Insects

Research

12 pages, 5810 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Photo-Selective Nets and Pest Control: Searching Behavior of the Codling Moth Parasitoid Mastrus ridens (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) under Varying Light Quantity and Quality Conditions

by María-José Yáñez-Díaz, Marcela Rodríguez, Selim Musleh, Luis Devotto, Gonzalo Silva and Eric Lucas

Insects 2021, 12(7), 582; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12070582 - 28 Jun 2021

Viewed by 2417

Abstract

Photo-selective nets (PSN) are used to manipulate the physiology of fruit crops. Besides their advantages to the crop, PSN potentially affect insect pests and their natural enemies. We aimed to assess the effects of these production systems on the searching behavior of the [...] Read more.

Photo-selective nets (PSN) are used to manipulate the physiology of fruit crops. Besides their advantages to the crop, PSN potentially affect insect pests and their natural enemies. We aimed to assess the effects of these production systems on the searching behavior of the codling moth parasitoid, Mastrus ridens. We hypothesized that PSN and black standard nets (SN) affect the behavior of the parasitoid by delaying host localization and reducing parasitism. Laboratory experiments were carried out in closed cages under four treatment conditions: black SN, pearl PSN, red PSN, and no PSN as control (uncovered cages). Our results showed that the host localization of M. ridens was delayed under black SN and enhanced by pearl and red PSN. The PSN and the black SN did not affect the parasitism levels. In addition, the initial behavior of the parasitoid during the first 30 min of the bioassays was not affected by treatments. However, females spent most of the time walking around the arena, grooming, or resting, regardless of the color of the net. Parasitism was not affected under the PSN or the black SN; however, this must be verified in field conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue IPM and Pesticide Alternatives for Orchards)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

13 pages, 951 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Towards a Knowledge-Based Decision Support System for Integrated Control of Woolly Apple Aphid, Eriosoma lanigerum, with Maximal Biological Suppression by the Parasitoid Aphelinus mali

by Eva Bangels, Ammar Alhmedi, Wannes Akkermans, Dany Bylemans and Tim Belien

Insects 2021, 12(6), 479; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12060479 - 21 May 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2689

Abstract

The woolly apple aphid Eriosoma lanigerum (Homoptera: Aphidiae) is an important pest in apple orchards worldwide. Since the withdrawal or restricted use of certain broad-spectrum insecticides, E. lanigerum has become one of the most severe pests in apple growing areas across Western Europe. [...] Read more.

The woolly apple aphid Eriosoma lanigerum (Homoptera: Aphidiae) is an important pest in apple orchards worldwide. Since the withdrawal or restricted use of certain broad-spectrum insecticides, E. lanigerum has become one of the most severe pests in apple growing areas across Western Europe. At present, effective limitation of woolly aphid populations relies on a good synergy between chemical control treatments and biological suppression by beneficial arthropods, especially by its main specific natural enemy, the parasitoid Aphelinus mali (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae). To develop a knowledge-based decision support system, detailed monitoring data of both species were collected in the field (region of Sint-Truiden, Belgium) for a period of ten years (2010–2020). Aphelinus mali flights were monitored in the field, starting before flowering until the end of the second-generation flight at minimum. The seasonal occurrence of the most important management stages of E. lanigerum, e.g., start of wool production or activity on aerial parts in spring and migration of crawlers from colonies towards flower clusters or shoots, were thoroughly monitored. All obtained data were compared with historical and literature data and analysed in a population dynamics phenological model. Our outcomes showed that the emergence of first-generation A. mali adults (critical for the first parasitation activity and the basis for following A. mali generations in the continuation of the season) can be accurately predicted by the developed model. Hence, this information can be utilized to avoid insecticide sprayings with detrimental side effects at this particular moment as demonstrated by the outcomes of a field trial. In addition, the start of migration of E. lanigerum crawlers towards flower clusters or shoots is accurately predicted by the model. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that the model can be used as decision support system for the optimal timing of control treatments in order to achieve effective control of E. lanigerum with maximal biological suppression by its main natural enemy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue IPM and Pesticide Alternatives for Orchards)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 905 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Costs and Benefits of Wax Production in the Larvae of the Ladybeetle Scymnus nubilus

by Paulo Pacheco, Isabel Borges, Beatriz Branco, Eric Lucas and António Onofre Soares

Insects 2021, 12(5), 458; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12050458 - 16 May 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2296

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Larvae of the minute aphidophagous Scymnus nubilus Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) are common predators in apple orchards, covered by a wax layer that might act as a defense mechanism against natural enemies. However, the costs and benefits of protection conferred by wax remain [...] Read more.

BACKGROUND: Larvae of the minute aphidophagous Scymnus nubilus Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) are common predators in apple orchards, covered by a wax layer that might act as a defense mechanism against natural enemies. However, the costs and benefits of protection conferred by wax remain to be assessed. We tested the following hypothesis: there is a trade-off in wax producing ladybeetles between the protection conferred by wax cover and the physiological or behavioral costs associated with its production. We predict that: (1) wax production is an efficient defensive mechanism (against intraguild predation), (2) wax production is associated with detrimental physiological (growth, reproduction) or behavioral effects (behavioral compensation: increased biomass consumption). RESULTS: Tests were carried out in the laboratory with wax and waxless larvae of S. nubilus, with and without lacewing larvae of Chrysoperla agilis (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) being used as a potential intraguild predator of the coccinellid. Waxless individuals were more susceptible to intraguild predation by lacewing larvae. Adults originating from waxless larvae were lighter than the ones originating from wax larvae, suggesting a metabolic cost resulting from a constant need of wax production. Body-weight gain and conversion efficiency were lower in waxless larvae. Biomass consumption was similar, showing that waxless larvae did not compensate for the physiological cost by eating more aphid biomass. CONCLUSION: The results indicate the potential existence of a trade-off between growth and protection associated with wax production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue IPM and Pesticide Alternatives for Orchards)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 3963 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Landscape Enhancements in Apple Orchards: Higher Bumble Bee Queen Species Richness, but No Effect on Apple Quality

by Amélie Gervais, Marc Bélisle, Marc J. Mazerolle and Valérie Fournier

Insects 2021, 12(5), 421; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12050421 - 8 May 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2619

Abstract

Bumble bees are among the most effective pollinators in orchards during the blooming period, yet they are often threatened by the high levels of pesticide use in apple production. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of landscape enhancements (e.g., hedgerows, flower strips) [...] Read more.

Bumble bees are among the most effective pollinators in orchards during the blooming period, yet they are often threatened by the high levels of pesticide use in apple production. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of landscape enhancements (e.g., hedgerows, flower strips) on bumble bee queens in apple orchards. Bumble bee queens from 12 orchards in southern Québec (Canada) were marked, released, and recaptured in the springs and falls of 2017 to 2019. Half of the 12 orchards had landscape enhancements. Apples were harvested in 2018 and 2019 to compare their quality (weight, diameter, sugar level, and seed number) in sites with and without landscape enhancements. Species richness, as well as the occurrence of three species out of eight, was higher in orchards with landscape enhancements than in orchards without such structures. The occurrence of Bombus ternarius was lower in orchards with high levels of pesticide use. Apples had fewer seeds when collected in orchards with landscape enhancements and were heavier in orchards that used more pesticides. Our work provides additional evidence that landscape enhancements improve bumble bee presence in apple orchards and should therefore be considered as a means to enhance pollination within farms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue IPM and Pesticide Alternatives for Orchards)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 1773 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identification of Blackberry (Rubus fruticosus) Volatiles as Drosophila suzukii Attractants

by Peter Dewitte, Vincent Van Kerckvoorde, Tim Beliën, Dany Bylemans and Tom Wenseleers

Insects 2021, 12(5), 417; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12050417 - 6 May 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2987

Abstract

The spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii, is an invasive pest species from Southeast Asia that was recently introduced in Europe and North America. As this fruit fly lays its eggs in ripening soft-skinned fruit, it causes great damage to a variety of [...] Read more.

The spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii, is an invasive pest species from Southeast Asia that was recently introduced in Europe and North America. As this fruit fly lays its eggs in ripening soft-skinned fruit, it causes great damage to a variety of crops, including cherries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, grapes, plums and strawberries. Consequently, there is a great demand for an effective and species-specific lure, which requires the development of successful attractants. Until now, there is no lure available that is species-specific and can detect the presence of D. suzukii before infestation. As blackberry (Rubus fruticosus) is one of the preferred host crops of D. suzukii, the volatile compounds of R. fruticosus berries are here identified and quantified using multiple headspace SPME (solid phase micro extraction) GC-MS (gas chromatography–mass spectrometry). Subsequently, the attractivity of 33 of the identified compounds was tested with a two-choice laboratory bioassay. Acetaldehyde, hexyl acetate, linalool, myrtenol, L-limonene and camphene came out as significantly attractive to D. suzukii. The first four attractive compounds induced the strongest effect and therefore provided the best prospects to be implemented in a potential lure. These findings could contribute towards the development of more effective attractants for monitoring and mass trapping D. suzukii. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue IPM and Pesticide Alternatives for Orchards)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 1396 KiB

Open AccessArticle

First Multi-Target Application of Exclusion Net in Nectarine Orchards: Effectiveness against Pests and Impact on Beneficial Arthropods, Postharvest Rots and Fruit Quality

by Valentina Candian, Marco Giuseppe Pansa, Karin Santoro, Davide Spadaro, Rossella Briano, Cristiana Peano, Luciana Tavella and Rosemarie Tedeschi

Insects 2021, 12(3), 210; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12030210 - 2 Mar 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2059

Abstract

Over the past few years, there has been an increasing interest in the development of alternative pest control strategies to reduce environmental impact. In this contest, exclusion nets have been evaluated as a sustainable alternative to pesticides. In this study, the use of [...] Read more.

Over the past few years, there has been an increasing interest in the development of alternative pest control strategies to reduce environmental impact. In this contest, exclusion nets have been evaluated as a sustainable alternative to pesticides. In this study, the use of a photoselective exclusion net was investigated in semi-field conditions as a potential strategy to protect nectarine orchards from different pests (i.e., fruit moths, Halyomorpha halys and Drosophila suzukii) in NW Italy. The presence and abundance of pest populations inside and outside the net, as well as the damage they caused on fruits, were evaluated. Moreover, any possible effects of the net on beneficial arthropods, postharvest rots and fruit quality and nutraceutical parameters were considered. The exclusion net significantly reduced pest populations. At harvest, fruit damage caused by Grapholita molesta and H. halys in netted plots was reduced up to 90% and to 78%, respectively, compared with insecticide-treated plots. The exclusion net allowed the production of healthier fruits with a strong reduction of insecticide treatments (up to seven less) and of their related costs without any negative impact on postharvest rots, neither fruit quality nor nutraceutical properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue IPM and Pesticide Alternatives for Orchards)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

27 pages, 9257 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pest Activity and Protection Practices: Four Decades of Transformation in Quebec Apple Orchards

by Gérald Chouinard, Francine Pelletier and Charles Vincent

Insects 2021, 12(3), 197; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12030197 - 25 Feb 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2570

Abstract

A group of commercial orchards from Quebec (Canada) was followed from 1977 to 2019 as part of a project to implement Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices. Collected data comprised activity of major fruit pests (from monitoring traps), fruit damage at harvest and pesticide [...] Read more.

A group of commercial orchards from Quebec (Canada) was followed from 1977 to 2019 as part of a project to implement Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices. Collected data comprised activity of major fruit pests (from monitoring traps), fruit damage at harvest and pesticide applications, from which the annual costs and impacts of protection programs over 42 years were calculated. Activity and fruit damage in commercial orchards were compared to patterns observed in a reference insecticide-free orchard. Some insects (European apple sawfly, codling moth, apple maggot) were more prevalent in the insecticide-free orchard than in commercial orchards, while others were more prevalent in commercial orchards (oblique-banded leafroller) or as prevalent in both orchard types (tarnished plant bug). Annual fruit damage in the insecticide-free orchard was mostly from the apple maggot (up to 98%), the plum curculio (up to 90%) and the codling moth (up to 58%). The average situation was different in commercial orchards, whose damage was mostly from the plum curculio (up to 7.6%), the tarnished plant bug (up to 7.5%) and the oblique-banded leafroller (up to 1.7%). While the number of registered pesticides, the number of applications and the total cost of pesticides gradually increased from 2002 to 2019, the risks incurred, as measured by indicators of environmental and health impacts, followed a downward trend for insecticides and acaricides and varied slightly for fungicides. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue IPM and Pesticide Alternatives for Orchards)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 2271 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Toward the Integration of an Attract-and-Kill Approach with Entomopathogenic Nematodes to Control Multiple Life Stages of Plum Curculio (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

by Jaime C. Piñero, David Shapiro-Ilan, Daniel R. Cooley, Arthur F. Tuttle, Alan Eaton, Patrick Drohan, Kathleen Leahy, Aijun Zhang, Torri Hancock, Anna K. Wallingford and Tracy C. Leskey

Insects 2020, 11(6), 375; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects11060375 - 17 Jun 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4996

Abstract

Efforts to reduce insecticide inputs against plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar, a key pest of apples in eastern North America, include perimeter-row insecticide sprays applied after the whole-orchard petal fall spray to manage dispersing adults and, more recently, insecticide sprays confined to odor-baited [...] Read more.

Efforts to reduce insecticide inputs against plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar, a key pest of apples in eastern North America, include perimeter-row insecticide sprays applied after the whole-orchard petal fall spray to manage dispersing adults and, more recently, insecticide sprays confined to odor-baited trap trees. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) are virulent to ground-dwelling stages of C. nenuphar, and may be applied to the ground underneath trap-tree canopies. Here, we (1) compared the efficacy of the odor-baited trap tree approach with grower-prescribed (=grower standard) sprays to manage C. nenuphar populations over a six-year period in seven commercial apple orchards in New England; and (2) assessed the performance of the EPN Steinernema riobrave at suppressing ground-dwelling stages of C. nenuphar. In addition, the performance of S. riobrave was compared against that of S. carpocapsae and S. feltiae in one year. Across the six years, percent fruit injury on trap tree plots averaged 11.3% on odor-baited trap trees and 1.4% on unbaited trees in grower standard plots, highlighting the ability of trap trees to aggregate C. nenuphar activity and subsequent injury. Mean percentage injury on fruit sampled from interior trees, the strongest measure of treatment performance, in trap tree plots did not differ significantly from that recorded on interior trees in grower standard spray plots (0.95 vs. 0.68%, respectively). Steinernema riobrave consistently reduced C. nenuphar populations as indicated by the significantly lower number of adult C. nenuphar that emerged from the soil, when compared to water control. Steinernema carpocapsae and S. riobrave performed similarly well, and both EPN species outperformed S. feltiae. Our combined findings indicate that an IPM approach that targets multiple life stages of C. nenuphar has the potential to manage this pest more sustainably in a reduced-spray environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue IPM and Pesticide Alternatives for Orchards)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

21 pages, 3641 KiB

Open AccessArticle

New Tools for Conservation Biological Control: Testing Ant-Attracting Artificial Nectaries to Employ Ants as Plant Defenders

by Enrico Schifani, Cristina Castracani, Daniele Giannetti, Fiorenza Augusta Spotti, Roberto Reggiani, Stefano Leonardi, Alessandra Mori and Donato Antonio Grasso

Insects 2020, 11(2), 129; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects11020129 - 17 Feb 2020

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 4433

Abstract

Knowledge of the role of ants in many agroecosystems is relatively scarce, and in temperate regions the possibility to exploit ants as biocontrol agents for crop protection is still largely unexplored. Drawing inspiration from mutualistic ant–plant relationships mediated by extrafloral nectaries (EFNs), we [...] Read more.

Knowledge of the role of ants in many agroecosystems is relatively scarce, and in temperate regions the possibility to exploit ants as biocontrol agents for crop protection is still largely unexplored. Drawing inspiration from mutualistic ant–plant relationships mediated by extrafloral nectaries (EFNs), we tested the use of artificial nectaries (ANs) in order to increase ant activity on pear trees and to evaluate the effects on the arthropods, plant health and fruit production. While EFNs secrete a complex solution mainly composed of sugars and amino acids, ANs were filled with water and sucrose only. The results suggest that ANs can be used as manipulative instruments to increase ant activity over long periods of time. High ant activity was significantly linked to lower incidence of the pathogen fungus Venturia pyrina (pear scab) on pear leaves, and of the presence of Cydia pomonella (codling moth) caterpillars on pear fruit production. These results further encourage exploring underrated possibilities in the development of new tools for conservation biological control (CBC). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue IPM and Pesticide Alternatives for Orchards)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

IPM and Pesticide Alternatives for Orchards

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (9 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI