Insect Pests In Orchards Research Articles

Occurrence status of three major insect pests in orchards in Chungbuk province from 2021 to 2022

Occurrence status of three major insect pests in orchards in Chungbuk province from 2021 to 2022

1-Octanol emitted by Oecophylla smaragdina weaver ants repels and deters oviposition in Queensland fruit fly

Humans have used weaver ants, Oecophylla smaragdina, as biological control agents to control insect pests in orchards for many centuries. Over recent decades, the effectiveness of weaver ants as biological control agents has been attributed in part to deterrent and oviposition inhibiting effects of kairomones produced by the ants, but the chemical identity of these kairomones has remained unknown. We have identified the kairomone responsible for deterrence and oviposition inhibition by O. smaragdina, providing a significant advance in understanding the chemical basis of their predator/prey interactions. Olfactometer assays with extracts from weaver ants demonstrated headspace volatiles to be highly repellent to Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni. Using electrophysiology and bioassays, we demonstrate that this repellence is induced by a single compound, 1-octanol. Of 16 compounds identified in O. smaragdina headspace, only 1-octanol evoked an electrophysiological response from B. tryoni antennae. Flies had greatly reduced oviposition and spent significantly less time in an olfactometer arm in the presence of 1-octanol or a synthetic blend of headspace volatiles containing 1-octanol than in the presence of a synthetic blend of headspace volatiles without 1-octanol, or clean air. Taken together, our results demonstrate that 1-octanol is the functional kairomone component of O. smaragdina headspace that explains repellence and oviposition deterrence, and is hence an important contributor to the effectiveness of these ants as biological control agents.

Sustainable Management Methods of Orchard Insect Pests

The current need for sustainable resource management is increasingly urgent, as demand for agricultural commodities is rising rapidly as the world's population grows [...].

Predatory spider fauna in fruit crops of Punjab, India along with new records

Spiders are important predatory organisms in the orchards. Keeping in view their role in the natural biological control, the present studies were conducted from May 2012 to October 2019 in orchards belonging to 21 fruit crops, viz. apple (Malus sp.), amla (Phyllanthus emblica), citrus (Citrus spp.), banana (Musa spp.), ber (Zizyphus mauritiana), fig (Ficus carica), grapes (Vitis vinifera), guava (Psidium guajava), jamun (Syzygium cumini), litchi (Litchi chinensis), loquat (Eriobotrya japonica), mango (Mangifera indica), olive (Olea europaea), papaya (Carica papaya), peach (Prunus persica), pear (Pyrus communis), plum (Prunus domestica), pomegranate (Punica granatum), phalsa (Grewia asiatica), rasbhari (Physalis peruviana) and sapota (Manilkara zapota) in 13 districts of the Punjab, India, with an objective to record the prevalence of different families of spider fauna. The study revealed the presence of several predatory spiders involved in controlling various insect-pests of fruit crops. The 43 species of spiders belonging to 23 genera and 13 families were recorded during the study. Families like Salticidae, Araneidae and Oxyopidae exhibited more diversity. Salticidae family showed maximum diversity. High genetic diversity was found in Salticidae, Araneidae, Oxyopidae and Tetragnathidae. Study highlights the importance of protecting natural predators in controlling the insect pests in orchards. Epeus flavobilineatus Doleschall, Epocilla calcarata (Karsch) (Family: Salticidae); Gasteracantha cancriformis (Linnaeus) and Neoscona punctigera (Doleschall) (Family Araneidae) are new species records for India.

Morphology of the Larva of Sphenoptera (Tropeopeltis) servistana Obenberger, 1929 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) from Erbil, Kurdistan region, Iraq

The stem borer Sphenoptera (Tropeopeltis) servistana Obenberger, 1929 is one of the most dangerous orchard insect pests in the Kurdistan region. The larvae create large diameter exit holes and tunnels which can significantly degrade the quality and quantity of horticultural and forest trees. In contrast to the adult stage little information known about the larval stage. During the survey, 50 larval samples were collected. Using dissecting, scanning electron microscope and hand sketching, the mature larvae of S. servistana were dissected then described and illustrated in details. The morphological structures across the larval body are discussed. The combined data set will contribute to a more reliable identification of the larval stage of this dangerous species in the future.

Entomopathogenic nematodes as biocontrol agents of insect pests in orchards.

Abstract Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) are increasingly being used as biological control of insect pests due to their successful biocontrol activity against various economically important insect pests. Despite the growing success of EPNs, their effective use in orchards remains rather scarce. The principal limiting factors for the practical implementation of EPNs in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programmes in orchards are their reduced control activity and persistence due to low-temperature regimes and desiccation, in particularly when applied against aboveground pest stages. However, recent advances in formulation technology, application strategy (with emphasis on improved persistence of the applied EPNs) and gradually acquired knowledge on optimal implementation strategies already have extended - and in the future most likely will further expand - the practical adoption of EPNs in pest management programmes in orchards. A successful implementation of EPNs in orchards requires that their usage fits into an IPM strategy. Interactions between EPNs and other biological or chemical control agents can be synergistic, additive or antagonistic, depending on the specific chemical and biological agents, as well as their rates and timing and host species. In this article, the most important aspects and features of EPN applications in orchards are reviewed.

Soil moisture conditions determine phenology and success of larval escape in the peach fruit moth, Carposina sasakii (Lepidoptera, Carposinidae): Implications for predicting drought effects on a diapausing insect

Global climate change is expected to alter precipitation variability and exacerbate the impact of drought on species. Diapausing insects spending most of their lifetime in soil may be particularly vulnerable to changes in precipitation and soil moisture conditions, but few studies have examined the impacts of changing precipitation variability on this group. Here we investigated this issue in the peach fruit moth Carposina sasakii, one of the most destructive insect pests in orchards in East Asia. We first tested the effects of different levels of soil moisture on the timing and success of larval escape. We then investigated how larval escape is affected by the changes in the persistence of suitable soil moisture conditions and timing of moist conditions at different post-development periods. We found that the larvae had higher escape success at moderate soil moisture levels, while the time of larval escape decreased linearly with soil moisture level. Larval escape increased with the period of suitable soil moisture, but with little impact on time of larval escape. Most larvae escaped only when suitable soil water was supplied. Larval escape success was highest when moisture was available at the intermediate post-developmental stage. Our findings help to understand how changes in patterns of drought (magnitude, persistence and termination) affect larval escape from soil, and in predicting larval escape of the overwintering generation of peach fruit moth.

The Spider 1 Fauna of Apple Trees in Central Virginia

The species composition and habitat associations of spiders were studied in one abandoned and 5 commercial apple orchards in central Virginia. Sixty-eight identifiable species were recorded from all orchards. The abandoned orchard contained 63 species while 11–17 species were found in individual commercial orchards. The Salticidae, Philodromidae, Thomisidae, Theridiidae, Anyphaenidae, and Dictynidae comprised 75–92% of the total spiders collected from each orchard. The proportions of hunting spiders found in all but one commercial orchard were similar to that found in the abandoned orchard. The many species of spiders encountered in each orchard exhibited specific habitat preferences and segregated the tree into numerous niches. Since many orchard insect pests often occupy several of these niches, different spider species may act in a complementary manner to suppress such insect pest populations.

Variation Between Samples of Fruit, and of Fruit Damages Mainly from Insect Pests, on Apple in Quebec

In May, 1958, studies on the distribution of fruit, and of fruit damages from all sources; were initiated in permanent apple orchard plots at Rougemont, Que. The object was to develop sound sampling techniques to determine, within error limits, damages to the fruit resulting from the feeding activities of orchard insect pests, and from mechanical causes, during the period apple set in early June to harvest in mid September. This is a report on variation in samples of apples, and of damages to the fruit from all sources, for the years 1958 and 1959, and on sampling recommendations.

Measures Other than Spraying for the Control of Orchard Insect Pests

Measures Other than Spraying for the Control of Orchard Insect Pests