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For several years, pest management in tomato production in Cambodia has generally focused on the use of synthetic pesticides. We compared conventional pest management (farmers' traditional practices) with an integrated pest management (IPM) program on 12 farms in the northwestern part of Cambodia. The IPM program combined cultural, biological, and chemical practices. We found that IPM practices reduced aphid damage by 46%, and diseases such as Fusarium wilt and damping-off were substantially reduced. Our results indicate that the IPM package increased tomato yield and income by an average of 23 and 34%, respectively, compared with conventional practices during both dry and rainy seasons. United States Agency for International Development [AID-OAA-L-15-00001] Published version The United States Agency for International Development under Cooperative Agreement No. AID-OAA-L-15-00001 to Virginia Tech for the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Integrated Pest Management (IPM IL). Public domain – authored by a U.S. government employee

SummarySolitary bees are often exposed to various pesticides applied for pest control on farmland while providing pollination services to food crops1. Increasing evidence suggests that sublethal toxicity of agricultural pesticides affects solitary bees differently than the social bees used to determine regulatory thresholds like honey bees and bumblebees2–4. Studies on solitary bees are challenging because of the difficulties in obtaining large numbers of eggs or young larvae for bioassays. Here we show the toxic and sublethal developmental effects of four widely used plant systemic pesticides on the Japanese orchard bee (Osmia cornifrons). Pollen food stores of this solitary bee were treated with different concentrations of three insecticides (acetamiprid, flonicamid, and sulfoxaflor) and a fungicide (dodine). Eggs were transplanted to the treated pollen and larvae were allowed to feed on the pollen stores after egg hatch. The effects of chronic ingestion of contaminated pollen were measured until adult eclosion. This year-long study revealed that chronic exposure to all tested pesticides delayed larval development and lowered larval and adult body weights. Additionally, exposure to the systemic fungicide resulted in abnormal larval defecation and increased mortality at the pupal stage, indicating potential risk to bees from fungicide exposure. These findings demonstrate potential threats to solitary bees from systemic insecticides and fungicides and will help making policy decisions for mitigating these effects.

The genetic sexing strain (GSS) of the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann)) Vienna 8D53− is based on a male-linked translocation system and uses two selectable markers for male-only production, the white pupae (wp) and the temperature sensitivity lethal (tsl) genes. In this GSS, males emerge from brown pupae and are resistant to high temperatures while females emerge from white pupae, are sensitive to high temperatures. However, double homozygous females (wp tsl/wp tsl) exhibit a slower development rate compared to heterozygous males (wp+tsl+/wp tsl) during the larval stage, which was attributed to the pleiotropic effects of the tsl gene. We present the first evidence that this slower development is due to a different gene, here namely slow development (sd), which is closely linked to the tsl gene. Taking advantage of recombination phenomena between the two loci, we report the isolation of a novel temperature sensitivity lethal strain using the wp mutation as a morphological marker, which showed faster development (wp tsl FD) during the larval stage and increased in its temperature sensitivity compared with the normal tsl strain. Moreover, the introgression of this novel wp tsl FD combined trait into the Vienna 8D53− GSS, resulted in a novel Vienna 8D53− FD GSS, where females showed differences in the thermal sensibility, larval development speed, and productivity profiles. The modification of these traits and their impact on the mass rearing of the GSS for sterile insect technique applications are discussed.

The effect of temperature on insect-plant interactions in the face of changing climate is complex as the plant, its herbivores and their interactions are usually affected differentially leading to an asymmetry in response. Using experimental warming and a combination of biochemical and herbivory bioassays, the effects of elevated temperatures and herbivore damage (Helicoverpa zea) on resistance and tolerance traits of Solanum lycopersicum var. Better boy (tomato), as well as herbivory performance and salivary defense elicitors were examined. Insects and plants were differentially sensitive towards warming within the experimental temperature range. Herbivore growth rate increased with temperature, whereas plants growth as well as the ability to tolerate stress measured by photosynthesis recovery and regrowth ability were compromised at the highest temperature regime. In particular, temperature influenced the caterpillars’ capacity to induce plant defenses due to changes in the amount of a salivary defense elicitor, glucose oxidase (GOX). This was further complexed by the temperature effects on plant inducibility, which was significantly enhanced at an above-optimum temperature; this paralleled with an increased plants resistance to herbivory but significantly varied between previously damaged and undamaged leaves. Elevated temperatures produced asymmetry in species’ responses and changes in the relationship among species, indicating a more complicated response under a climate change scenario. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s10886-020-01201-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Developing a lifelong marking method for Lycorma delicatula (White, 1845) is crucial to investigate ecological processes. Here we validate a marking method using stable isotope enrichment (15N) of host plants to track spotted lanternfly (SLF), an invasive species causing economic damage on grapes, hardwood forest and landscape tree species. To validate this method, we first determined the isotope dosage to be sprayed on the host plants and subsequently detected in SLF. Second, we examined whether 15N mark remains detectable from the nymphal to adult stage. We demonstrated that two stable isotope dosages applied to the host plants were assimilated by the insect and equally detectable in the exoskeleton, wings, and mature eggs ready to be oviposited. This safe and reliable method can be used to examine fundamental processes of the biology and ecology of SLF that range from dietary resources and resource allocation to food-web structure and dispersal patterns.

Vector-borne pathogens are known to alter the phenotypes of their primary hosts and vectors, with implications for disease transmission as well as ecology. Here we show that a plant virus, barley yellow dwarf virus, increases the surface temperature of infected host plants (by an average of 2 °C), while also significantly enhancing the thermal tolerance of its aphid vector Rhopalosiphum padi (by 8 °C). This enhanced thermal tolerance, which was associated with differential upregulation of three heat-shock protein genes, allowed aphids to occupy higher and warmer regions of infected host plants when displaced from cooler regions by competition with a larger aphid species, R. maidis. Infection thereby led to an expansion of the fundamental niche of the vector. These findings show that virus effects on the thermal biology of hosts and vectors can influence their interactions with one another and with other, non-vector organisms., Nature Communications, 11 (1), ISSN:2041-1723

Ticks can vector and transmit many pathogens and pose a serious human health threat throughout the world. After collection, many diagnostic laboratories must mechanically disrupt tick specimens for diagnostic testing and research purposes, but few studies have evaluated how well-commercial tissue homogenizers perform this task. We evaluated four commercially available tissue homogenizers: The Bead Ruptor 24 Elite, the Bullet Blender Storm, the gentleMACS Dissociator, and the Precellys 24. We quantitatively compared maceration level, nucleic acid quality, quantity, amplification, and DNA shearing to determine which machines performed the best. The Bead Ruptor 24 Elite had the highest overall score when disrupting a single, uninfected adult Amblyomma americanum (Linnaeus) (Ixodida: Ixodidae) and performed well in follow-on tests including disrupting individual juvenile samples and detecting pathogens from infected samples.

Local adaptations of host plants to climatic conditions along an elevation gradient can affect insect-plant interactions. Using local accessions sampled from different elevations within South America, plant defense responses and herbivore growth were evaluated on two host plants: a) cherry tomato, Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme, and b) wild tomato, Solanum pimpinellifolium. The elevational origin of the accessions ranged from 100 to 3000 m above sea level. We hypothesized a higher level of defensive compounds in plants originating from lower elevations and, consequently, stronger resistance to insect herbivory. Interestingly, plant resistance to insect herbivory, as demonstrated by a reduction in Helicoverpa zea growth, was stronger for middle and high-elevation accessions. Total phenolic content increased with elevation in both herbivore-damaged and undamaged leaves, augmenting plant resistance. However, an elevational gradient was not evident for plant defensive proteins (polyphenol oxidase and trypsin protease inhibitors) or the density of leaf trichomes. Tradeoffs between constitutive and induced defenses were evident in both tomato genotypes. Future studies should test the role of plasticity in plant defense systems in restricting or facilitating range expansion of insect herbivores with climate change.

Pathogens can alter the thermal tolerances of insects; these changes can have cascading impacts across trophic levels in terrestrial food webs. However, the effects of fungal infections on thermal tolerances and behavioral responses to extreme temperatures (ET) across trophic levels have rarely been studied. We examined how a fungal pathogen, Beauveria bassiana, affects the thermal physiology and behavior of an herbivorous insect, Acyrthosiphon pisum, and a predator beetle, Hippodamia convergens. We compared thermal tolerance limits (CTMin and CTMax), thermal boldness (voluntary exposure to ET), energetic cost (ATP) posed by each response (thermal tolerance and boldness) between healthy and infected insects with two fungal loads. Results showed that fungal infection reduced upper thermal tolerance (CTMax) of aphids and beetles, as well as lower thermal tolerance (CTMin) of beetles. CTMin of aphids was not altered by infection. Healthy aphids and beetles crossed warm ET zones (ETZ). Fungal infection modified the tendency, or boldness, of aphids and predator beetles to either cross warm or cold ETZ. ATP levels increased with pathogen infection in insect species, and the highest ATP levels were found in individuals that crossed cold ETZ. Fungal infection narrows the thermal tolerance range and inhibited thermal boldness behaviors to cross ET which may have implications for predator-pay interactions, food web structures, and species distributions. As environmental temperature rises, response to thermal stress will be asymmetric among members of a food web at different trophic levels.

Gravid female mushroom sciarid flies, Lycoriella ingenua (Dufour:1839) (Diptera:Sciaridae), were confirmed in laboratory experiments as vectors for the fungal pathogen Trichoderma aggressivum f. aggressivum (Samuels and Gams), causal agent of mushroom green mold disease in mushroom farming. The gravid females acquired the fungal spores when exposed to T. aggressivum cultures, which was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, the flies vectored T. aggressivum onto clean agar petri dishes, confirmed by new fungal colonies growing on the media and molecular analysis (PCR). Significantly, more T. aggressivum colonies formed on the dishes when flies were left to vector the pathogen for 30 h, as opposed to 18 h. One gravid female fly was able to initiate up to 32 T. aggressivum colonies in a 0.03 m3 area. Frass deposits of mushroom sciarid fly larva reared on T. aggressivum contained viable spores, detected through fungal subcultures and molecular analysis (PCR), confirming that larvae can also vector the fungus. This study supports the heretofore anecdotal evidence that mushroom sciarid flies are part of green mold disease epidemiology on mushroom farms.

Crop domestication and selective breeding have altered plant defense mechanisms, influencing insect-plant interactions. A reduction in plant resistance/tolerance against herbivory is generally expected in domesticated species, however, limited efforts have been made to compare inducibility of plant defenses between wild and domesticated genotypes. In the present study, the inducibility of several plant defense mechanisms (e.g. defensive chemicals, trichomes, plant volatiles) were investigated, and the performance and preference of the herbivore Helicoverpa zea were measured in three different tomato genotypes; a) wild tomato, Solanum pimpinellifolium L. (accession LA 2093), b) cherry tomato, S. lycopersicum L. var. cerasiforme (accession Matts Wild Cherry), and c) cultivated tomato, S. lycopersicum L. var. Better Boy). Enhanced inducibility of defensive chemicals, trichomes, and plant volatiles in the cultivated tomato, and a higher level of constitutive plant resistance against herbivory in the wild genotype was observed. When comparing the responses of damaged vs. undamaged leaves, the percent reduction in larval growth was higher on damaged leaves from cultivated tomato, suggesting a higher induced resistance compared to other two genotypes. While all tomato genotypes exhibited increased volatile organic compound (VOCs) emissions in response to herbivory, the cultivated variety responded with generally higher levels of VOCs. Differences in VOC patterns may have influenced the ovipositional preferences, as H. zea female moths significantly preferred laying eggs on the cultivated versus the wild tomato genotypes. Selection of traits during domestication and selective breeding could alter allocation of resources, where plants selected for higher yield performance would allocate resources to defense only when attacked.

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (FAW), first invaded Africa in 2016 and has since become established in many areas across the continent where it poses a serious threat to food and nutrition security. We re-parameterized the existing CLIMEX model to assess the FAW global invasion threat, emphasizing the risk of transient and permanent population establishment in Africa under current and predicted future climates, considering irrigation patterns. FAW can establish itself in almost all countries in eastern and central Africa and a large part of western Africa under the current climate. Climatic barriers, such as heat and dry stresses, may limit the spread of FAW to North and South Africa. Future predictions suggest that FAW invasive range will retract from both northern and southern regions towards the equator. However, a large area in eastern and central Africa is predicted to have an optimal climate for FAW persistence. These areas will serve as FAW ‘hotspots’ from where it may migrate to the north and south during winter seasons and then pose an economic threat. Our projections can be used to identify countries at risk for permanent and transient FAW-population establishment and inform timely integrated pest management interventions under present and future climate in Africa.

Natural habitats, comprised of various flowering plant species, provide food and nesting resources for pollinator species and other beneficial arthropods. Loss of such habitats in agricultural regions and in other human-modified landscapes could be a factor in recent bee declines. Artificially established floral plantings may offset these losses. A multi-year, season-long field study was conducted to examine how wildflower plantings near commercial apple orchards influenced bee communities. We examined bee abundance, species richness, diversity, and species assemblages in both the floral plantings and adjoining apple orchards. We also examined bee community subsets, such as known tree fruit pollinators, rare pollinator species, and bees collected during apple bloom. During this study, a total of 138 species of bees were collected, which included 100 species in the floral plantings and 116 species in the apple orchards. Abundance of rare bee species was not significantly different between apple orchards and the floral plantings. During apple bloom, the known tree fruit pollinators were more frequently captured in the orchards than the floral plantings. However, after apple bloom, the abundance of known tree fruit pollinating bees increased significantly in the floral plantings, indicating potential for floral plantings to provide additional food and nesting resources when apple flowers are not available.

Pollinator declines coupled with increasing demand for insect pollinated crops have the potential to cause future pollinator shortages for our most nutritious and valuable crops. Ensuring adequate crop pollination may necessitate a shift in pollination management, from one that primarily relies on the managed European honeybee (Apis melliferaL.) to one that integrates alternative pollinators. While a growing body of scientific evidence supports significant contributions made by naturally occurring, native bees for crop pollination, translating research to practice requires buy-in from growers. The intention of agricultural extension is to address grower needs and concerns; however, few studies have assessed grower knowledge, perceptions and attitudes about native pollinators. Here we present findings from questionnaire-based surveys of over 600 apple growers in New York State and Pennsylvania, coupled with ecological data from bee surveys. This hybrid sociological and biological survey allows us to compare grower knowledge and perceptions to an actual pollinator census. While up to 93% of respondents highly valued importance of native bees, 20% growersdid not knowhow much native bees actually contribute to their orchard pollination. Despite the uncertainty, a majority of growers were open to relying on native bees (up to 60% in NY and 67% in PA) and to making low-cost changes to their farm's management that would benefit native pollinators (up to 68 in NY and 85% in PA). Growers consistently underestimated bee diversity, but their estimates corresponded to major bee groups identifiable by lay persons, indicating accurate local knowledge about native bees. Grower reliance on honeybees increased with farm size; because native bee abundance did not measurably decrease with farm size, renting honeybees may be motivated by risk avoidance rather than grower perception of lower native bee activity. Demonstrated effectiveness of native pollinators and clear guidelines for their management were the most important factors influencing grower decision to actively manage orchards for native bees. Our results highlight a pressing need for an active and research-based extension program to support diversification of pollination strategies in the region.

The mushroom fly, Lycoriella ingenua Dufour (Diptera: Sciaridae), is a pest in white button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) farming in North America. The main risk associated with sciarid flies inside mushroom farms is that the adult can potentially vector mushroom green mold disease caused by the pathogenic fungus Trichoderma aggressivum Samuels & W. Gams (Hypocreales). Flies are attracted to T. aggressivum-infected compost and, through subsequent movement, are suspected to spread the spores. The present study evaluated whether there is a fitness benefit for the sciarid flies from their association with T. aggressivum. Lycoriella ingenua was reared on three substrates: (1) spawned mushroom compost inoculated with the T. aggressivum, (2) spawned mushroom compost and (3) unspawned mushroom compost. Developmental time from larva to adult, adult longevity, adult fecundity and female body size were used as indicators of fly fitness. There was a fitness benefit for the sciarid fly when larvae develop on spawned mushroom compost parasitized by green mold, including higher adult emergence rate, faster development time from larva to adult and larger adult females. Fly fitness declined when the compost was fully colonized by A. bisporus mycelia and T. aggressivum was not present. This suggests that sciarid larvae benefit from the T. aggressivum parasitism on A. bisporus and the green mold. Benefits may include improved nutrition, defense suppression or pre-digestion.

Natural habitats, comprised of various flowering plant species, provide food and nesting resources for pollinator species and other beneficial arthropods. Loss of such habitats in agricultural regions and in other human-modified landscapes could be a factor in recent bee declines. Artificially established floral plantings may offset these losses. A multi-year, season-long field study was conducted to examine how wildflower plantings near commercial apple orchards influenced bee communities. We examined bee abundance, species richness, diversity, and species assemblages in both the floral plantings and adjoining apple orchards. We also examined bee community subsets, such as known tree fruit pollinators, rare pollinator species, and bees collected during apple bloom. During this study, a total of 138 species of bees were collected, which included 100 species in the floral plantings and 116 species in the apple orchards. Abundance of rare bee species was not significantly different between apple orchards and the floral plantings. During apple bloom, the known tree fruit pollinators were more frequently captured in the orchards than the floral plantings. However, after apple bloom, the abundance of known tree fruit pollinating bees increased significantly in the floral plantings, indicating potential for floral plantings to provide additional food and nesting resources when apple flowers are not available.

Adopting an Integrated Pest and Pollinator Management strategy requires an evaluation of pesticide risk for pollinator species. For non-Apid species, however, the standardized ingestion assays are difficult to implement. This hinders the consideration of non-Apid species in farm management strategies and government regulatory processes. We describe a new method for a mason bee, Osmia cornifrons, which is an important pollinator of apples and other fruit crops. Our approach overcomes high control mortality seen in other bioassay protocols and expands testing to include males as well as females. The new pesticide toxicity assessment protocol showed that (1) a group feeding method is optimum even though there is no trophallaxis, (2) males had better tolerance to pesticides although they are smaller, and (3) pesticides can cause additional mortality after the standard 48 h assessment time specified by European Food Safety Authority and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Pollinators provide a crucial ecosystem service by pollinating commercially cultivated crops, but they are frequently exposed to various agricultural chemicals used for pest management. In this study, we assessed the potential exposure of pollinators to various systemic insecticides and a fungicide used in apple orchards. Residue levels were determined for the whole flower as well as pollen and nectar separately for pre-bloom applications of acetamiprid, imidacloprid, sulfoxaflor, thiacloprid, thiamethoxam, and myclobutanil. Very low pesticide residue levels (2–70 parts per billion, ppb) were found in the whole flower, pollen and nectar samples compared with pesticide concentrations of 60–200 parts per million (ppm) in applied foliarly only 5 days earlier. Insecticide residues from nectar and pollen samples were below the USA EPA classification of No Observable Effect Limit (NOEL) for acute toxicity to honey bees, suggesting that a single foraging visit to flowers may not cause toxicity to bees. However, cumulative acute exposure from multiple flower visits could potentially be harmful to bees, and needs to be studied further. We also examined apple flowers for residues of several systemic insecticides that were applied for brown marmorated stink bug control late in the fall of the previous season. None of the fall sprays that contained premixed insecticide active ingredients (viz., thiamethoxam + lambda-cyhalothrin, and imidacloprid + beta-cyfluthrin), including multiple applications of individual active ingredients (viz., dinotefuran, clothianidin, and sulfoxaflor), persisted until the following spring. Based on these findings, fall applications of insecticides used for controlling invasive pests such as the brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) and the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) could be considered safe to pollinator species foraging in apple orchards during the spring bloom the following season.

The mushroom phorid fly, Megaselia halterata (Wood) (Diptera: Phoridae), is a key pest in mushroom farming in most parts of the world. Studies on the mushroom phorid fly have focused on its life history within mushroom growing houses, but little is known about the fly's activity outside mushroom growing houses. In this study, daily activity and distribution of adult M. halterata in the areas surrounding mushroom growing houses was studied using yellow sticky traps. Results suggest that M. halterata focuses its flight activity over turf areas rather than windbreaks and spent compost piles, possibly for mating purposes. Our study found no evidence of M. halterata breeding in turf areas surrounding mushroom growing houses. In addition, flight activity is highest in the afternoon until midnight at higher temperatures, yet at lower temperatures activity ceases after sunset. Establishing temperature and daylight thresholds for M. halterata flight activity may be useful in developing integrated pest management (IPM) tactics for this species. The most successful IPM tool that mushroom growers use at present is fly exclusion. Exclusion can be improved by focusing farm operations around temperature and daylight thresholds when fly activity is at its lowest.

The Lyonet’s gland is a widespread accessory labial gland in Lepidoptera. Although its function is ambiguous, the Lyonet’s gland arguably plays an important role in silk production. Our knowledge of the Lyonet’s gland in heliothine species is extremely limited; it is reportedly missing fromHelicoverpa armigeraandHeliothis virescens, whereas it is reportedly reduced in size inHelicoverpa zea. Using confocal microscopy and brightfield imaging, we show that the Lyonet’s gland inHelicoverpa zeais present and the size is relatively enlarged relative to other lepidopterans. We also examined whether glucose oxidase, an abundant enzyme found in labial salivary gland is also present in the extracts of Lyonet’s gland, but we found no evidence of that. Based on the size and accessibility of the Lyonet’s gland, future studies should include transcriptomic and proteomics studies inH. zeato provide evidence for potential functions.

Models were created to emulate experts in barley yellow dwarf management.Treated seed, planting date, scouting time, and insecticide spray decisions modeled.Dependency network models simplify complex sets of conditions.These methods can easily be used to manage other pests and diseases.Models will disseminate real-time information on smartphone app and website. Since the 1980s, expert decision support systems (DSSs) have been explored for enhancement of agricultural decision-making. Combinations of expert DSSs and cyber-age technology, such as mobile devices, is increasing adoption and accuracy of these systems and will allow DSSs to be easily modified to incorporate new information and web-based resources as they become available. Using barley yellow dwarf (BYD), a disease complex caused by several aphid-vectored viruses, as a model system we created a DSS for winter wheat growers based on dependency networks. At key points throughout the growing season the networks interpret how field conditions may affect management recommendations for BYD in winter wheat. To address nine possible management recommendations the networks analyze 72,387 combinations of input field conditions. This method of decision modeling can potentially be used to provide support to enable the efficient management of other crop pests and diseases and enable a more sustainable agroecosystem. The DSS was created for use in a mobile device app which will produce real-time recommendations, emulating disease management experts. Coupling this expert DSS with high resolution weather, pest, and disease forecasts will prove to be a powerful management tool in the future.

The positive correlation between landscape area of semi-natural habitat and wild pollinator richness and abundance in agroecosystems has been well studied. However, we lack a deep understanding of local scale floral resource and nest provisioning for wild bees necessary to optimize implementation of pollinator conservation practices. The primary objective of this study was to use a spatially interactive landscape pollination model (hereafter, the Lonsdorf model) to represent field scale spatial patterns of wild bee abundance and richness within a heterogeneous landscape in the mid-Atlantic USA. We parameterized the Lonsdorf model with high resolution aerial imagery and insight from a previously published floristic study. To test the Lonsdorf model predictions, field studies were conducted to measure wild bee abundance and species richness in apple orchards as a function of distance from a forest edge. Field measurements indicated apple pollinator abundance and species richness significantly decreased with increasing distance from the forest edge. The Lonsdorf model pollination service score was highly sensitive to changes in resource provisioning in orchard and non-crop areas, and including resource rich forest and forest edge habitats in the model significantly improved pollination service estimates. We demonstrated a novel application of the Lonsdorf model at a field scale to predict trends in pollination service provisioning as a factor of local habitat features. With sufficiently detailed inputs, the Lonsdorf model is a promising tool to quantify field scale pollination service deficits, guiding more cost effective habitat supplementation and other conservation efforts.

Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is a major fruit crop throughout the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world including Bangladesh. The Oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is a major pest of mango causing both quantitative and qualitative losses as well as export barriers. We compared the efficacy and economic benefits of several prophylactic and remedial tactics against B. dorsalis during the 2017 mango cropping season in pursuit of the development of a mango IPM program to produce fruit fly-free and residue-free mango fruits. Several non-chemical approaches, such as bagging fruits with double-layer brown paper bags, cloth bags, polythene bags, and installing methyl eugenol kairomone traps and protein hydrolysate bait lures, were evaluated and compared with conventional Profenofos + cypermethrin (Shobicron 425 EC) management. Among the treatments, bagging mangos with double-layer brown paper bags at forty-two days before harvest showed the best performance. Fruit infestation was reduced to zero, marketable yields were significantly higher than with conventional pesticide management, and the marginal benefit cost ratio of bagging mangos with double-layer brown paper bags was nearly twice as high as any other treatment. The strong economic return from bagging fruits with double-layer brown paper bags results from high fruit quality and being able to use the bags for two growing seasons. The positive results from this study indicate that double-layer brown paper bagging is effective at controlling the oriental fruit fly in mango and should be integrated into a full IPM package for mango production.

Insect pollinators such as bees and syrphid flies play a crucial role in pollinating many food crops, and their diversity and abundance may be influenced by pesticide application patterns. Over three years, we assessed the ecotoxicological impacts on the diversity and abundance of bees and syrphid flies between reduced-risk pesticide programs and standard, conventional pesticide programs in paired plots at six spatially distinct commercial apple orchards. In particular, we quantified pesticide inputs, environmental impact, and community response of bees and syrphids to these pesticide programs. Relative environmental impacts of reduced-risk versus conventional pesticide programs were calculated using Environmental Impact Quotient analysis, while ecological impacts were characterized by assessing the abundance, richness, and species assemblages of bees and syrphids. Adopting a reduced-risk pesticide program for apple pest management reduced the use (in terms of kg a.i./ha) of organophosphate and pyrethroid insecticides by approximately 97.6% and 100% respectively, but increased the use of neonicotinoid pesticides (acetamiprid, imidacloprid, thiacloprid) by 40.4% compared to the orchards under standard conventional pesticide program. Regardless of pesticide inputs, abundance, richness and species assemblages of bees and syrphids did not differ between reduced-risk and conventional pest management programs. However, the environmental impact of pesticide inputs was reduced by 89.8% in reduced-risk pesticide program. These findings suggest that the implementation of reduced-risk pesticide program may reduce pesticide environmental impact, in addition to being safer to farm workers, without adversely affecting the robust community composition of bees and syrphids in commercial apple orchards in the mid-Atlantic region.

Pathogens and other parasites can have profound effects on biological communities and ecosystems. Here we explore how two strains of a plant virus – Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus, BYDV – influence the foraging performance and fecundity of two aphid species: Rhopalosiphum maidis and R. padi. We found that pre-inhabitation by R. padi on plants facilitates the subsequent foraging of conspecifics and R. maidis. Without the virus, the occurrence of facilitation is asymmetric because it depends on the order of species arrival. However, with virus we found facilitation irrespective of the order of species arrival. Furthermore, the virus also boosted the fecundity of both aphids. Analyses of nutrient content of virus-free and virus-infected plants show significant increases of essential amino acids, sterols, and carbohydrates. Such nutrient increases appear to underlie the facilitative interactions and fecundity of aphids on virus-infected plants. Our experiments demonstrate that the virus dramatically increases the food consumption and fecundity of aphids through intra and interspecific trophic facilitation, resulting in processes that could affect community organization., Scientific Reports, 8 (1), ISSN:2045-2322

The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål), feeds on a variety of fruits and vegetables, and is an economically important invasive hemipteran pest. Trap cropping of H. halys was examined at the Pennsylvania State University Southeast Agriculture Research and Extension Center (SEAREC) in Lancaster Co., PA, from 2012 to 2013, with sunflowers used as a trap crop to protect bell pepper. H. halys were observed frequently on sunflowers planted surrounding the pepper field, and in both years of this experiment significantly more H. halys were observed in sunflowers than peppers. Both adults and nymphs were observed with equal frequency, with higher numbers of both observed in September. A 2:1 ratio of females to males was observed throughout both years. While sunflowers were attractive to H. halys, no difference in fruit damage was observed in peppers surrounded by the sunflower trap crop versus those peppers surrounded by peppers. While sunflowers present an interesting potential trap crop for H. halys, future research is needed to clarify the feasibility of this crop protection technique.

In this chapter we argue that while pesticides can be harmful to pollinators, when they are used in an integrated pest and pollinator management (IPPM) context, both pest management and pollinator protection may be achieved. Our growing knowledge of the impacts of pesticides on honey bees as well as bumble bees and solitary bees allows us to use the latitude we have in pest management including non-pesticidal pest management practices, changing pesticide types and incorporating other, less susceptible pollinator species into commercial practice. Pollinator health should be a central component of integrated pest management research, education and extension to produce viable IPPM approaches.

Recent studies suggest the potential for use of oil formulations of the entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana, as residual sprays for control of house flies in poultry production facilities. The current study investigated the influence of biotic and abiotic factors on biopesticide persistence. We found that flies physically removed and deactivated conidia, with higher fly densities and greater cumulative exposure hastening the decline. Nonetheless, very low densities of viable conidia were still able to cause rapid mortality, suggesting the potential for relatively long re-treatment intervals as fly populations are controlled. Considering abiotic factors, we found that fungal spray treatments remained viable for up to 13 weeks under laboratory conditions. Periodic exposure of flies to the spray residue showed high levels of mortality, with very little decline in mortality rate over time. Equivalent treatments placed in a commercial poultry house showed much more rapid decline. One trial at the end o...

Bees are important pollinators of numerous crops, and monitoring their abundance and diversity in commercial agricultural ecosystems is of increasing importance due to pollinator declines. In season-long field studies conducted in Pennsylvania during 2011–2013, we evaluated five different bee monitoring passive traps—three pan traps (blue, yellow, and white) and two vane traps (blue and yellow)—for their effectiveness and utility for monitoring bees in commercial apple orchards. Traps were placed prebloom and were monitored weekly until the end of crop season (mid-October). We recorded 14,770 bees comprising 118 species, 27 genera, and five families. The most abundant species were Augochlora pura (Say) (34.4% of total), Ceratina calcarata Robertson (15.5%), Bombus vagans Smith (7.8%), Bombus impatiens Cresson (6.4%), and Apis mellifera L. (4.3%). Bee abundance was highly variable among trap types across the three years and during the bloom and postbloom period. Blue vane traps were found to be the most effective trap type, with significantly higher rates of per-sample species accumulation than all other traps. Species richness estimates were highest for the blue vane and blue pan traps. This study reveals the utility and effectiveness of various traps for studying abundance and diversity of pollinator bees in commercially managed apple orchards. It also provides baseline information about the bee community found during the bloom and postbloom periods in Pennsylvania apple orchards that can be used to measure changes in bee community structure and abundance due to conservation efforts, such as reduced risk IPM programs, habitat management, and augmentation.

Entomopathogenic fungi, such as Beauveria bassiana, offer potential for use as biopesticides for control of house flies in poultry production facilities. This study evaluates persistence and efficacy of oil-formulated B. bassiana conidia against adult house flies on a range of structural substrates commonly found in poultry houses. Exposure of flies to fungal-treated surfaces produced high levels of infection leading up to 100% mortality in 6–10 days. However, the infectivity of the spray residues declined rapidly within 1 or 2 weeks following repeated fly exposures. Investigations showed that, in the absence of flies, conidia remained viable on test surfaces for up to 3 months regardless of substrate type, application method or fungal production batch. Rather, it was the presence of flies themselves that was responsible for reducing persistence. The exact mechanisms remain unclear but involve a combination of physical removal and chemical deactivation, with decay rates increasing at higher fly densities....

Chemical control of house flies in poultry production facilities is becoming increasingly difficult due to insecticide resistance and regulatory constraints. Biopesticides based on entomopathogenic fungi could provide an alternative approach. Here we evaluated population control potential of two fungal pathogens, Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae. Cohorts of adult flies were established in large plastic boxes in the laboratory and were exposed to residues of oil-formulated fungal conidia sprayed on strips of plastic sheeting attached to the box walls. Exposure to the biopesticide barrier treatments caused 100% mortality in adult populations within 8–16 days, depending on the fungal species. In contrast, control flies survived until 96–110 days. Additionally, fungal infections caused 13–20% reduction in egg viability and >70% reduction in fecundity of flies prior to death. The combined lethal and pre-lethal impacts resulted in 21- to 26-fold reduction in basic reproductive rate in the fungus-ex...