Feeding Damage Research Articles

Artificial intelligence analysis of contributive factors in determining blackleg disease severity in canola farmlands

Canola (Brassica napus L.) production is threatened by blackleg disease caused by Leptosphaeria maculans. Disease outcome is determined by interactions among pathogens, plants, farming practices, and environmental factors. Although the gene-for-gene interactions between the pathogen and its plant host are relatively clear, how precisely the pathogen interacts with the environment and farming practices is still poorly understood, making disease forecasting challenging for commercial farmlands. In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has been successful in forecasting disease risks based on environmental factors. In this study, we evaluated two AI methods and a data augmentation method to forecast disease risk using a dataset collected from 116 farmlands in Alberta in 2021 and 2022. We first assessed a machine learning model (support vector machine or SVM) and a deep-learning model (convolutional neural network or CNN) to predict blackleg severity based on five weather variables, flea beetle damage, root maggot damage, and crop-rotation variables. Both SVM and CNN predicted the disease risk with an accuracy of over 66%. The data augmentation method did not improve model performance. Flea beetle feeding and maggot damage contribute little to the model’s performance, and omitting these data did not appear to affect the results. In contrast, crop rotation contributes substantially to model performance. The five weather variables contribute roughly equally to the model’s performance, and removing any of the individual weather variables did not impact prediction ability for both models.

Field tests of egg and larval release methods of biological control agents (Archanara neurica, Lenisa geminipuncta) for introduced Phragmites australis australis (Cav.) trin. Ex Steud

Field releases of the stem-boring moths Archanara neurica and Lenisa geminipuncta (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) as classical biological control agents for introduced Phragmites australis australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. began in Canada during 2019. Since then, we have developed and tested release methods for eggs and larvae of both agents. Experiments here include comparisons of: (1) egg survival from exposed “egg card” and protected “egg cup” release methods to assess the risk of agent predation and test mitigation strategies; (2) performance of egg cups overwintered at the release site and those placed shortly before emergence in spring to test for any potential phenological asynchrony between biological control agents and the target weed; and (3) effectiveness of egg cup and larval-inoculated stem releases at a large geographic scale across 15 field sites in southern Ontario. Egg card releases experienced high egg loss likely due to predation (∼90 % of eggs), but egg cups were successful at reducing these losses to near zero. Releasing eggs in cups during the spring made it easier to place releases near phenologically synchronized microsites, minimized the risk of damage to the egg cups, and avoided a 16 % reduction in egg hatch likely associated with desiccation. Both larval-inoculated stems and egg cups produced highly encouraging feeding damage in the first season of release, with 7.7-fold higher damage from stem larvae compared to egg cups. Overall, we recommend a combination of larval-inoculated stems and spring egg cups for the primary release strategies of A. neurica and L. geminipuncta as biological control agents of introduced Phragmites. Both methods offer protection from predation and varying degrees of control over phenological mismatches. The release of larval-inoculated stems is a more labour-intensive but highly effective method in terms of initial feeding damage whereas egg cups are a more efficient mass-release method than stems with a lower amount of initial feeding damage per agent released.

Effects of Insecticide Drench Application against Immatures of Systena frontalis in Container-grown Hydrangea paniculata

Systena frontalis (F.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), commonly referred to as the redheaded flea beetle, is a serious pest in container nurseries, as adult feeding defoliates nursery crops and affects plant salability. Because the foliar application of insecticides provides inconsistent efficacy, additional and alternative control tactics are sought to target immatures of this pest in growing media. Thus, the objective was to determine the effects of non-neonicotinoid insecticides applied as a drench to growing media on immatures of S. frontalis. In 2021 and 2022, nine active ingredients were evaluated in four trials in a Georgia nursery and at a Virginia research and extension center. If available, the maximum label rates for flea beetles or other coleopteran pests were applied once to Hydrangea paniculata Siebold containers (11.4 L, 3 gal) as a drench application. The emergence of S. frontalis adults from treated growing media and foliar feeding damage was lower for the tetraniliprole (TetrinoTM) and spinetoram + sulfoxaflor (XXpire®) treatments than for nontreated plants. Cyclaniliprole (SarisaTM) and chlorantraniliprole (Acelepryn®) suppressed S. frontalis adult eclosion with less feeding damage than the nontreated plants. Tetraniliprole, spinetoram + sulfoxaflor, and cyclaniliprole are not labeled for drench application. Dinotefuran (Safari®) effectively reduced adult emergence and feeding damage. Species used in this study: Redheaded flea beetle, Systena frontalis (F.); panicled hydrangea, Hydrangea paniculata Siebold. Chemicals used in this study: Cyantraniliprole (Mainspring®GNL), chlorantraniliprole (Acelepryn®), tetraniliprole (TetrinoTM), cyclaniliprole (SarisaTM), Spinetoram + Sulfoxaflor (XXpire®), tolfenpyrad (Apta®), Chromobacterium (Grandevo®CG), flupyradifurone (AltusTM), dinotefuran (Zylam® Liquid, Safari® 20G), and polyterpenes pinene (NuFilm® P).

Leaf defense traits of birch, beech, and oak saplings grown under two types of soil in a free-air ozone exposure system

ABSTRACT Since most leaf defense traits are derived from photosynthates, the increase of feeding damage in woody plants can be partially attributed to the recent increase in ground-surface O3 (elevated O3; eO3), which has suppressed the photosynthetic capacity of the plants. In different soil fertility conditions (fertile brown forest soil or infertile volcanic ash soil), we made research on leaf defense traits of the three species; birch (an early successional species), beech (a late successional species), and oak (an intermediate species). The results showed that except for lignin, the defensive capacity of birch leaves was reduced by eO3 as well as by a fertile soil condition. In beech as an O3-sensitive species, C/N was slightly higher in fertile soil; especially total phenolics and lignin concentrations, but increased with eO3. Therefore, carbon-nutrient balance hypothesis was not applicable in beech, which may be due to a different nutrient translocation system from birch and other trees. Oak, an O3-tolerant species, was less affected by eO3 and soil condition; C/N slightly tended to increase with eO3 due to a decrease in N. In addition, total phenolics of oak leaves tended to decrease by eO3 in infertile soil. From these results, O3 tolerance, which differs among tree species, can lead to new and altered plant-insect relationships through impact on defense functions, which can also lead to new relationships in biodiversity.

Wireworm feeding behaviours: the capacity of Hypnoidus bicolor to damage soybean under different environmental conditions

Important agricultural pests in the Canadian Prairies, wireworms are the soil-living larvae of click beetles. Several notable species are found within the Prairies, with Hypnoidus bicolor being the most ubiquitous in most parts of the region. Despite their prevalence, H. bicolor is often disregarded as a significant pest species due to their comparatively small larval sizes. However, few studies have directly assessed the capacity of wireworms to cause damage to particular crop(s), and thus far no such studies have been undertaken for H. bicolor. We therefore carried out laboratory experiments under controlled environmental conditions, with soil and wireworms transplanted from the field, to determine the capability of H. bicolor to damage soybean. As expected, wireworm damage was strongly associated with larval densities, with more severe soybean injury occurring in the presence of greater numbers of H. bicolor. Further, feeding damage to soybean by H. bicolor was greater at lower temperatures (10 °C and 20 °C) than at higher temperatures (30 °C). In terms of soil texture, soybean grown in loam and silt soils were the most susceptible to wireworm damage and those grown in clay soil were the least affected. Although the larvae are not capable of damaging soybean to the same extent as other Prairie pest species, Limonius californicus and Hypnoidus abbreviatus, in high enough densities and under ideal environmental conditions H. bicolor can significantly impact soybean growth. Overall, our study suggests that soybean is susceptible to considerable wireworm damage and H. bicolor is an under recognized pest species of this legume.

A butterfly egg-killing hypersensitive response in Brassica nigra is controlled by a single locus, PEK, containing a cluster of TIR-NBS-LRR receptor genes.

Knowledge of plant recognition of insects is largely limited to a few resistance (R) genes against sap-sucking insects. Hypersensitive response (HR) characterizes monogenic plant traits relying on R genes in several pathosystems. HR-like cell death can be triggered by eggs of cabbage white butterflies (Pieris spp.), pests of cabbage crops (Brassica spp.), reducing egg survival and representing an effective plant resistance trait before feeding damage occurs. Here, we performed genetic mapping of HR-like cell death induced by Pieris brassicae eggs in the black mustard Brassica nigra (B. nigra). We show that HR-like cell death segregates as a Mendelian trait and identified a single dominant locus on chromosome B3, named PEK (Pieris egg- killing). Eleven genes are located in an approximately 50 kb region, including a cluster of genes encoding intracellular TIR-NBS-LRR (TNL) receptor proteins. The PEK locus is highly polymorphic between the parental accessions of our mapping populations and among B. nigra reference genomes. Our study is the first one to identify a single locus potentially involved in HR-like cell death induced by insect eggs in B. nigra. Further fine-mapping, comparative genomicsand validation of the PEK locus will shed light on the role of these TNL receptors in egg-killing HR.

Status of forest remnants invaded by tradescantia (Tradescantia fluminensis Vell.) following introduction of biocontrol beetles and manual clearance after three years

ABSTRACT We compared biocontrol beetles and manual clearing of tradescantia in forest remnants invaded by tradescantia (Tradescantia fluminensis Vell.) on the agriculturally modified Hikurangi floodplain, northern New Zealand, to inform best practice in enhancing native biodiversity. Four forest remnant study sites were used: two on dairy farms and two protected in a reserve. We assessed tradescantia biomass and cover as indicators of biocontrol effectiveness in the short term, and composition and seedling establishment for effectiveness in the longer term. We found the biocontrol treatment (a combination of tradescantia beetles Neolema ogloblini, Neolema abbreviata, and Lema basicostata) was slow in reducing tradescantia biomass and had little effect in promoting regeneration of native forest species after 3 years. Beetle feeding damage was significantly higher at the biocontrol sites; however, tradescantia biomass or cover was not significantly lower. Although tradescantia biomass in the biocontrol treatment was decreasing, several more years would probably be required for beetle populations to increase and reduce biomass sufficiently to facilitate survival of native seedlings. Results between sites were variable, although dairy farm sites had overall higher nutrient status with higher total potassium levels, and lower nitrogen/phosphorus ratios, and generally higher tradescantia biomass. Manual clearing (‘handclear’) of tradescantia increased vascular species richness but was much more labour intensive and required ongoing management of resprouts. Handclear plots also had lower soil water content than control (means = 36% dry weight, 49% dry weight, respectively), a wider range of daily temperatures, and high species losses (as well as gains). Species losses were probably exacerbated by the greater environmental extremes caused by removal of the tradescantia living mulch, and the incomplete recovery of ground cover vegetation and microclimate suitable for seedling regeneration. Biodiversity benefits are likely to accrue slowly following the introduction of biocontrol agents; longer-term, these should prove more cost-effective than handclear.

Kaolin as a management alternative for insecticide-resistant navel orangeworm (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae).

The production of almonds and pistachios in California's Central Valley employs insecticides for the management of their primary pest, navel orangeworm. The pyrethroid Bifenthrin is commonly used, and now a strain of Amyelois transitella Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) (R347) obtained from Kern County almond orchards with a history of Bifenthrin use has acquired >110-fold resistance toward pyrethroids. One method to improve control is to use additives and spray adjuvants, which are applied simultaneously with an insecticide to increase coverage and/or duration of control. We tested 2 levels of the naturally occurring clay Kaolin as an additive, alone and in combination with either Bifenthrin or the diamide Chlorantraniliprole, to determine if it could reduce feeding damage and decrease survival of pyrethroid-resistant A. transitella on almonds in the laboratory and improve the efficacy of Chlorantraniliprole in the field. Larval performance was measured for the strains R347 and ALM (34.7-fold resistance compared to susceptible lab strain) reared on treated almonds. Strain R347 had 1.9-fold greater survival and caused 1.3-fold more feeding damage than strain ALM across all treatments, although both strains were susceptible to the combination of Kaolin + insecticide. Kaolin synergized Bifenthrin for R347, decreasing survival by 10.0%. Kaolin did not reduce feeding damage for either strain. When combined with insecticide, feeding damage was similar to insecticide alone, but the addition of Kaolin to the insecticide generally decreased survival more than the insecticide alone. In the field, the addition of Kaolin to Chlorantraniprole during application helped retain activity against this challenging pest.

Wireworm (Coleoptera: Elateridae) intoxication symptoms indicate the postharvest presence of broflanilide residues in soil collected from potato fields.

Wireworms are primary pests of potatoes in Canada with relatively few effective control options. Recently, a new meta-diamide insecticide, broflanilide, was registered in Canada and the United States as an in-furrow spray applied at planting that provides protection of tubers from feeding damage and dramatically reduces wireworm populations. As part of our routine screening of wireworm response to novel insecticides, we exposed wireworms (predominantly Agriotes obscurus; N=2320) to field soil collected from plots to which either bifenthrin (Capture 2EC) or broflanilide (Cimegra) had been applied at registered rates 124-145 and 314-335 days previously in 2018, 2019, and 2021. Wireworm behavioral responses were assessed using a previously developed numerical scale, and indicated residues were present in sufficient quantity in all broflanilide and most bifenthrin-treated plots to induce morbidity. Transfer of affected wireworms to untreated soil indicated morbidity was generally reversible after exposure to bifenthrin, but not after exposure to broflanilide. There was an inverse relation between wireworm size and the degree of morbidity induced by exposure to broflanilide, but not bifenthrin. Analyses of soil residues indicated readily quantifiable levels of broflanilide still present in undisturbed (not harvested) field soil 314-335 days after application. Insecticide residues in soil samples from disturbed (harvested) sections of the potato plots were lower, as was the degree of morbidity of wireworms exposed to this soil. The use of wireworms as bioindicators of insecticide residues, and the implications of insecticide persistence for wireworm management are discussed.

Characterization of Olive Fruit Damage Induced by Invasive Halyomorpha halys.

The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål), is an invasive species causing economic crop losses. This species was recently detected attacking olive fruits. The aim of this study was to characterize feeding damage. Olive samples were initially collected from a field where H. halys was reported to cause damage to olive fruits. Hence, we conducted a field trial on the Moraiolo variety using sleeve cages to test the effect of H. halys feeding pressure on olive fruit drop and evaluated the effect of feeding on fruit quality. We tested two densities of H. halys (two or eight adults/cage) at two different stages of olive development, pre- and post-pit hardening. High pressure of H. halys before pit hardening caused a significant fruit drop compared to the control. In addition, chemical analysis of damaged and infested fruits revealed higher levels of total phenols compared to healthy fruits. These findings indicate that feeding by H. halys induced a stress response in the plants that could translate in quality variations in the olive drupes.

Evaluating the impact of cultivar selection on carrot weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) damage and foliar insect pest assemblages in carrot.

Knowledge of specialty crop cultivars with resistance against insect pests is limited, and this may serve as a barrier to implementing host-plant resistance as part of an integrated pest management strategy. Carrot (Daucus carota L.) (Apiaels: Apiaceae)is a valuable specialty crop with a diversity of insect pests and cultivars that differ in physical and chemical qualities that influence insect pest preferences. To investigate the role of cultivar as a tool to reduce insect pest damage, we evaluated 7 carrot cultivars in replicated laboratory and field trials in IN and OH, USA in 2021. During June and July, we documented oviposition and feeding damage by the carrot weevil (Listronotus oregonenesis LeConte) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and used faunistic analysis to measure the abundance and diversity of foliar insect assemblages on each cultivar. We found no significant differences in oviposition and root damage across cultivars in the field, with mean cumulative egg scars ranging from 1.83 ± 1.40 in "Red Core Chantenay" to 5.17 ± 2.62 in "Cosmic Purple". However, there was a positive correlation between the cumulative number of egg scars and number of trichomes on petioles. Similarly, no-choice laboratory bioassays revealed no significant differences in mean cumulative egg scars, ranging from 5.00 ± 1.15 in "Red Core Chantenay" to 10.63 ± 1.02 in "Danvers 126". Predominant insect pests differed across cultivars, but Cicadellidae was common across all cultivars. Interestingly, only 1 beneficial insect family, Pteromalidae, was predominant across cultivars. This research highlights the impact of cultivar selection on the diversity and damage potential of insect pests in carrot production.

Performance of some new soybean genotypes against the infestation of the cotton leaf worm, Spodoptera littoralis Boisd

Cotton leaf worm, Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptra: Noctuidae) is considered one of the most destructive insect pests in Egypt. A field trail was conducted at the experimental farm of Nubaria agricultural research station, Behaira Governorate, Egypt, during 2021 and 2022 seasons to evaluate the performance of 14 new genotypes and two check varieties under the cotton leaf worn natural infestation conditions. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates. The combined results revealed that there were substantial differences across genotypes for all evaluated parameters. The genotypes (H7L39/2015, H6L49, and H6L28) were considered as more resistant ones over the resistant check variety (Giza 111) which recorded the least infestation (25.86, 27.57 and 32.14 %, respectively), with feeding damage area of 18.52, 19.58 and 18.58 %, respectively. These genotypes gave the highest leaf content of P%, K%, total phenolic compounds, yield, and its components. The correlations between infestation% and leaflet area damage% or N all were positive on one another. All other correlations, with the exception of plant height and branches no plant-1, had negative effects on one another. The results proposed that the genotypes (H7L39/2015, H6L49 and H6L28) are promising and could be planted at Nubaria region and used in the breeding programs.

Behavioral study of black sea bream Acanthopagrus schlegelii by acoustic telemetry to guide countermeasures against feeding damage to cultivated nori Neopyropia yezoensis off Kobe, Hyogo, Japan

Behavioral study of black sea bream Acanthopagrus schlegelii by acoustic telemetry to guide countermeasures against feeding damage to cultivated nori Neopyropia yezoensis off Kobe, Hyogo, Japan

Endophytic ancestors of modern leaf miners may have evolved in the Late Carboniferous.

Endophytic feeding behaviors, including stem borings and galling, have been observed in the fossil record from as early as the Devonian and involve the consumption of a variety of plant (and fungal) tissues. Historically, the exploitation of internal stem tissues through galling has been well documented as emerging during the Pennsylvanian (c. 323-299 million years ago (Ma)), replaced during the Permian by galling of foliar tissues. However, leaf mining, a foliar endophytic behavior that today is exhibited exclusively by members of the four hyperdiverse holometabolous insect orders, has been more sparsely documented, with confirmed examples dating back only to the Early Triassic (c. 252-250 Ma). Here, we describe a trace fossil on seed-fern foliage from the Rhode Island Formation of Massachusetts, USA, representing the earliest indication of a general, endophytic type of feeding damage and dating from the Middle Pennsylvanian (c. 312 Ma). Although lacking the full features of Mesozoic leaf mines, this specimen provides evidence of how endophytic mining behavior may have originated. It sheds light on the evolutionary transition to true foliar endophagy, contributes to our understanding of the behaviors of early holometabolous insects, and enhances our knowledge of macroevolutionary patterns of plant-insect interactions.

Evaluation of Wild Peanut Species and Their Allotetraploids for Resistance against Thrips and Thrips-Transmitted Tomato Spotted Wilt Orthotospovirus (TSWV).

Thrips-transmitted tomato spotted wilt orthotospovirus (TSWV) causes spotted wilt disease in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) and limits yield. Breeding programs have been developing TSWV-resistant cultivars, but availability of sources of resistance against TSWV in cultivated germplasm is extremely limited. Diploid wild Arachis species can serve as important sources of resistance, and despite ploidy barriers (cultivated peanut is tetraploid), their usage in breeding programs is now possible because of the knowledge and development of induced interspecific allotetraploid hybrids. This study screened 10 wild diploid Arachis and six induced allotetraploid genotypes via thrips-mediated TSWV transmission assays and thrips' feeding assays in the greenhouse. Three parameters were evaluated: percent TSWV infection, virus accumulation, and temporal severity of thrips feeding injury. Results indicated that the diploid A. stenosperma accession V10309 and its derivative-induced allotetraploid ValSten1 had the lowest TSWV infection incidences among the evaluated genotypes. Allotetraploid BatDur1 had the lowest thrips-inflicted damage at each week post thrips release, while diploid A. batizocoi accession K9484 and A. duranensis accession V14167 had reduced feeding damage one week post thrips release, and diploids A. valida accession GK30011 and A. batizocoi had reduced feeding damage three weeks post thrips releasethan the others. Overall, plausible TSWV resistance in diploid species and their allotetraploid hybrids was characterized by reduced percent TSWV infection, virus accumulation, and feeding severity. Furthermore, a few diploids and tetraploid hybrids displayed antibiosis against thrips. These results document evidence for resistance against TSWV and thrips in wild diploid Arachis species and peanut-compatible-induced allotetraploids.

Growing media is the major source of damaging population of Systena frontalis (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in ornamental plant nurseries.

Systena frontalis (F.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is a serious pest of ornamental shrubs in containerized ornamental plant nurseries in the central and eastern United States. Adult S. frontalis cause numerous shot holes on foliage, rendering ornamental plants unmarketable. Growing media in plant containers is an overwintering site of S. frontalis, but the extent to which adults emerging from the growing media can damage the plants is unclear. Experiments were conducted on panicled hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata Siebold) in Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia nurseries in the spring of 2021 and 2022 to answer this question. The treatments were (i) canopy caged, (ii) whole-plant caged, and (iii) noncaged hydrangea plants. In all 3 states, beetle abundance and feeding damage found on caged (whole plant) and noncaged plants were significantly greater than those on plants where only the canopy was caged. In most sites and years, beetle abundance and feeding damage were not significantly different between the noncaged plants and those where the canopy and containers were caged, suggesting that the majority of S. frontalis emerged from the growing media and the majority of damage suffered by the hydrangea plants were caused by beetles emerging from the containers. Because growing media contributed to a significant proportion of the S. frontalis population in a nursery, treatment targeting larvae in the growing media should be a critical component of a holistic management plan against S. frontalis.

Susceptibility of Eucalyptus trees to defoliation by the Eucalyptus snout beetle, Gonipterus sp. n. 2, is enhanced by high foliar contents of 1,8-cineole, oxalic acidand sucrose and low contents of palmitic and shikimic acid.

Gonipterus sp. n. 2 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) is an invasive, commercially important weevil that causes large-scale defoliation of Eucalyptus trees. The weevil specifically feeds on young leaves and new shoots, thus reducing tree growth. The weevil displays a very strong preference for certain Eucalyptus genotypes, however, this behaviour and the chemistry underlying it is poorly understood, thereby complicating the selection of resistant trees. To elucidate the feeding preference of Gonipterus sp. n. 2, we assessed the relative levels of susceptibility of 62 Eucalyptus genotypes from 23 species using a laboratory choice assay. This revealed large intraspecific variation in susceptibility to weevil feeding, which for certain species, exceeded the interspecific variation. A semiquantitative metabolite profile analysis on 13 genotypes revealed strong correlations of 10 metabolites to feeding damage. The behavioural effects of the identified compounds were assessed through an in vitro feeding preference assay using artificial diets as well as under field conditions. This revealed three phagostimulants (1,8-cineole, oxalic acidand sucrose) and two feeding deterrent compounds (shikimic acid and palmitic acid) for Gonipterus sp. n. 2. These chemical markers can be applied to tree breeding programmes for the selection of resistant genotypes to reduce damage caused by Gonipterus weevils.

Transgenic cotton expressing Mpp51Aa2 does not adversely impact beneficial non-target hemiptera in the field

The modified Mpp51Aa2 (previously Cry51Aa2.834_16) insecticidal crystal protein derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) protects against feeding damage caused by targeted hemipteran and thysanopteran pests, and was transformed in cotton to produce the MON 88702 cotton event. As part of an ecological risk assessment, we evaluated the relative impact of MON 88702 on the abundance of predatory Hemiptera, compared to a conventional control. Field trials were established in 2018 at six sites within cotton production regions of the U.S. Specific arthropod populations in MON 88702 and its conventional control (DP393), grown under different insecticide regimes within a randomized complete block design, were assessed at each field site. Arthropod samples were collected 10 times, starting at early squaring and weekly thereafter, over the course of the season at each site, using vertical beat sheets, sweep nets and visual counts. Across the sites, no significant differences were detected in abundance of predatory Hemiptera (Orius spp., Geocoris spp., Nabis spp., and Zelus spp.) between unsprayed MON 88702 and the unsprayed conventional control. In contrast, a broad-spectrum insecticide treatment significantly reduced the abundance of these and other taxa. Consistent with laboratory studies, the lack of differences between unsprayed MON 88702 and the unsprayed control indicates that the cultivation of MON 88702 is unlikely to adversely impact the predatory function associated with these beneficial Hemiptera in the cotton agro ecosystem.

Otiorhynchus armadillo (Rossi, 1792) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae): a new record and a new pest in Anatolian part of Turkey

With the present study Otiorhynchus armadillo (Rossi, 1792), which is one of several noxious species in Europe, and is first recorded from Anatolia (the Asian part of Turkey) as well as the Asian Continent. The species was recently recorded from the European part of İstanbul. Important morphological features were noted, habitus, aedeagus and feeding damages of the adults on some host plants were photographed. Distribution and damage potential of this species are discussed. Otiorhynchus armadillo can be considered an important ornamental plant pest, particularly on Rosa species in the country. Unfortunately, it has a big potential being a destructive pest for the rose growing area in Isparta, which is also known as “Rose Garden of the World”.

Insect species and their abundance in sunflower and soybean seeds in warehouses in the Çukurova Region, Türkiye

Harmful insect species were investigated in soybean and sunflower seed samples mixed with weed seeds and stored for a short time in the open field in the Çukurova Region (Türkiye) including Adana, Mersin and Osmaniye Provinces in 2020. A total of 8 harmful insect species were found in the samples of stored soybean and sunflower seeds. Seeds of 12 weed species were detected in both soybean and sunflower seed samples. The red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbsts, 1797) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) was the major pest insect in both sunflower and soybean seeds. A few species of the rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (L. 1763) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), which are the primary pest of stored cereals, were recorded under outdoor conditions. No insect feeding damage was observed on the seeds of both crops and also on the seeds of the weeds. Finally, the seeds of soybean and sunflower crops which were harvested and kept outside the warehouses, for a short time, were attacked by some stored pest insects particularly Tribolium spp. This issue may create a problem, in the case that harvested crops with insects are moved into the warehouse,which has suitable temperature and moisture for the pest insects to develop and multiply.