Diatomaceous earth (DE) has the potential to decrease pest damage to plants both indirectly by being a source of silica if applied as a soil amendment and directly as a physical barrier if applied to foliage. For applicability in Louisiana sugarcane, DE would need to be effective at controlling the sugarcane borer (SCB), the primary economic pest, while not harming natural enemies like the red imported fire ant (RIFA) that provide biological control. We examined DE formulated for agricultural use by evaluating its potential as a sugarcane soil amendment and a foliar treatment. We determined impacts of a DE soil amendment on SCB damage and yield in a field test then evaluated if the amendment negatively impacted RIFA survival in a laboratory assay. Using potted plants, we assessed efficacy of DE foliar applications against SCB followed by a visual assessment of product longevity in the field. We found that the DE soil amendment did not alter SCB damage or yield but neither did it impact RIFA survival. Unlike the soil amendment, foliar application in a rain-free environment decreased SCB damage to stalks. However, the product did not last long on leaves or stalks under typical Louisiana field conditions. Given that the most used insecticide in sugarcane only requires 1-2 applications per year and does not disrupt biological control while DE would require many costly applications due to plant growth rates and precipitation levels, we suspect that DE is not currently a good fit for use with Louisiana sugarcane production.

ColletesbradleyiMitchell is a rare Nearctic bee known from only three females collected within a 30-km range. Details on life history and the male form have never been reported. Our study provides the first description of the male and its diagnosis. We also present novel observations on floral associations, as well as the floral and pollinator communities in the vicinity of each encounter, to help characterize habitat targetable for future research and conservation. Findings come from five sites where we collected a total of ten females and eleven males. We obtained additional specimen records by examining museum materials, with one extending the range by at least 750-km. We found both sexes of C. bradleyi in direct association with the semitoxic plant Sheep Laurel, Kalmia angustifolia L. Males rapidly patrolled patches of K. angustifolia while females visited inflorescences to drink nectar and gather pollen. Previous work has shown K. angustifolia possesses key morphological features that should enhance specialist-pollinator interactions, and our findings suggest C. bradleyi is a specialist on the plant. We hope that our observations can aid in the discovery and preservation of new populations, and that future focus will be placed on evaluating the conservation status of this species.

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), is a polyphagous pest invaded India and seriously threatened maize and other crops. In the context of its economic importance and destructive nature, management of fall armyworm is essential. The present field experiment was conducted at Agricultural Research Station, Gangavathi during Kharif 2019 and Kharif 2020 on bio-efficacy of flubendiamide 20% WG against fall armyworm in Maize. From the pooled data, the result shows that flubendiamide 20% WG @ g a.i/ha was found effective as it recorded lower mean larval population of 0.24 and 0.18 per plant during first and second spray respectively, least leaf damage of 7.70 per cent and incurred higher grain yield of 53.39 q/ ha. Followed by spinoterum11.7% SC @ 30g a.i/ha over the other treatments. These insecticides could help in effective management of the fall armyworm and also least impact on natural enemies and no phytotoxicity symptoms on the crop.

For years, the weevil Scyphophorus acupunctatus Gyllenhal, 1838 has been considered the main pest of Agave crops. Chemical management has been implemented for its control. However, few studies have investigated biological control of the species. The main predators of the Agave weevil belong to the genus Hololepta Paykull, 1811, and the species H. yucateca Marseul, 1853, H. polita Marseul, 1853, and H. vicina LeConte, 1851 have been reported in 17 of the 32 states of Mexico. During 2021 and 2022, visits were made to five Mexican states where Agave plants have been recorded, Durango (Agave durangensis Gentry), Coahuila (A. asperrima Jacobi), Sonora (A. bovicornuta Gentry), Tabasco (Agave spp. L.), and Tlaxcala (Agave spp.). All plants were in the process of decomposition. The necrotic parts of the fruits were cut into with a machete and manually inspected. New state records are presented for three species of Hololepta in Sonora, Coahuila, Durango, Tabasco, and Tlaxcala. New host records are reported, involving Agave asperrima, A. durangensis, and A. bovicornuta. The role of Hololepta species as natural enemies is poorly understood. Future investigations should evaluate the efficacy of species in the genus as biological controls against larvae of Agave pests.

Durante años el picudo Scyphophorus acupunctatus Gyllenhal, 1838 ha sido considerado como la plaga principal del cultivo del Agave. Para su control se han implementado diversas estrategias de manejo químico, sin embargo, pocos estudios se han realizado respecto al control biológico de esta especie. El depredador principal del picudo del Agave pertenece al género Hololepta Paykull, 1811 y en México las especies H. yucateca (Marseul, 1853), H. polita (Marseul, 1853) y H. vicina LeConte, 1851 se han reportado en 17 de los 32 estados de la República Mexicana. Durante los años 2021-2022 se realizaron recorridos en cinco estados donde se han registrado plantas de Agaves, las cuales fueron examinadas en: Durango (Agave durangensis Gentry), Coahuila (A. asperrima Jacobi), Sonora (A. bovicornuta Gentry), Tabasco (Agave spp. L.) y Tlaxcala (Agave spp.), todas en proceso de descomposición, las partes necrosadas de las piñas fueron cortadas con machete y revisadas de manera manual. Se presenta un nuevo registro de tres especies de Hololepta para los estados de Coahuila, Durango, Sonora, Tabasco y Tlaxcala; se adiciona al Agave asperrima, A. bovicornuta y A. durangensis como nuevos hospederos. El conocimiento de las especies de Hololepta como enemigos naturales es escaso, por lo que, investigaciones futuras deberán evaluar la eficacia de las especies del género como controladoras biológicas de larvas de las plagas del Agave.