von dieser Biodiversität bereitgestellten Ökosystemdienstleistungen haben. Überraschend wenig ist über die Auswirkungen von solchen Störungen auf komplexe Agrarökosysteme mit zahlreichen wechselwirkenden Arten bekannt. Das Ziel dieser Studie war, die Wirkungen von Pestizidanwendungen auf den Ertrag und die ökologische Funktionen eines Kakao- Agrarökosystems zu untersuchen. Dazu entwickelten wir ein mechanistisches Modell, das die Dynamik des Kakaos, eines Fruchtschädlings (Conopomorpha cramerella) und zweier nützlicher Insekten (ein Parasitoid und ein Bestäuber) simulierte. Mit diesem Modell testeten wir die Auswirkungen einer Vielzahl von Pestizidtypen, die sich in ihrer Auswirkung auf den Fruchtschädling und die zwei nützlichen Arten unterschieden. Unsere Untersuchung ergab große Ertragsunterschiede bei verschiedenen Pestizidtypen und verschiedenen Zeitplänen der Pestizidbehandlung. Der Pestizidtyp hatte einen starken Einfluss auf die Managementflexibilität. Es gab keine einfache Pestizidanwendungsregel, die für alle Pestizidtypen zu maximalenErträgen führte. Obwohl es keine immer optimalen Pestizidanwendungsstrategien gab, zeigten sie doch alle ein ähnliches Wirkungsmuster, nämlich die Reduktion und Verzögerung des Höchststandes der Schädlingspopulation und die Verminderung negativer Auswirkungen auf Nützlinge. Unsere Ergebnisse weisen auf nicht-triviale Auswirkungen von Pestizidanwendung in komplexen Ökosystemen hin, in denen positive und negative Ökosystemdienstleistungen durch assoziierte Biodiversität bereitgestellt werden. Dies unterstreicht die Bedeutung belastbarer Information zum Pestizidmanagement für Landwirte, denn die Pestizidanwendung kann durch die Reduktion positiver Ökosystemdienstleistungen durchaus negative Auswirkungen auf landwirtschaftliche Erträge haben.; Growing concerns have been raised regarding the effects of disturbance due to agricultural practices on associate biodiversity disturbances on complex agroecosystems with multiple interacting species. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of management by pesticide spraying on the productive outputs and the ecological functioning of a cacao agroecosystem. We built a mechanistic dynamic model including the dynamics of the crop, a pest (Cacao Pod Borer, Conopomorpha cramerella) and two beneficial insects: a hymenopteran egg–parasitoid and a ceratopogonid pollinator. Using this model, we tested the effects of a range of pesticide types characterized by their impacts on both the Cacao Pod Borer and the beneficial insects. Our results showed that yield strongly varies according to both pesticide type and timing of pesticide application. The type of pesticide had a strong influence on the flexibility of management. No simple spraying decision rule led to maximal yields for all types of pesticide. Although optimal spraying strategies differed with the type of pesticide used, they all showed a similar pattern, i.e. they limited and postponed the Cacao Pod Borer population peak while limiting the negative impacts on beneficial organisms. The results highlight the non-trivial effects of pesticide application in complex agroecosystems where associated biodiversity provides both ecosystem services and disservices. They illustrate the critical importance of providing good information to farmers on pesticide management because the use of pesticides can have a negative effect on production by decreasing ecosystem services such as pollination.

Pesticides are substances that have been widely used throughout the world to kill, repel, or control organisms such as certain forms of plants or animals considered as pests. Depending on their type, dose, and persistence in the environment, they can have impact even on non-target species such as beneficial insects (honeybees) in different ways, including reduction in their survival rate and interference with their reproduction process. Honeybee Apis mellifera is a major pollinator and has substantial economical and ecological values. Colony collapse disorder (CCD) is a mysterious phenomenon in which adult honeybee workers suddenly abandon from their hives, leaving behind food, brood, and queen. It is lately drawing a lot of attention due to pollination crisis as well as global agriculture and medical demands. If the problem of CCD is not resolved soon enough, this could have a major impact on food industry affecting world's economy a big time. Causes of CCD are not known. In this overview, I discuss CCD, biogenic amines-based-pesticides (neonicotinoids and formamidines), and their disruptive effects on biogenic amine signaling causing olfactory dysfunction in honeybees. According to my hypothesis, chronic exposure of biogenic amines-based-pesticides to honeybee foragers in hives and agricultural fields can disrupt neural cholinergic and octopaminergic signaling. Abnormality in biogenic amines-mediated neuronal signaling impairs their olfactory learning and memory, therefore foragers do not return to their hive - a possible cause of CCD. This overview is an attempt to discuss a hypothetical link among biogenic amines-based pesticides, olfactory learning and memory, and CCD.

Western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), plague thrips ( Thrips imaginis Bagnall), and onion thrips ( Thrips tabaci Lindeman) are pests of deciduous fruit trees in Australia. Yellow sticky traps and tapping buds and flowers for thrips are currently recommended for monitoring, but it is not known whether one method is more efficient than the other, or if selectivity could be optimised by trap colour, or addition of semiochemicals Thripline ams ® or Lurem-TR lures to traps. The number and species of thrips caught by trapping and tapping of flowers and leaves, on different trap colours (black, blue, green, red, yellow, white), including a control (clear) and thrips semiochemicals, were evaluated in a series of trials in commercial deciduous fruit orchards in the Perth Hills, Western Australia. There was poor correlation between thrips caught on traps and tapping samples ( R 2 = 0.00–0.05), with tapping less likely to trigger the action threshold and yielding less than 1% of the number of thrips caught on sticky traps. More thrips ( F. occidentalis , T. imaginis and T. tabaci ) were caught on blue, yellow and white bases, than on clear, red, green or black bases. On commercially available sticky traps, seven times more F. occidentalis were caught on ‘Seabright blue’ traps than yellow. The addition of semiochemicals increased capture of F. occidentalis by three times on baited compared to unbaited traps, on yellow and ‘Seabright’ blue traps. Thripline ams ® attracted F. occidentalis , but had no effect on the capture of T. imaginis or T. tabaci, whilst Lurem-TR attracted more F. occidentalis and also increased the capture of T. imaginis . More beneficial insects including brown lacewings ( Micromus tasmaniae (Walker)) and hoverflies ( Melangyna viridiceps (Macquart)) were caught on blue trap bases (1.6 times more) than other trap base colours. No beneficial insects were present during the Thripline ams ® experiment, whilst Lurem-TR increased trap capture of brown lacewings by 1.3 times. A monitoring system incorporating blue sticky traps in conjunction with Thripline ams ® would be more selective at detecting and monitoring F. occidentalis in deciduous fruit in Australia.

As earwigs (Insecta: Dermaptera) are considered both effective predators of aphids and pests in their own right in citrus orchards, the aim of the present study was to examine their relative role as pest versus predator. We conducted a two-year experiment of earwig exclusion from citrus canopies and compared aphid infestation, flower survival and fruit yield in trees with earwigs (control trees) with those in trees without earwigs (banded trees). However, as not only earwigs but also all other crawling insects were excluded from the banded trees, we added a third group of trees (earwig trees) where crawling insects were excluded but earwigs were added to the canopy every 1–2 weeks. We hypothesized that if the same results were obtained in control and earwig trees, and both differed from those obtained in banded trees, earwigs would most probably be the cause of these differences. Overall, aphid infestation in trees with earwigs was less severe than aphid infestation in trees without earwigs; we also found that aphid density was negatively related to earwig abundance. Earwigs also negatively influenced flower survival but this effect was no longer observed once trees naturally abscised their own flowers and fruitlets. Finally, we did not find any difference in fruit yield between the treatments, or any relationship between earwig abundance and fruit production. Thus, as earwigs appeared to control aphid populations while not affecting fruit yield, we can conclude that earwigs are beneficial insects in this Mediterranean organic citrus orchard.

More than 70% of the leading global food crops, accounting for 35% of the global food production, are affected by pollination of flower-visiting animals, but the main pollinators – managed honey bees and wild bees – are currently declining in many regions worldwide. For the vast majority of crops it is unknown whether managed honey bees or wild bees are the most efficient pollinators, and how the pollination service provided by wild bees can be ensured. We assessed in a landscape-scale study how sweet cherry production is influenced (1) by high-diversity bee habitats, and (2) by flowering ground vegetation which might compete with cherry for pollinators or might facilitate cherry pollination. Cherry was highly dependent on insect pollination with bagged flowers producing only 3% of the fruits produced by open-pollinated flowers. Although two thirds of all flower visitors were honey bees, fruit set was related to wild bee visitation only, presumably due to their higher pollination efficiency. Initial fruit set and final cherry yield were closely correlated. Wild bee visitation increased with the proportion of high-diversity bee habitats in the surrounding landscape (1 km radius). An increase of high-diversity bee habitats in the landscape from 20% to 50% enhanced fruit set by 150%, which was experimentally shown to be due to pollen limitation. Neither flower cover of ground vegetation nor bee densities on ground transects were related to flower visitation in trees or fruit set. Our results show that pollination services by wild bees in cherry surpassed pollination by honey bees. Hence, farmers need to protect semi-natural habitats in their landscapes to guarantee pollination and high yields. The conservation of semi-natural habitats, which provide nesting sites and additional food resources before and after cherry flowering enhances gratis ecosystem services, and thereby, the farmer’s yield.

Beneficial insects in agro-ecosystems provide humans with many invaluable ecosystem services including crop pollination and pest control. The creation of wildflower strips has emerged as a key tool to conserve beneficial insect groups in these systems. Yet, the efficacy of these schemes in delivering multiple ecosystem services is usually limited by our poor understanding of how plant species composition, functional traits and trait diversity affect insect visitation and resource use. Here we investigate the effects of plant floral traits and trait diversity on flower visitation by three functionally distinct beneficial insect groups, which provide crop pollination and pest control services: bumblebees, hoverflies and parasitoid wasps. We created plots that contained plants with either long or short-corolla flowers, as well as mixed plots, which contained plants presenting both floral traits concurrently. In functionally simple plots, insect groups exhibited distinct floral associations, with bumblebees being almost exclusively associated with long-corolla flower plots, whereas parasitoids and hoverflies strongly favoured plots with short-corolla flowers. When these flower types were planted in combination (mixed-trait plots), bumblebee and hoverfly visitation was maintained at the level of their respective preferred single-trait plot, but parasitoid visitation was reduced by 50%. Thus, the informed selection of functionally diverse flower patches can be an effective tool to attract a higher diversity of insect groups than functionally simple plots. However, this may increase interference competition between visitors and limit the value of floral resources for beneficials that are weak competitors.