Stargrasses (Cynodon nlemfuensis Vanderyst var. nlemfuensis) and bermudagrasses (C. dactylon (L.) Persoon) are important warm-season forage grasses, with several cultivars developed for conditions found in central and southern Florida. Major insect pests of these grasses include grass loopers (Mocis spp.) and fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith)), which annually may impose economic losses for beef cattle and hay producers. Population studies conducted during a 3-year period showed that both species had similar profiles with respect to larval population seasonality but not abundance. Plot studies with 4 stargrass and 4 bermudagrass lines showed that higher grass looper populations were found in stargrasses than bermudagrasses. Laboratory studies found grass loopers and fall armyworm larvae generally developed faster with larger weights on lines of stargrass than lines of bermudagrass. The two fall armyworm host strains also can differ substantially in their larval weight, developmental time, and survivability when grown on different lines of grasses. These results indicate that the selection of pasture grasses made by growers can significantly and differentially affect the population densities of these grass defoliators.

Research was initiated to develop a pheromone-based monitoring system for the tropical sod webworm, Herpetogramma phaeopteralis (Guenée). A laboratory rearing procedure was developed to produce individuals for field tests and behavioral bioassays. Virgin females placed in Unitraps in the field attracted and captured males for 8 d, while no males were captured in unbaited traps. Total male capture ranged from 1 to 24, and there was a slight decrease in capture as females aged. Laboratory mating behavior studies suggested that mating occurs later in the scotophase. Males responded to virgin females in a linear olfactometer throughout the dark period (scotophase), although there was a trend for higher male activity late in scotophase. There was no observed calling behavior, and adults exhibit simple mating behavior. Lack of both calling posture among virgin females and periodicity of male response will make it difficult to determine the optimal time periods for pheromone production, which would facilitate the collection and subsequent identification of pheromone components.

Aspects of the biology of the sugarcane pest Diatraea flavipennella (Box 1931) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), locally named broca-pequena da cana-de-açúcar, reared and maintained under laboratory conditions and fed on an artificial diet have been investigated. The larval stage, which involved 7 instars, continued for a mean period of 34.87 d. Each instar could be characterized by the size of the cephalic capsule, which increased 1.28-fold on average between instars. The mean duration of the pupal stage was 12.75 d. The pupae exhibited sexual dimorphism in that the females were larger than the males, while the latter exhibited a genital pore that was absent in the females. In adult insects, the female/male ratio was 1:1.3. Adult females were on average 28.73 mm in size while the mean value for adult males was only 20.80 mm. Females commenced oviposition on the first d of their adult life and were able to oviposit until d 6. On average each female produced 431.05 eggs during her lifetime, although the majority of eggs were deposited during the first 2 d after emergence.

Composting plant waste is a beneficial practice commonly used by American gardeners, but disposal of infested fruit directly into the environment creates a potential pathway for introduction of insect pests. This study estimates the likelihood of adult emergence for exotic fruit flies (Tephritidae) from residential composting in south Florida. Ripe grapefruits, Citrus × paradisi Macfad., were infested with the Caribbean fruit fly, Anastrepha suspensa (Loew). Half of the infested fruit was placed onto outdoor compost piles and half was maintained under controlled laboratory conditions. Adult fly emergence was recorded daily for 30 d from both the compost piles and control bins. Compost temperature, air temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation were monitored, and the study was repeated 4 times under different seasonal conditions. Despite high mortality of flies from the composted fruit relative to control fruit, the overall risk of a potentially mated female emerging from composted fruit was calculated to be ∼10%. Of the environmental factors evaluated, compost temperature was found to have a significant effect on adult emergence. Mortality approached 100% in piles with maximum compost temperatures ≥48°C. This report provides experimental data in support of quantitative risk analysis for a tephritid-compost pathway.

A specific factor that stimulates egg production in the predator Orius insidiosis (Say) was earlier shown to be present in eggs of the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hübner). We investigated whether the embryonic cell line IPLB-PiE, derived from eggs of the Indian meal moth P. interpunctella also produces a specific factor that improves fecundity of the predator. We fractionated cells by preparative isoelectric focusing in a pH gradient of 3-10 and bioassayed the resultant fractions in test diets to determine their effects on egg production. Rates of oviposition were determined by placing adult predators on the test diets the third d after eclosion, allowing them to feed for 3 d, and then providing them with ovipositional substrates for 24 h on d 7. Six out of 20 fractions with isoelectric points between pH 5.2 and 7.3 had significant activity relative to the control diet. The nature of the factor(s) is unknown but corresponds to a partially purified fecundity factor from eggs of Ephestia kuehniella Zeller with an isoelectric point of pH 5 in an earlier study. The results indicate that the cell line, which was originally derived from embryos of P. interpunctella, has retained a differentiated function in culture by producing products similar to those produced in the P. interpunctella egg.

Studies were conducted at 2 different field sites to compare yellow sticky card traps, blue sticky card traps, Multi-Lure traps, and CC traps (red, blue, black, white, yellow, and dark green bases) for monitoring adult Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, in citrus. The Multi-Lure and CC traps were charged with either ethylene glycol or a dichlorvos kill strip to kill psyllids entering the trap. We also investigated a stem tapping method for monitoring adult D. citri. Yellow sticky card traps captured significantly more adults than blue sticky card traps over a 4-week period in one study but not the other. Over all sample weeks, each of these traps captured significantly greater numbers of adults than any of the other traps. Yellow and blue sticky traps were equally effective in detecting the presence of adults in trees given the infestation levels present at the 2 study sites. The CC and Multi-Lure traps captured so few adult psyllids and provided such poor detection of trees infested by adults that they appeared to have no value for monitoring D. citri. Tap sampling was easy to conduct and provided relatively good detection of trees infested by adults given the infestation levels present at the 2 groves. An advantage to stem tap sampling over sticky trap sampling is that tap sampling provides information on the presence and relative abundance of adult D. citri during a single visit to a block of trees while sticky trap sampling requires 2 visits. Research to develop standard protocols for sticky trap and stem tap sampling for adult D. citri in citrus would be advantageous.

The effects of field-aged residues of the new semi-synthetic spinosyn insecticide spinetoram (Dow AgroSciences, Indianapolis, IN) and the spinosad bait GF-120 (Dow AgroSciences, Indianapolis, IN) on mortality of apple maggot fly, Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh), were determined in Washington State. Mortality caused by spinetoram (100 g a.i./ha) sprayed on apples and aged 7 d was significantly lower than that caused by fresh spinetoram. Spinetoram (100 and 75 g a.i./ha) aged for 7 d caused less than or as much mortality as spinosad (100 g a.i./ha) aged for 7 d. Fresh spinetoram and azinphos-methyl aged 7 or 14 d caused similar mortality, but aged spinetoram and spinosad caused lower mortality than azinphos-methyl. Apples treated with spinetoram (75 g a.i./ha) and with spinosad aged 7 d and exposed to flies produced a few larvae. However, even though spinetoram (100 g a.i./ha) aged 14 d did not kill all female flies, no larvae emerged from apples sprayed with this treatment. In separate tests, 0-d, 3-d, and 7-d old GF-120 on apple leaves caused greater mortality than 14-d old GF-120. Results show that spinetoram and GF-120 when fresh are highly toxic to R. pomonella, but that both have relatively short residual activities under the hot, dry conditions typical of central Washington in summer. Ingredients that prolong their toxicities or make their toxins available to flies longer may be needed to optimize their performance. Also, results suggest that adult fly mortality caused by spinetoram is not an accurate predictor of larval emergence from apples, and that possible non-lethal effects caused by spinetoram need to be examined.

The Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), is one of the most important quarantine pests in the world. Host commodities shipped from infested parts of the world to non-infested parts that might be susceptible to infestation should undergo a phytosanitary measure to render negligible the risk of shipping viable flies. Ionizing irradiation is a promising phytosanitary treatment that is tolerated by the great majority of hosts of the Mediterranean fruit fly. The current dose in the US is 150 Gy. This research conducted with cage-infested ‘Haden’ mangoes in Peru showed that 100 Gy is sufficient to provide a high level of quarantine security against this important pest. That dose did not affect pupation when applied to late 3rd instars, but it did prevent any from emerging as adults. A dose of 100 Gy might allow for irradiation of avocados, one of the few fruits that does not tolerate more than 100-200 Gy.

Because many plants regulate their internal temperatures, there is no a priori reason to believe air temperature accurately reflects the temperatures faced by tephritid larvae inhabiting fruit interiors. Larvae also move across and burrow into soil to pupate, and immature flies at this point are also likely to encounter temperatures that might be less than or exceed air temperature. Using thermocouples and a computerized data logger we measured a range of temperatures in the 4 major hosts of Anastrepha suspensa (Loew), the Caribbean fruit fly: Surinam cherry, Eugenia uniflora L., Cattley guava, Psidium cattleianum Sabine, guava, Psidium guajava L., and loquat, Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.), and in grapefruit, Citrus paradisi Macf., an economically important secondary host. Generally, temperatures were higher in the southwestern portions of tree canopies relative to those in the northeastern interiors. Fruit on the ground was warmer than in the tree, but there was no significant pattern of maximum fruit core temperatures being warmer than subcutaneous pulp. Soil temperatures were also higher than fruit-in-tree temperatures, and decreased and displayed less variance with increasing depth. Fruit in trees seldom reached temperatures ±0.05 of air temperatures, but fruit on the ground could be more than 0.25 the adjacent air temperature. There were positive relationships between the ratio of mean and minimum fruit temperature/adjacent air temperature and fruit diameter. Information on the temperatures confronted by immature fruit flies can be used to model population dynamics, and to design temperature sensitive strains through conditional gene expression for mass-rearing and release.

After the citrus leafminer (CLM), Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), invaded Florida in 1993, the endoparasitoid Ageniaspis citricola Logvinovskaya (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) was introduced in 1994 in a classical biological control program. Subsequent to its establishment, only limited information has been obtained regarding the seasonal abundance of A. citricola and its host in central Florida citrus groves. During 2005, we monitored replicated plots treated with oil or imidacloprid once on 23 Jun 2005, along with untreated control trees, in a Polk County commercial Valencia orange grove on a weekly basis when tender new growth (= flush) was available. As expected, CLM abundance in the early spring flush was nearly undetectable due to the lack of suitable flush during winter when CLM populations decline nearly to zero. Also as expected, A. citricola was not found during this time. During the second flush (Jun through Jul) CLM populations increased and A. citricola appeared, parasitizing up to 39% of the pupae in the untreated controls and up to 33% in the blocks treated with oil. Imidacloprid did not significantly reduce the number of CLM larvae but did reduce Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, nymphal densities. Peak abundance of the CLM occurred during the third flush cycle on 5 Oct from trees treated once with oil, with a mean (SD) of 1.3 (0.8) CLM mines per leaf. Parasitism by A. citricola increased through the season, peaking at 56% of the CLM that had pupated prior to the 16 and 23 Nov samples in the untreated control trees and at 37% in the oil-treated trees; A. citricola was not found in imidacloprid-treated trees on those dates. During the growing season, a high proportion (up to 100% in some samples) of the CLM mines were empty, presumably due to predation. The data confirmed, for the first time, that A. citricola is an important natural enemy of those CLM larvae that escaped predation in this citrus-growing area in Florida. Nymphs of the Asian citrus psyllid were significantly reduced for 3 weeks after the imidacloprid treatment. However, shoots on trees treated with imidacloprid were significantly shorter than shoots on untreated trees and the number of shoots produced in imidacloprid-treated trees was reduced, raising concerns that imidacloprid might affect growth of citrus flush. Brown citrus aphids were nearly absent throughout the growing season.

Nu-Lure and other protein solutions were presented to Anastrepha suspensa in J-tubes and consumption was quantified spectrophotometrically. In choice comparisons, flies consumed more or equal water compared to Nu-Lure and more Nu-Lure compared to Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, corn steep liquor, NZ case, pepticase, Solulys, soy hydrolysate, Torula yeast, whey, and yeast enzymatic hydrolysate. Consumption of protein solutions was one-half or less than 0.2 M sucrose, the positive control. The addition of 0.2 M sucrose or 0.2 M fructose to Nu-Lure did not increase the consumption of Nu-Lure compared to the consumption of sucrose alone, suggesting that Nu-Lure negates the phagostimulant properties of sucrose and possibly fructose for A. suspensa. If higher consumption rates of a bait/toxicant mixture is a goal, 0.2 M sucrose would be a better choice than the protein solutions tested, including Nu-Lure.

Two new species of Xenylla from Jilin Province, Northeast China are described and illustrated. Xenylla changlingensis, new species clearly differs from the closely related species X. piceeta Stebaeva & Potapov, 1994 in the presence of dorsal la2 of thoracic segments II and III, the absence of ventral seta p2 on abdominal segment II, 1 median ventral seta above the retinaculum on abdominal segment III, and lack of teeth on the mucro. Xenylla changchunensis, new species is similar to the species X. osetica Stebaeva & Potapov, 1994. However, it is separable from the latter by the presence of a furca, a tenaculum, and the ventral chaetotaxy on abdominal segment III.

The authors evaluated the host status of mamey sapote, Pouteria sapota (Sapotaceae) to Anastrepha obliqua by collecting mature fruits and monitoring them for the emergence of larval Tephritidae. Fruits were also scarred and placed in cages with female A. obliqua and monitored for the emergence of larvae and adults. Multi-lure traps baited with putrescine and ammonium acetate were used to compare the number of flies in orchards of mamey sapote to the number of flies in nearby orchards of carambola (Averrhoa carambola: Oxalidaceae). There are a number of references citing mamey sapote as a host of A. obliqua in different countries. However, we only found two unidentified tephritid larva from 1,160 mamey sapote fruits collected in the field and these fly larvae did not survive to adulthood. We were not able to rear adult A. obliqua on scarred, mature fruit of mamey sapote, whereas we were able to do so on mango under identical conditions. Abundance in orchards based on trapping indicates that flies are very rarely encountered in orchards of mamey sapote compared with orchards of carambola. We conclude that in Puerto Rico mamey sapote has a very low (undetectable) rate of infestation by fruit flies in the family Tephritidae.