The leaf-mining flies of the family Agromyzidae of the Maltese Islands are revisited and updated with new data and records (Diptera: Brachycera, Acalyptrata)

Past records of introduced predators and parasites for biological control programmes in the Maltese Islands are reviewed. Literature on this subject is very limited, difficult to obtain and to confirm. During the last 10 years, several exotic pest species were accidentally introduced into the Maltese Islands, including Aleurothrixus floccosus, Bemisia tabaci, Liriomyza spp., Frankliniella occidentalis and Phyllocnistis citrella. Natural enemies have been imported to control these pests. These include Dacnusa sibirica and Diglyphus isaea for the control of leafminers; Encarsia formosa, Eretmocerus californicus and Macrolophus caliginosus for regulation of Bemisia tabaci; Cales noacki against Aleurothrixus floccosus; Orius laevigatus, O. insidiosus and Neoseiulus cucumeris against thrips; Aphidius colemani and Aphidoletes aphidimyza for the control of glasshouse aphids and Phytoseiulus persimilis and Amblyseius californicus for the control of the red spider mite. Encarsia lutea and Eretmocerus mundus have been recorded from Bemisia tabaci in Malta. Faunistic studies of parasitic Hymenoptera occurring in Malta are currently being carried out. The data is presented and the significance of utilizing local natural enemies is briefly discussed.

Wheat is nowadays the most important source of food on earth. Many pest species have been identified that affect wheat yield and quality negatively. This study was conducted to identify harmful and beneficial insect (predator) species and of the distribution of Sunn pest in wheat cultivation areas in the districts (Siirt province Merkez, Kurtalan, Eruh, Tillo, Şirvan, Pervari, and Baykan) of Siirt Province, Türkiye in 2018 and 2019. Samplings were taken periodically for 1-2 weeks from April to July. The sweep nets, frame, pitfall trap, and visual control methods were used for sampling. At the end of the study, 42 species belonging to 6 orders and 25 families were determined. The distributions of the species were recorded as 27 species belonging to 12 families in Coleoptera, 10 species belonging to 7 families in Hemiptera, 2 species belonging to 2 families in Neuroptera, and 1 species belonging to each family in Hymenoptera, Orthoptera and Diptera. The most common and abundant species: the main pest Eurygaster integriceps Puton, 1881 (Hemiptera: Scutelleridae), the secondary pests Aelia acuminata (Linnaeus, 1758), Dolycoris baccarum (Linnaeus, 1758) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), Cephus pygmaeus (Linnaeus, 1767) (Hymenoptera: Cephidae) Gryllus bimaculatus De Geer, 1773, (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) were determined. In the study, a total of 16 species were identified, which is the first record for the local fauna of Siirt province. The highest average density of E. integriceps (2 adult + nymph / m2) was found in the Garzan and Gozpinari locations of the Kurtalan district. Besides, among the beneficial species, general predators Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens, 1836) and Coccinella septempunctata (Linnaeus, 1758) are remark as the most common species

Convenient ecological alternative to broad-spectrum chemical pesticides is the utilization of natural enemies, like predators, parasitoids and microorganisms. A substantial number of microbial biopesticides based on entomopathogenic fungi have been developed worldwide since 1960s. Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo-Crivelli) Vuillemin, Metarhizium anisopliae (Metchnikoff) Sorokin, Isaria fumosorosea (Wize), and B. brongniartii (Saccardo) Petch are the most common species used in commercially produced mycopesticides. Besides direct biological pest control, these fungi could be also used in preventive application programs, particularly in ornamental or nursery plants to provide better control against pests. The aim of the present study was to investigate potential of pre-colonization of sphagnum-based soil substrate with I. fumosorosea strain CCM 8367 which was found earlier to be highly virulent against several pest species. We developed simple laboratory apparatus for application of fungal spore suspension into the substrate. Suspension was prepared from blastospores obtained by submerged cultivation on potato dextrose broth (PDB) medium using an orbital shaker. Inoculated substrate was placed into plastic bags and stored at constant temperature for six months. Every month, samples were analyzed for concentration of colony forming units (CFU) by elution and selective medium technique. The results showed that at 20°C the fungus successfully colonized the soil substrate and persisted there although the mean concentration slightly decreased from 5.89×104 to 2.76×104 CFU per milliliter of substrate during the experiment. Temperature 30°C had negative effect on survival of the fungus and is not recommended for long-term storage of pre-inoculated substrate. We can conclude that I. fumosorosea-colonized substrate can be convenient for preventive and permanent protection of various plants against soil-dwelling pests.Convenient ecological alternative to broad-spectrum chemical pesticides is the utilization of natural enemies, like predators, parasitoids and microorganisms. A substantial number of microbial biopesticides based on entomopathogenic fungi have been developed worldwide since 1960s. Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo-Crivelli) Vuillemin, Metarhizium anisopliae (Metchnikoff) Sorokin, Isaria fumosorosea (Wize), and B. brongniartii (Saccardo) Petch are the most common species used in commercially produced mycopesticides. Besides direct biological pest control, these fungi could be also used in preventive application programs, particularly in ornamental or nursery plants to provide better control against pests. The aim of the present study was to investigate potential of pre-colonization of sphagnum-based soil substrate with I. fumosorosea strain CCM 8367 which was found earlier to be highly virulent against several pest species. We developed simple laboratory apparatus for application of fungal spore suspension into ...

Summary Monitoring of cereal leaf miners’ flight in winter wheat crops was carried out in Wielkopolska district in 2009/2010 and 2010/2011. The traps were replaced once a week. Additionally, the abundance of leaf miners was recorded on experimental plots and selected wheat plantations located in the proximity of the experiments in May, leaves with visible larvae or pupa inside were collected for rearing purpose to obtain imagines and identify leaf miner species. Values monitored included the dynamics of flight for leaf mining flies along with the speed of development of leaf beetles. The accuracy of the suggested dates was measured by the quantity of the yield obtained. During the years of the research, the biggest yields were obtained when both pest species were chemically treated during the period when the leaf mining flies were abundant with the oldest leaf beetle larvae reaching the size of about 2 mm. The most common species were: Chromatomyia nigra (Ztt.), Ch. fuscula (Ztt.) and Poemyza superciliosa (Ztt.). The dynamics of flight of leaf mining flies on the winter wheat plantations typically changes a lot, it is necessary to monitor particular plantations. It was also determined that the species composition of Agromyzidae damaging the winter wheat changes between particular years.

There are many species of termites associated with oil palm planted on peat soil. Most of them are beneficial to the ecosystem and harmless to the crop. Four subterranean termite species of Coptotermes are commonly found in oil palm planted on peat soil, viz. Coptotermes curvignathus, C. sepangensis, C. travians and C. kalshoveni. The only species infesting living palm is C. curvignathus. The other genera of termites such as Schedorhinotermes, Parrhinotermes and Nasutitermes, in which are some very common species in oil palm plantations, are harmless to the palm. Accurate identification of termite species to distinguish between the pest and non-pest species should be emphasised to prevent wrong application of pesticide against beneficial termites in the field. This paper provides a pictorial guide for the identification of common termite species in oil palm planted on peat soil. Keywords: Subterranean termites, C. sepangensis, C. curvignathus, C. travians, C. kalshoveni.

Simple SummaryFor minimizing “Human Wildlife Conflicts” (HWCs), it is important to understand the interactions of wildlife with human activities—especially in non-protected areas. The wild boar (Sus scrofa) is one of the most widely spread and highly adaptable ungulate species–referred to as a pest species. The increase in wild boar numbers and ranges is linked to the increasing economic and ecological impacts. In Pakistan, wild boar numbers are rapidly multiplying because, generally, it is hunted neither for meat nor for trophies by locals because of strict religious prohibitions. However, in some rural areas, wild boars are killed by the farmers—mostly using firearms—yet, the rate of these kills does not match this animal’s overall reproductive rate. Moreover, a decline in the numbers of apex predators is also adding to the ever-increasing wild boar population. Being a pest species with huge numbers, the wild boar is one of the chief reasons for HWCs in Pakistan. In addition to the economic losses (crop damage and orchard damage) caused by wild boars, a hostile attitude in local communities has developed towards wildlife, in general. In the current study, we investigated the economic effects of the wild boar on pastoral communities’ livelihoods and on locals’ attitudes towards wild boars in northwestern Pakistan. The results revealed that the major crops raided by wild boars were maize, wheat, and vegetables. Most respondents considered the wild boar to be a very common species and wished for its complete elimination from the area. We believe that properly monitoring and controlling the wild boar population, coupled with compensation schemes, can be very promising for minimizing this kind of HWCs.Conservation goals can only be best achieved when there is firm support and cooperation from locals, especially in emerging economies where poor communities often bear most of the cost of human–wildlife conflicts (HWCs). In this study, we explored the economic losses caused by wild boars in two districts, i.e., the Peshawar district and the Nowshera district, in north-western Pakistan. Between May and June 2022, 589 respondents from 53 villages were interviewed. The results revealed that the wild boar was chiefly involved in crop raiding, causing an annual economic loss of USD 12,030 (USD 20.42/household). The highly raided crops included maize (40.24%), followed by wheat (24.95%), vegetables (22.65%), and sugarcane (6.29%). Wild boars were also held accountable for orchard damages. Most people consider the wild boar a common species in the area and want it completely eliminated. We believe that the increasing wild boar population is alarming and should be noticed. The government should collaborate with the local communities to use innovative methods to deter wild boars. Compensation schemes for crop damages should be launched. Moreover, the regular investigation of the wild boar population size and their carrying capacities should be enlisted as integral parts of wildlife management in the area.

Big bats binge bad bugs: Variation in crop pest consumption by common bat species

A palaeoecological study of the Upper Coralline Limestone, Terebratula-Aphelesia bed (miocene, malta) based on bryozoan growth-form studies and brachiopod distributions

Several fragrant tree species, i.e., Aesculus hippocastanum, Magnolia brooklynensis „Yellow Bird,‟ Catalpa bignonioides, and Prunus serrulata were previously registered in the database. A. hippocastanum, Ailanthus altíssima, C. bignonioides, and Robinia pseudoacacia were found to be the most common and important species in the parks and gardens of Yerevan, Armenia. These species were found in almost all of the studied gardens. The present study aimed to investigate the species composition of the pests of fragrant trees in different landscaped areas of Yerevan, Armenia, during 2020–2021. This study found 48 species of pests of fragrant trees in various parks and gardens. The species belonged to three taxonomic classes, 11 orders, and 33 families. These pest species significantly suppressed the growth and development of fragrant trees, and in some cases, even caused the trees to dry out. In the early spring, the pest species Parthenolecanium corni Bouche., Euproctis chrysorrhoea, Aphis laburni Kalt., Myzus cerasi, Panonychus ulmi, Tetranychus urticae, and Schizotetranychus pruni were observed on fragrant plants. Notably, this study revealed six species of fragrant tree pests, of which four, i.e., Dasineura gleditchiae, Halyomorpha halys, Trioza neglecta, and Calophya rhois, were found for the first time in the fauna of Armenia, and two, i.e., Obolodiplosis robiniae and Euura tibialis, were found previously in Tavush Region, Dilijan, Armenia.

In this study, we investigate and compare the response patterns of small mammal communities to increasing land use intensity in two study areas: private farmland at the southern boundary of Etosha National Park and smallholder farmland in Tsumeb agricultural area. Species richness, community composition and a standardized capture index (RCI) are compared between sites of (a) increasing grazing pressure of ungulates (Etosha) and (b) increasing conversion of bushland to arable land (Tsumeb). Within each study area, we found clear response patterns towards increasing land use intensity. However, patterns differ significantly between the two areas. Within the less-transformed area (Etosha), high land use intensity results in a decrease in the RCI but not species richness. Small mammal communities remain relatively stable, but ecosystem functions (e.g., bioturbation, seed dispersal) are weakened. Within the more-transformed area (Tsumeb), high land use intensity leads to a decrease in species richness and increasing RCIs of two common pest species. The disappearance of a balanced community and the dramatic increase in a few pest species has the potential to threaten human livelihoods (e.g., crop damage, disease vectors). Our comparative approach clearly indicates that Gerbilliscus leucogaster is a possible candidate for an ecological indicator of ecosystem integrity. Mastomys natalensis has the potential to become an important pest species when bushland is transformed into irrigated arable land. Our results support the importance of area-specific conservation and management measures in savanna ecosystems.

Multi-level learning features for automatic classification of field crop pests

Simple SummaryUnderstanding the biodiversity of urban ecosystems is critical for management of invasive and pest species, conserving native species, and disease control. Mosquitoes (Culicidae) are ubiquitous and abundant in urban ecosystems, and rely on blood meals taken from vertebrates. We used DNA from freshly blood-fed mosquitoes to characterize the diversity of vertebrate host species in the San Juan Metropolitan Area, Puerto Rico. We collected two mosquito species that fed on a variety of vertebrates. Culex quinquefasciatus fed on 17 avian taxa (81.2% of blood meals), seven mammalian taxa (17.9%), and one reptilian taxon (0.85%). Aedes aegypti blood meals were from a less diverse group, with two avian taxa (11.1%) and three mammalian taxa (88.9%) identified. Domestic chickens dominated the blood meals of Cx. quinquefasciatus, both temporally and spatially, and no statistically significant shift from birds to mammals was detected. The species we detected from the mosquito blood meals provided a snapshot of the vertebrate community in the San Juan Metropolitan Area, most of which were domestic species. However, we also identified a variety of native and nonnative wild species. These results add knowledge about potential ecological factors that impact vector-borne disease management in urban habitats.Urban ecosystems are a patchwork of habitats that host a broad diversity of animal species. Insects comprise a large portion of urban biodiversity which includes many pest species, including those that transmit pathogens. Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) inhabit urban environments and rely on sympatric vertebrate species to complete their life cycles, and in this process transmit pathogens to animals and humans. Given that mosquitoes feed upon vertebrates, they can also act as efficient samplers that facilitate detection of vertebrate species that utilize urban ecosystems. In this study, we analyzed DNA extracted from mosquito blood meals collected temporally in multiple neighborhoods of the San Juan Metropolitan Area, Puerto Rico to evaluate the presence of vertebrate fauna. DNA was collected from 604 individual mosquitoes that represented two common urban species, Culex quinquefasciatus (n = 586) and Aedes aegypti (n = 18). Culex quinquefasciatus fed on 17 avian taxa (81.2% of blood meals), seven mammalian taxa (17.9%), and one reptilian taxon (0.85%). Domestic chickens dominated these blood meals both temporally and spatially, and no statistically significant shift from birds to mammals was detected. Aedes aegypti blood meals were from a less diverse group, with two avian taxa (11.1%) and three mammalian taxa (88.9%) identified. The blood meals we identified provided a snapshot of the vertebrate community in the San Juan Metropolitan Area and have potential implications for vector-borne pathogen transmission.

To determine the presence of Clostridium difficile on fattening pig farms in north-eastern Spain. Twenty-seven farms were sampled. Pools of pig faecal samples (n=210), samples of intestinal content from common farm pest species (n=95) and environment-related samples (n=93) were collected. Isolates were tested for toxin genes of C. difficile, and typed by PCR-ribotyping and toxinotyping. The minimal inhibitory concentrations of six antimicrobial agents were determined using Etest. Thirty-four isolates were obtained from 12 farms, and 30 (88·2%) had toxin genes. Seven ribotypes were identified. Ribotype 078 and its variant 126 were predominant (52·9%). The same ribotypes were isolated from different animal species on the same farm. None of the isolates were resistant to metronidazole or vancomycin. Clostridium difficile was common within the pig farm environment. Most of the positive samples came from pest species or were pest-related environmental samples. Pest species were colonized with toxigenic and antimicrobial-resistant C. difficile strains of the same ribotypes that are found in humans and pigs. Rodents and pigeons may transmit toxigenic and antimicrobial-resistant C. difficile strains that are of the same ribotypes as those occuring in humans.

Understanding the full diet of natural enemies is necessary for evaluating their role as biocontrol agents, because many enemy species do not only feed on pests but also on other natural enemies. Such intraguild predation can compromise pest control if the consumed enemies are actually better for pest control than their predators. In this study, we used gut metabarcoding to quantify diets of all common arachnid species in Swedish and Spanish apple orchards. For this purpose, we designed new primers that reduce amplification of arachnid predators while retaining high amplification of all prey groups. Results suggest that most arachnids consume a large range of putative pest species on apple but also a high proportion of other natural enemies, where the latter constitute almost a third of all prey sequences. Intraguild predation also varied between regions, with a larger content of heteropteran bugs in arachnid guts from Spanish orchards, but not between orchard types. There was also a tendency for cursorial spiders to have more intraguild prey in the gut than web spiders. Two groups that may be overlooked as important biocontrol agents in apple orchards seem to be theridiid web spiders and opilionids, where the latter had several small-bodied pest species in the gut. These results thus provide important guidance for what arachnid groups should be targets of management actions, even though additional information is needed to quantify all direct and indirect interactions occurring in the complex arthropod food webs in fruit orchards.

The impact of complex direct and indirect interactions between multiple functional groups on plants is poorly documented. In tropical agroecosystems, ants interact with crop mutualists and antagonists, however, little is known about effects of dominants ant community properties on the consequence of such cascading interactions which can be measured through final ecosystem service, crop yield. Here, we present a replicated ant fauna manipulation experiment in cocoa agroecosystems, where we used ant exclusion treatments to test the economic importance of the presence of ants, and two additional treatments where we experimentally introduced one of two common dominant ant species which allowed comparing their effects with those of the naturally occurring ant fauna. The proximate aim was to assess the impact of ants Crematogaster sp., Camponotus brutus Auguste-Henri Forel and Oecophylla longinoda Latreille on cacao yield, which is known to depend on several, cascading intermediate ecosystem services (e.g. control of specific pests). Ants provided ecosystem services in term of reduced pest damage caused by Salhbergella singularis Hagh (Hemiptera: Miridae) and Characoma stictigrapta Hmps (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) but also disservices such as increased pathogen disease caused by Phyphthora megakarya Brasier and Griffin dissemination and indirectly enhanced damage of other pest species. Yields were highest in non-manipulated and species-rich ant communities, whereas ant exclusion and communities dominated by a single species decreased yield by more than 30%. Associated ant communities between dominant and non-dominant species resulted in the same yields as in non-manipulated controls. Dominant ant communities maximized the control of a particular pest species, but not cacao yield. We show a positive relationship between ant species rich communities and financial performance and we postulate that complex agroecosystems can offer competitive business opportunities for small-scale farmers, while contributing to biodiversity conservation. However, more interdisciplinary studies are needed to quantify financial and biodiversity performance opportunities to allow up-scaling of these findings.