Boll Weevil Research Articles

The oral secretion from Cotton Boll Weevil (Anthonomus grandis) induces defense responses in cotton (Gossypium spp) and Arabidopsis thaliana

Cotton Boll Weevil (CBW, Anthonomus grandis) is a devastating insect-pest affecting cotton (Gossypium spp), using cotton internal floral structures for larval development, making it difficult to control. Little is known about the mechanism underlying CBW-plant interactions leading to infestation or resistance. Here, we investigated the plant molecular responses triggered by CBW extracts from eggs, larvae, and oral secretions (OS) of larvae and adult. The MAPK pathway, one of the early signaling events in plant pattern-triggered immunity (PTI), was activated by CBW extracts in Arabidopsis thaliana. In cotton, CBW OS activated GhMPK3 and GhMPK6. Importantly, CBW OS activated the PTI marker gene FRK1 and the effector-triggered immunity (ETI) marker gene WRKY46 in Arabidopsis reporter lines, suggesting that Herbivore-Associated Molecular Patterns (HAMPs) present in OS from CBW can elicit plant defense responses in cotton and Arabidopsis. Interestingly, CBW OS-induced MAPK activation shows similar patterns in wild-type and Arabidopsis mutants, which bear mutations in already known receptor and co-receptors complex components, suggesting a distinct signaling cascade likely triggered by the putative HAMPs present in CBW OS. The work points to potentials in the identification and development of CBW extract-derived elicitors for effective pest control combating CBW infestation.

Discovery and functional characterization of novel cotton promoters with potential application to pest control.

pGhERF105andpGhNc-HARBI1promoters are highly responsive to CBW infestation and exhibit strong activity in vegetative and reproductive tissues, increasing their potential application in GM crop plants for pest control. The main challenge to cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) crop productivity is the constant attack of several pests, including the cotton boll weevil (CBW, Anthonomus grandis), which uses cotton floral buds for feeding and egg-laying. The endophytic nature of the early developmental stages of CBW makes conventional pesticide-based control poorly efficient. Most biotechnological assets used for pest control are based on Bacillus thurigiensis insecticidal Cry toxins or the silencing of insect-pest essential genes using RNA-interference technology. However, suitable plant promoter sequences are required to efficientlydrive insecticidal molecules to the target plant tissue. This study selected the Ethylene Responsive Factor 105 (GhERF105) and Harbinger transposase-derivednuclease (GhNc-HARBI1) genes based on available transcriptome-wide data from cotton plants infested by CBW larvae. The GhERF105 and GhNc-HARBI1 genes showed induction kinetics from 2 to 96h under CBW's infestation in cotton floral buds, uncovering the potential application of their promoters. Therefore, the promoter regions (1,500 base pairs) were assessed and characterized using Arabidopsis thaliana transgenic plants. The pGhERF105 and pGhNc-HARBI1 promoters showed strong activity in plant vegetative (leaves and roots) and reproductive (flowers and fruits) tissues, encompassing higher GUS transcriptional activity than the viral-constitutive Cauliflower Mosaic Virus 35S promoter (pCaMV35S). Notably, pGhERF105 and pGhNc-HARBI1 promoters demonstrated more efficiency in driving reporter genes in flowers than other previously characterized cotton flower-specific promoters. Overall, the present study provides a new set of cotton promoters suitable for biotechnological application in cotton plants for pest resistance.

The Green Depression: American Ecoliterature in the 1930s and 1940s by Matthew M. Lambert

<i>The Green Depression: American Ecoliterature in the 1930s and 1940s</i> by Matthew M. Lambert

An Invitation to Dance

An Invitation to Dance

Australia's Entanglement in Global Cotton

Abstract Cotton in Australia has always been entwined with America and England. From the initial stimulus of the American War of Independence to the boost created by the boll weevil outbreak in the 1920s, the fortunes of Australian cotton producers have been shaped by American history as much as their own nation's political and economic imperatives. Scientists and farmers relied on American experience, importing seed, knowledge, personnel, and technology. The global market reflected fluctuations in the US cotton industry and the demands of English cotton mills. Australia relied on the imports of the English cotton mills and an injection of funds by the British Cotton Growing Association (BCGA) in the 1920s to boost industry. While Australian politicians promoted cotton as a domestic economic and demographic stimulant, fulfilment of these nation-state objectives was deeply entangled with, and dependent on, those of America and England.

New parasitism record of Pyemotes tritici (LaGreze-Fossat and Montagne, 1851) (Acari: Pyemotidae) on boll weevils inside cotton squares

We report the occurrence of Pyemotes tritici (LaGreze-Fossat and Montagne) (Acari: Pyemotidae) parasitizing the boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis Boheman (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), in shed squares of cotton grown in a greenhouse. Parasitized larvae, pupae and adults of the cotton boll weevil had abdominal sternites and/or tergites covered by whitish spherical physogastric females of P. tritici. This is the first record of the cotton boll weevil parasitized by this mite species.

Trapping of Crucifer-Feeding Flea Beetles (Phyllotreta spp.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) With Pheromones and Plant Kairomones.

Flea beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) of the genus Phyllotreta are major pests of cole crops, canola, and related crops in the mustard family (Brassicaceae). Adults may damage seedlings or larger crop plants, impairing crop growth, rendering crops unmarketable, or killing seedlings outright. The two major North American crucifer pest species, Phyllotreta striolata (F.) and Phyllotreta cruciferae (Goeze), have male-produced pheromones attractive to both female and male adults. We tested the racemic synthetic pheromones, himachaladiene and hydroxyhimachalanone, as well as the host-plant-produced allyl isothiocyanate, alone and in combination, with experimental trapping in Maryland, Virginia, and North Dakota, using clear and yellow sticky traps and the ground-based 'rocket' trap (modified from boll weevil trap). Phyllotreta striolata was consistently attracted to the hydroxyketone, and captures were often enhanced by allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), but its response to pheromones, AITC, and trap color were variable from state to state. Phyllotreta cruciferae was strongly attracted to AITC, but its response to pheromone components varied by state, and this species was found rarely at the Maryland site. Phyllotreta bipustulata (F.) was attracted to the diene component, a new finding for this species. Several other genera of flea beetles were captured, some showing response to the semiochemicals and/or color. Results will be helpful in monitoring and possibly population suppression; however, further research is necessary to develop more efficient syntheses, optimal lure loadings, combinations, and controlled release methods.

Spatio-temporal distribution of Anthonomus grandis grandis Boh. in tropical cotton fields.

Knowledge of the spatio-temporal distribution of pests is important for the development of accurate management approaches. The boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis grandis Boh., is a deleterious cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., pest in the western hemisphere. The spread of boll weevils across cotton fields remains poorly understood. We assessed the dispersal pattern of adult weevils through cotton fields cultivated in a tropical area during dry and wet seasons using geostatistics for the number of adults and infested reproductive structures (buds, bolls and total). Adult weevils and infested reproductive structures increased across both seasons despite the prevailing climatic variables. In both seasons, boll weevil adults and infested reproductive structures followed an aggregated distribution. The distances over which samples maintained spatial dependence varied from 0.7 to 43.4m in the dry season and from 6.0 to 614.4m in the wet season. Boll weevil infestations started at field borders and the infested reproductive structures (oviposition and/or feeding punctured) were greater than the adults regardless of cotton growth stage. Sampling for boll weevils in cotton fields should start at the field borders and focus on total infested reproductive structures (buds + bolls) and as cotton plants develop, sampling should focus on the field as a whole. Distances among samples will vary from 6 to 470 m. Thus, despite the cotton phenological stage or growing season, monitoring of boll weevil should be done by sampling total infested reproductive structures with a minimum distance of 6 m among samples. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Potential Distribution of Wild Host Plants of the Boll Weevil (Anthonomus grandis) in the United States and Mexico

Simple SummaryThe boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis Boheman) (BW) is one of the most well-known and historically important insect pests in the Americas. Presently it is a key pest of cotton in Mexico and Central and South America. In the United States, a successful area-wide pest management program has eradicated the pest from nearly the entire country, except for the Lower Rio Grande Valley region of extreme southern Texas. Eradication in the US has been successful, in part, because the insect can only develop on a narrow range of host plant species besides cotton, none of which occur outside of Texas and Arizona. However, wild host plants are an important consideration for management of this pest in regions where they are present and for preventing reinfestations in areas where eradication has been successful. Here, we present the first detailed analyses of the potential distributions of all known significant wild host plants of the boll weevil in the United States and Mexico. These analyses will enable management to better evaluate the role of wild host plants in their management areas, improve existing boll weevil eradication strategies, and provide insights into the evolutionary history of this important pest insect.The boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis Boheman) reproduces on a reported 13 species of wild host plants in North America, two in the United States and 12 in Mexico. The distributions of these plants are of economic importance to pest management and provide insight into the evolutionary history and origin of the BW. However, detailed information regarding the distributions of many of these species is lacking. In this article, we present distribution models for all of the reported significant BW host plants from Mexico and the United States using spatial distribution modelling software. Host plant distributions were divided into two groups: “eastern” and “western.” In Mexico, Hampea nutricia along the Gulf Coast was the most important of the eastern group, and the wild cottons, Gossypium aridum and Gossypium thurberi were most important in the western group. Other species of Hampea, Gossypium, and Cienfuegosia rosei have relatively restricted distributions and are of apparent minimal economic importance. Cienfuegosia drummondii is the only truly wild host in the southern United States, east of New Mexico. Factors determining potential distributions were variable and indicated that species were present in five vegetation types. Ecological and economic considerations of host plant distributions are discussed, as well as threats to host plant conservation.

Voltammetric Determination of Total Phenolic Compounds in Cotton Leaves of Gossypium barbadense and Gossypium hirsutum Challenged with Spodoptera cosmioides (Walker)

A voltammetric method for phenolic compounds determination detected differences between Gossypium hirsutum and Gossypium barbadense, injured or not by caterpillars. G. barbadense seeds collected in Amazon were multiplied and compared to a commercial Brazilian variety (G. hirsutum). Plants were conducted in a net protected house for two assays where: i) floral buds were inoculated with boll weevil eggs and ii) leaves were infested with Spodoptera cosmioides (Walker) and leaf phenolic compounds determined by a voltammetric method based on the differential pulse technique and glassy carbon electrode. The proportion of emerging boll weevils was greater in G. hirsutum (0.24) than in G. barbadense (0.14). G. hirsutum non infested older leaves presented a higher amount of total phenolics than the younger leaves. For the infested plants, total phenolic levels were similar in both developmental stages and to the not infested younger leaves. The most intense current peak in the voltammetric profile was at the oxidation potential of 0.5 V for all samples, and more intense for G. hirsutum older leaves. Another less intense current peak at 0.8 V, found at all profiles, was great for G. barbadense attacked by caterpillars. Compounds coincident with these peaks may be related to insect tolerance.

Multiple factors mediate insecticide toxicity to a key predator for cotton insect pest management.

Mortality of agricultural pests caused by arthropod predators is a valuable ecosystem service for crop production. The earwig, Euborellia annulipes (Lucas), attacks different pest species in various crop ecosystems, including larvae and pupae of the boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis grandis (Boh.). In this study, multiple factors were assessed to measure the selectivity of insecticides used against sap-sucking and chewing cotton pests for two E. annulipes populations. Nymphs and adults of E. annulipes were exposed to the insecticides in two ways: ingestion of contaminated prey, and contact with dried residues on either inert surfaces or treated plants bearing prey. Pymetrozine, chlorantraniliprole, and spinetoram had little effect on the predator regardless the tested earwig population, life stage with developmental time and survival, or the route of exposure (ingestion and residual). Cyantraniliprole dried-residue impeded nymph to complete development and only 27% of adults survived until 20 days after exposure. Pyriproxyfen was harmless through acute toxicity to nymphs and adult earwigs (70-100% survival 72 h after exposure), but prevented normal development of nymphs to adults causing chronic toxicity. Chlorfenapyr, indoxacarb, lambda-cyhalothrin, chlorpyrifos, dimethoate, and malathion were harmful to the predator regardless life stage or method of exposure. The negative impact of thiamethoxam, lambda-cyhalothrin and indoxacarb was diminished when exposure occurred on plants with predator allowed to shelter in the soil. The results indicate that insecticide selectivity outcome varies by the insecticide, predator life stage and the predator's behavior. Therefore, testing different predator life stages via several routes of exposure, without denying the insect the opportunity to engage in its normal behavior can provide better estimates of insecticide selectivity.

Bacillus toyonensis biovar Thuringiensis: A novel entomopathogen with insecticidal activity against lepidopteran and coleopteran pests

The Bacillus cereus group includes eight species: Bacillus anthracis, B. cereus, Bacillus cytotoxicus, Bacillus mycoides, Bacillus pseudomycoides, Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus weihenstephanensis and Bacillus toyonensis, which are highly related at the phylogenetic level. In this work, we performed the isolation and characterization of a novel Bacillus sp. strain exhibiting parasporal crystals with insecticidal activity that was initially classified as a Bacillus thuringiensis strain. Its genome encoded three genes showing homology to known pesticidal proteins from B. thuringiensis and Lysinibacillus sphaericus proteins: Cry7Ga1 (a crystal protein), a Mpp2Aa3 (ETX/Mtx2 family) homolog and a mosquitocidal-like protein (NPP1). However, since its genome sequence shared > 98% ANI with several Bacillus toyonensis genomes, the strain has subsequently been renamed as Bacillus toyonensis biovar Thuringiensis and designated Bto-UNVM_94. Bioassays demonstrated that this novel strain exhibited toxicity against Cydia pomonella (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) and Anthonomus grandis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a low toxicity against Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) and Alphitobius diaperinus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) whereas no toxicity was shown to the free-living nematode Panagrellus redivivus (Rhabditida: Panagrolaimidae).

EVALUATION OF THE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF THE BOLL WEEVIL (Anthonomus grandis, BOHEMAN) TO MALATHION IN THE LAGUNA REGION

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background.&lt;/strong&gt; Resistance to an insecticide is what determines its effectiveness and the lack of information limits effectiveness in the control of the boll weevil in cotton crops. &lt;strong&gt;Objective.&lt;/strong&gt; The objective of the study was to determine the susceptibility of the boll weevil (&lt;em&gt;Anthonomus grandis&lt;/em&gt; Boheman) to malathion in the Laguna, Mexico. Currently, this pest is considered as the one with the highest economical impact on cotton cultivation in the region. &lt;strong&gt;Methodology.&lt;/strong&gt; Three bioassays were carried out, one in the state of Coahuila in the 2017 agricultural season and in the 2018 and 2019 seasons in the states of Coahuila and Durango. Boll weevils reared in the laboratory, as well as those collected in the field were used to obtain DL50 and DL95. The mortality data was analyzed using the Probit analysis. &lt;strong&gt;Results.&lt;/strong&gt; The mean lethal dose after 48 hours in the three agricultural cycles fluctuated between 0.19 and 0.39 µg/µl for adults raised in the laboratory and the data observed for adults collected in the field was between 0.37 and 0.44 µg/µl. &lt;strong&gt;Implications.&lt;/strong&gt; Periodic bioassays are suggested to detect populations resistant to malathion. &lt;strong&gt;Conclusion.&lt;/strong&gt; It was determined that the boll weevil populations in the Laguna Region were susceptible to malathion, since the mean lethal dosage for the 3 agricultural seasons was &amp;lt; 1 µg/µl.&lt;/p&gt;

Assessing the performance of YOLOv5 algorithm for detecting volunteer cotton plants in corn fields at three different growth stages

The feral or volunteer cotton (VC) plants when reach the pinhead squaring phase (5–6 leaf stage) can act as hosts for the boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis L.) pests. The Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Program (TBWEP) employs people to locate and eliminate VC plants growing by the side of roads or fields with rotation crops but the ones growing in the middle of fields remain undetected. In this paper, we demonstrate the application of computer vision (CV) algorithm based on You Only Look Once version 5 (YOLOv5) for detecting VC plants growing in the middle of corn fields at three different growth stages (V3, V6 and VT) using unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) remote sensing imagery. All the four variants of YOLOv5 (s, m, l, and x) were used and their performances were compared based on classification accuracy, mean average precision (mAP) and F1-score. It was found that YOLOv5s could detect VC plants with maximum classification accuracy of 98% and mAP of 96.3% at V6 stage of corn while YOLOv5s and YOLOv5m resulted in the lowest classification accuracy of 85% and YOLOv5m and YOLOv5l had the least mAP of 86.5% at VT stage on images of size 416 × 416 pixels. The developed CV algorithm has the potential to effectively detect and locate VC plants growing in the middle of corn fields as well as expedite the management aspects of TBWEP.

Weevil damage optimization algorithm and its applications

Weevils are a type of insect with elongated snouts coming from superfamily of Curculionoidea with approximately 97,000 species. Most of them consider pest and cause environmental damages but some kinds like wheat weevil, maize weevil, and boll weevils are famous to cause huge damage on crops, especially cereal grains. This research proposes a novel swarm-based metaheuristics algorithm called Weevil Damage Optimization Algorithm (WDOA) which mimics weevils’ fly power, snout power, and damage power on crops or agricultural products. The proposed algorithm is tested with 12 benchmark unimodal and multimodal artificial landscapes or optimization test functions. Additionally, the proposed WDOA is employed in five engineering problems to check its robustness for problem solving. Problems are Travelling Salesman Problem (TSP), n-Queens problem, portfolio problem, Optimal Inventory Control (OIC) problem, and Bin Packing Problem (BPP). All tests’ functions are compared with widely used benchmark algorithms of Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Genetic Algorithm (GA), Harmony Search (HS) algorithm, Imperialist Competitive Algorithm (ICA), Firefly Algorithm (FA), and Differential Evolution (DE) algorithm. Also, all problems are tested with DE, FA, and HS algorithms. The Proposed algorithm showed robustness and speed on all functions and problems by providing precision alongside with reasonable speed.

Using Digitized Newspapers to Refine Historical Measures: The Case of the Boll Weevil

Using Digitized Newspapers to Refine Historical Measures: The Case of the Boll Weevil

GIS-based volunteer cotton habitat prediction and plant-level detection with UAV remote sensing

Volunteer cotton plants germinate and grow at unwanted locations like transport routes and can serve as hosts for a harmful cotton pests called cotton boll weevils. The main objective of this study was to develop a geographic information system (GIS) framework to efficiently locate volunteer cotton plants in the cotton production regions in southern Texas, thus reducing time and economic cost for their removal. A GIS network analysis tool was applied to estimate the most likely routes for cotton transportation, and a GIS model was created to identify and visualize potential areas of volunteer cotton growth. The GIS model indicated that, of the 31 counties in southern Texas that may have habitat for volunteer cotton, Hidalgo, Cameron, Nueces, and San Patricio are the counties at the greatest risk. Moreover, a method based on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remote sensing was proposed to detect the precise locations of volunteer cotton plants in potential areas for their subsequent removal. In this study, a UAV was used to scan limited samples of potential volunteer cotton growth areas identified with the GIS model. The results indicated that UAV remote sensing coupled with the proposed image analysis methods could accurately identify the precise locations of volunteer cotton and could potentially assist in the elimination of volunteer cotton along transport routes.

Biology of Anthonomus testaceosquamosus Linell, 1897 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae): A New Pest of Tropical Hibiscus.

Simple SummaryAlthough native to northeastern Mexico and southern Texas, the hibiscus bud weevil (HBW), Anthonomus testaceosquamosus Linell 1897, was recently discovered infesting hibiscus in south Florida in 2017. During outbreak events, HBW feeding on hibiscus buds has been found to significantly affect the marketability of the crop. Therefore, it is vital that an integrated pest management (IPM) program be developed for this pest in order to mitigate the economic loss to the hibiscus industry of south Florida. However, a comprehensive understanding of the HBW’s biology is critical to the development of such a program. In this study, we sought to determine how temperature and diet affect the life history of the HBW. Four temperatures were tested 10, 15, 27 and 34 °C. Life cycle completion was found to only occur at 27 °C, but weevils developed equally as fast on hibiscus buds as on an artificial diet. Adult HBW could survive solely on pollen, but reproduction did not occur. Without water at 27 °C, HBW survived for ≈15 days; survival times reached nearly 30 days when water was accessible. Our results suggest that if left unmanaged, the HBW may cause significant economic damage to the hibiscus industry. We provide a foundation for future research endeavors that aim to better manage this weevil in south Florida. Originating in northeastern Mexico and southern Texas, the hibiscus bud weevil (HBW), Anthonomus testaceosquamosus Linell 1897, was discovered infesting China rose hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L.) in south Florida in May 2017. Although the biologies of the congeneric boll weevil, A. grandis Boheman 1843, and pepper weevil, A. eugenii Cano 1894 are well documented, no data are available regarding the biology of HBW. Here, we present a comprehensive study on the biology of this pest when reared at 10, 15, 27 and 34 °C and on different food sources. This weevil has three larval instars and its life cycle was completed only at 27 ± 1 °C. Weevil development was similar on an artificial diet when compared with a diet of hibiscus buds. Adult HBW could survive solely on pollen, but reproduction did not occur. Without water, HBW survived for ≈15 days; survival times reached nearly 30 days when water was accessible. Our results suggest that if left unmanaged, HBW has the potential to cause significant economic damage to the hibiscus industry. Given that a comprehensive understanding of a pest’s biology is critical for development of effective integrated pest management, our results provide a foundation for future research endeavors to mitigate the impact of this weevil in south Florida.

Brazilian invasion and dispersion routes of the cotton boll weevil

AbstractThe cotton boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is the major insect pest of cotton in the Americas. Although the demographic and dispersion patterns of the cotton boll weevil in the USA and Mexico were well characterized, in Brazil the information is scarce and does not include the main cotton‐producing regions of the country. Thus, our objective was to apply a phylogeographic approach sequencing a gene fragment of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) to estimate the genetic diversity, identify the genetic strains, and describe the dispersion routes of the cotton boll weevil in the Brazilian territory. The COI marker revealed a low genetic diversity of the cotton boll weevil with only two haplotypes in Brazil. The haplotypes are genetically related to individuals from the eastern region of the USA and Mexico, which suggests a recent invasion event in Brazil. The genetic structure of COI haplotypes indicates a low dispersion of boll weevils between north/northeast and midwest/southeast regions of Brazil. The genetic drift and low gene flow during the insect expansion explain the COI haplotype distribution. The genetic structure of the cotton boll weevil in Brazil is novel information and provides valuable insight for the design of suitable pest management practices against this key pest species in the country.

The Political Economy of Incarceration in the Cotton South, 1910–1925

A large theoretical literature in sociology connects increases in incarceration to contractions in the demand for labor. But previous research on how the labor market affects incarceration is often functionalist and seldom causal. This article estimates the effect of a shock to the southern agricultural labor market during a time when planters exerted a clear influence over whether workers or potential workers were incarcerated. From 1915 to 1920, a beetle called the boll weevil spread across the state of Georgia, causing cotton yields and the demand for agricultural workers to fall. Using archival records of incarceration in Georgia, the authors find that the boll weevil infestation increased the Black prison admission rate for property crimes by more than a third. The article describes the institutional conditions under which falling labor demand should increase incarceration, clarifies the relationship between incarceration and the economic institutions that replaced slavery, and contributes to a growing literature on incarceration and exploitation in the labor market.