Abstract
A study was undertaken to determine whether Scolypopa australis, the passionvine hopper, communicates using substrate-borne vibrations, as its use of such signals for communication is currently unknown. This insect is a costly pest to the kiwifruit industry in New Zealand, where few pest management tools can be used during the growing season. Vibrations emitted by virgin females and males of S. australis released alone on leaves of Griselinia littoralis were recorded with a laser vibrometer to identify and characterise potential spontaneous calling signals produced by either sex. In addition to single-insect trials, preliminary tests were conducted with female–male pair trials to determine whether individuals exchanged signals. The signal repertoire of S. australis includes a male calling signal and two female calling signals. However, no evidence of duetting behaviour that is potentially necessary for pair formation has been found to date. Our outcome suggests that a deeper understanding of the role of vibrational communication employed by S. australis is needed, and by disclosing the pair formation process, a new residue-free pest management tool against this pest may be developed. In addition, this vibration-based tool could contribute to future biosecurity preparedness and response initiatives.
Highlights
Published: 24 December 2021The passionvine hopper, Scolypopa australis (Walker, 1851) (Hemiptera: Ricaniidae), is a polyphagous phloem-feeding insect and is a pest of kiwifruit belonging to the cultivarsActinidia chinensis (Planch) var. deliciosa and A. chinensis var. chinensis grown in NewZealand
The male calling signal (MC) comprised pulses arranged in pulse trains, whose amplitude increased as the signal progressed (Figure 2A)
The two female signals differed in the arrangement of the pulse trains, which were more dispersed in female calling signal 2 (FC2) than in female calling signal 1 (FC1)
Summary
Published: 24 December 2021The passionvine hopper, Scolypopa australis (Walker, 1851) (Hemiptera: Ricaniidae), is a polyphagous phloem-feeding insect and is a pest of kiwifruit belonging to the cultivarsActinidia chinensis (Planch) var. deliciosa and A. chinensis var. chinensis grown in NewZealand. The passionvine hopper, Scolypopa australis (Walker, 1851) (Hemiptera: Ricaniidae), is a polyphagous phloem-feeding insect and is a pest of kiwifruit belonging to the cultivars. As it feeds, it exudes honeydew, which promotes the growth of sooty moulds. Sooty mould-covered kiwifruit cannot be cleaned or be exported to international markets, costing the New Zealand kiwifruit industry ~NZD 77 million per annum [1]. There are few tools available to manage this pest in the crop during the growing season. For all these reasons, novel and eco-friendly control strategies are urgently needed
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