Pest Control Applications Research Articles

Control of Insect Pests and Diseases in an Ohio Fruit Farm with a Laser-guided Intelligent Sprayer

Laser-guided variable-rate intelligent spray technology is designed to significantly reduce pesticide use with a positive impact on the environment. However, there have been no reports on applying this technology to commercial fruit farms. Comparative experiments of intelligent variable-rate and conventional constant-rate spray applications for pesticide use and pest control were conducted at a fruit farm in Ohio during two consecutive growing seasons. Apple (Malus pumila), peach (Prunus persica), blueberry (Vaccinium section Cyanococcus), and black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis) were used for the tests. Pest severity of codling moth (Cydia pomonella), oriental fruit moth (Grapholitha molesta), scab (Venturia inaequalis), and powdery mildew (Podosphaera leucotricha) in apple; oriental fruit moth, brown rot (Monilinia fructicola), and powdery mildew (Podosphaera pannosa) in peach; spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii), mummy berry (Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi), and phomopsis (Phomopsis vaccinii) in blueberry; and anthracnose (Elsinoe veneta) in black raspberry were assessed. There was equal severity of pests between intelligent and conventional spray applications, whereas the intelligent spray reduced pesticide use by 58.7%, 30.6%, 47.9%, and 52.5% on average for apple, peach, blueberry, and black raspberry, respectively. These results illustrate that intelligent spray technology is more environmentally friendly than conventional standard spray technology and equally or more effective for control of insect and disease pests in fruit production.

UPA2 and ZmRAVL1: Promising targets of genetic improvement of maize plant architecture.

Maize (Zea mays ssp. mays) is a major staple crop, with the highest tonnage among cereal crops worldwide (FAO 2014). Over the past century, maize yields have increased over eight folds in the US central Corn Belt (from 1287 kg ha-1 in the 1930s to 11,084 kg ha-1 in 2017, http://www.fao.org, Duvick 2005b) due to a combination of genetic gain resulting from breeding efforts and improved management practices (such as application of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, weed and pest control, increased efficiency of harvest equipment, etc.). A major management practice that contributed to the continuous yield increase is continual increases in planting density (from 30,000 plant ha-1 or less in the 1930s to 80,000 plants ha-1 or higher in the 1980s, Duvick 2005a, 2005b). This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Synthesis, aphicidal activity and conformation of novel insect kinin analogues as potential eco-friendly insecticides.

The discovery of ecofriendly insecticides through a new strategy for aphid control is important because of the substantial resistance and unexpected eco-toxicity to honeybees caused by traditional insecticides. The insect kinins, a class of multifunctional insect neuropeptides, are considered for potential application in pest control. In our previous work we developed several series of insect kinin analogues and found a promising lead II-1 with good aphicidal activity. To seek further eco-friendly aphicides, the optimization of II-1 is carried out in this study. Fifteen novel Yaa3 modified analogues based on the lead II-1 were synthesized. The aphicidal tests indicated that IV-3, IV-5 and IV-10 exhibited significant activity against the soybean aphid Aphis glycines with LC50 values of 0.0029, 0.0072 and 0.0086 mmol L-1 , respectively, higher than that of lead II-1 and the commercial Pymetrozine. The molecular modeling results showed that analogues II-1, IV-3, IV-5, IV-7 and IV-10 formed a β-turn-like conformation, while the conformation of analogues IV-1, IV-2 and IV-9 seemed to be linear. Some structural elements favorable for the activity were proposed based on the conformation-activity relationship of the analogues. Insect kinin analogues derived from lead II-1 by modifying the hydrolysis site Yaa3 with natural, sterically hindered α- and β-amino acids showed great potential as eco-friendly insecticides. Inspiringly, the most active analogue IV-3 can be a candidate for further development. The β-turn-like conformation and the orientation of the aromatic rings of the side chain of Phe2 and Trp4 may be critical factors beneficial to activity. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Labeling of dsRNA for Fungal Uptake Detection Analysis.

Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) plays an essential role in many biological processes and has a great potential for agronomic applications in disease and pest control. A simple and effective method to monitor dsRNA uptake by fungi is crucial for the use of dsRNA as alternative fungicide. The protocol reported in this chapter describes an efficient method to detect and localize labeled dsRNA in fungal hyphae. We use the fungal Verticillium longisporum, a fungal plant pathogen that commonly infects rapeseed and other Brassica species, to explain the procedure, though we have validated the method in a broad spectrum of fungi. Hereafter we elucidate step-by-step the production, fluorescence labeling, as well as detection of dsRNA via fluorescence microscopy in fungal mycelium.

Review: Essential Oils A Viable Pest Control Alternative

Indiscriminate use of pesticides is troublesome in our environment, creating toxic soils, groundwater, ponds and lakes, and oceans. Application of chemical pest control results in the death of many insects. These toxic chemicals interrupt entire ecosystems, causing havoc on pollinators such as bees and other beneficial insects, birds and animals as well as humans. It has been estimated that about 2.5 million tons of pesticides are used on crops each year, and that the worldwide damage caused by pesticides reaches $100 billion annually. This paper summarizes the results found in the scientific literature and highlights the fact that secondary metabolites of plants are involved in the interaction with other species, primarily in the defense response of plants against pests. These secondary metabolites sometimes called botanicals represent a huge reservoir of chemical structures with pesticidal activity largely underutilized in modern times compared to the industrial scale seen with chemical pesticides. There are several advantages of botanical pesticides including fast degradation by sunlight and moisture or by detoxifying enzymes. The target-specific nature and lower phytotoxicity of these botanicals have prompted researchers to investigate more in depth the mechanisms of action and structure-activity relationship of these botanicals in order to evaluate their potential as a viable pest management system. Higher plants produce a diverse array of secondary metabolites, which include phenols, terpenes, alkaloids, lignans and their glycosides. This variety of active compounds plays a significant role in the defense mechanisms of plants, and potentially offers a more sustainable platform to develop structural prototypes in order to identify lead molecules/products that can eventually serve as new environmentally friendly pest control agents. Alternative green methods of pest control are found in essential oils as single or multi component preparations. The positive results in repellency and killing of predatory insects proved to be both safe and biodegradable and have a broad spectrum of applications with no re-entry time. Essential oil pest controls are widely used in organic pest management practices globally, and the emerging market reflects steady growth in agriculture, home and garden, equine, livestock, turf, pets and more. Moreover, new fields of business, research and development for understanding the complexities of plant-based oils and their benefits can be created.

The Enhanced and Tunable Sustained Release of Pesticides Using Activated Carbon as a Carrier.

The sustained release of pesticides improves drug utilization efficiency and reduces their adverse effects. Activated carbon (AC) is an excellent adsorbent and promising soil conditioner. It has a rich, porous structure and thus can store and gradually release drugs. In this study, three AC materials with surface areas ranging from 800–2000 m2/g were used and two types of modified activated carbons were prepared, and their capacity as drug carriers was evaluated by using 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid sodium (2,4-D sodium) as the model pesticide. The preparations were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen physical analysis, and zeta potential. The five preparations showed an enhanced and tunable sustained release of drugs. AC1, with the highest specific surface area, possesses the best drug-loading capacity, reaching 679.18 mg/g, but the lowest drug release rate of 32.31% in 96 h. PDA-AC3 has the lowest specific surface area, showing limited drug-loading ability, 82.94 mg/g, but 100% drug release within 72 h. This study suggests that activated carbon has potent applications in agricultural pest control as an inexpensive, effective, controllable, and safe pesticide carrier.

Postharvest Treatment of Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val Adults with Commercial Biopesticides

Within the context of the harmful side-effects of chemical pest control applications, the present study investigated the insecticidal effect of three commercial biopesticides, the fungal Metab (Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae) and Lecan (Lecanicillium lecanii), as well as raw zeolite, against Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), also known as the confused flour beetle. To this end, we sprayed Tribolium confusum adults with suspensions of the said biopesticides, at three different dosages (250 ppm, 500 ppm, and 1000 ppm) on Avena sativa L. and Linum usitatissimum L. hull and no hull seeds. The data were analyzed in terms of three- and four-way ANOVA model, and the overall survival was determined while using the Kaplan–Meier method. The mortality of Tribolium confusum adults was recorded and analyzed in correlation with the following parameters: dose, product (seed), days, and treatment as factors. At the end of the experiment, all of the biopesticides were effectively pathogenic, but there was variation in their effectiveness in terms of the T. confusum mortality that they caused, depending on the product (seed). The type of seed can play a role in the pathogenicity or effectiveness of the biopesticides. Additionally, our results showed that the mortality percentage was dependent on the dose and treatment of the commercial biopesticides.

Antiviral defense against Cypovirus 1 (Reoviridae) infection in the silkworm, Bombyx mori.

Recent years have shown a large increase in studies of infection of the silkworm (Bombyx mori) with Cypovirus 1 (previously designated as B. mori cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus), that causes serious damage in sericulture. Cypovirus 1 has a single-layered capsid that encapsulates a segmented double-strand RNA (dsRNA) genome which are attractive features for the establishment of a biotechnological platform for the production of specialized gene silencing agents, either as recombinant viruses or as viral-like particles with nonreplicative dsRNA cargo. For both combatting viral disease and application of Cypovirus-based pest control, however, a better understanding is needed of the innate immune response caused by Cypovirus infection of the midgut of lepidopteran larvae. Studies of deep sequencing of viral small RNAs have indicated the importance of the RNA interference pathway in the control of Cypovirus infection although many functional aspects still need to be elucidated and conclusive evidence is lacking. A considerable number of transcriptome studies were carried out that revealed a complex response that hitherto remains uncharacterized because of a dearth in functional studies. Also, the uptake mechanism of Cypovirus by the midgut cells remains unclarified because of contrasting mechanisms revealed by electron microscopy and functional studies. The field will benefit from an increase in functional studies that will depend on transgenic silkworm technology and reverse genetics systems for Cypovirus 1.

Good Governance: A Framework for Implementing Sustainable Land Management, Applied to an Agricultural Case in Northeast-Brazil

Land management needs to cope with persistent environmental and societal changes. This requires functional governance systems. The purpose of this research is to develop a good governance framework for the implementation of sustainable land management. Good governance theory is extensive, although its operationalization remains difficult. We derived a set of good governance attributes from the literature: (i) the functionality of the regulatory framework, (ii) the legitimacy and accountability of the actors, (iii) the fairness and transparency of the decision-making processes, and (iv) quality control and adaptiveness. These constitute a framework which, supported by guiding questions, facilitates the evaluation of governance attributes to assess sustainable land management practices. We applied the scheme to a case study in Northeast Brazil regarding sustainable land management where biological pest control is considered to be a biodiversity-related ecosystem service. Since its adoption often falls short of expectations, we scrutinized its governance system. First, experts answered our guiding questions, and second, we involved local stakeholders in the discussion of good governance attributes through the participatory approach of constellation analysis. Trust in agricultural consultants and issues of the practical application of pest control turned out to be crucial. The workshop participants requested a model farm to build more trust and experience. There was considerable demand for policy at the national planning level to formulate and monitor the content of the agricultural advisory program. Our conceptualized framework of good governance questions provides systematization for planning and steering the implementation of sustainable land management practices.

Evaluation of baiting fipronil-loaded silica nanocapsules against termite colonies in fields

Various pesticide nanocarriers have been developed. However, their pest-control applications remain limited in laboratories. Herein, we developed silica nanocapsules encapsulating fipronil (SNC) and their engineered form, poly(ethyleneimine)-coated SNC (SNC-PEI), based on recombinant catalytic modular protein D4S2 and used them against termite colonies Coptotermes lacteus in fields. To achieve this, an integrated biomolecular bioprocess was developed to produce D4S2 for manufacturing SNC containing fipronil with high encapsulation efficiency of approximately 97% at benign reaction conditions and at scales sufficient for the field applications. PEI coating was achieved via electrostatic interactions to yield SNC-PEI with a slower release of fipronil than SNC without coating. As a proof-of-concept, bait toxicants containing varied fipronil concentrations were formulated and exposed to nine termite mounds, aiming to prolong fipronil release hence allowing sufficient time for termites to relocate the baits into and distribute throughout the colony, and to eliminate that colony. Some baits were relocated into the mounds, but colonies were not eliminated due to several reasons. We caution others interested in producing bait toxicants to be aware of the multilevel resistance mechanisms of the Coptotermes spp. “superorganism”.

Energy usage for field operations of tobacco: A case study of some towns in OYO state

Tobacco is a valuable industrial crop with significant proportion of its world production attributed to the developing countries which is currently plagued with unstable and poor energy insufficient for farmers, this necessitates the estimation of the required energy for the field operations. These energy estimates will serve as a benchmark in the mechanization of the field operations, the energy estimates were obtained via equations for quantifying both labour and mechanized field operations using data obtained from questionnaires distributed to the farmers on 3, 10 and 25 acre farms in Igboho, Iseyin and Ago-are towns in Oyo state. The data was collated and analysed, mathematical models were generated using 6th order polynomial equations. Average energy consumed for the field operations on 3 acre farms include Ploughing, 3312.02 MJ/ha; Ridging, 704.44 MJ/ha; Nursery, 355.34 MJ/ha; Harvesting, 231.96 MJ/ha; Weeding, 171.99 MJ/ha; Fertilizer application, 77.84 MJ/ha; Planting, 66.83 MJ/ha; Pest Control, 63.01 MJ/ha and Urea application, 41.51 MJ/ha, modelled best by the equation y=2.2509x6-74.797x5+958.73x4-5913.6x3+17767x2-23145x+10313 and a R2 value of 0.6901. For 10 acre farms, average energy depleted were Ploughing 9404.03 MJ/ha; Ridging, 2688.27 MJ/ha; Nursery, 345.26 MJ/ha; Harvesting, 243.44 MJ/ha; Weeding, 80.44 MJ/ha; Pest Control, 59.55 MJ/ha; Planting, 40.24 MJ/ha; Fertilizer application, 25.78 MJ/ha and Urea application, 16.89 MJ/ha demonstrated by the equationy=-9.3107x6+308.67x5-4064.5x4+26879x3-92237x2+149450x-79960 and a R2 value of 0.9947. The average energy utilized for field operations on 25 acre farms are Ploughing, 14681.91 MJ/ha; Ridging, 6270.63 MJ/ha; Harvesting, 657.50 MJ/ha; Nursery, 366.51 MJ/ha; Planting, 80.94 MJ/ha; Weeding, 66.72 MJ/ha; Pest Control, 63.01 MJ/ha; Fertilizer application, 54.16 MJ/ha and Urea application, 35.9 MJ/ha best exhibited by the mathematical equation y=-10.378x6+355.82x5-4860.4x4+33442x3-119650x2+201900x-110813 and R2 value of 0.9988. Energy-output ratio were 4.568, 3.259 and 2.250 for 3, 10 and 25 acre farms, Energy production Efficiency were 17.51%, 24.49% and 35.56% for 3, 10 and 25 acre farms respectively while Specific Energy for the tobacco producing farms were 5.710, 4.084 and 2.812 for 3, 10 and 25 acre farms respectively.

Fungi-based biopesticides: shelf-life preservation technologies used in commercial products

Chemical pesticides have been providing the crop protection required to help satisfy the world demand for food, feed, and fiber. Biopesticides (BPs), particularly fungi-based BPs, are a promising new alternative with high biodegradability and specificity, low likelihood of resistance development, suitability for incorporation into integrated pest management practices, and practically no known health risks. However, unsuitable mass production procedures, narrow action spectra, heterogeneous performance, and short shelf life combined with legislation registry constraints, end-user resistance, and general lack of knowledge are slowing their adoption. In addition to regulatory framework revisions and improved training initiatives, thoughtfully designed formulations, improved preservation methodologies, and field test validations are needed to offer new BPs with improved efficacy and increased shelf life. This overview compiles current and novel fungi-based BP applications for crop and animal pest control with a focus on formulation approaches aiming at retaining efficacy and improving shelf life. Innovative formulation approaches, emerging pest control technologies, and BP challenges and opportunities are also included.

Proteomic Analysis of the Venom from the Ruby Ant Myrmica rubra and the Isolation of a Novel Insecticidal Decapeptide.

Ants are a biodiverse group of insects that have evolved toxic venom containing many undiscovered bioactive molecules. In this study, we found that the venom of the ruby ant Myrmica rubra is a rich source of peptides. LC-MS analysis revealed the presence of 142 different peptides varying in molecular weight, sequence length, and hydrophobicity. One of the most abundant peaks was selected for further biochemical and functional characterization. Combined Edman degradation and de novo peptide sequencing revealed the presence of a novel decapeptide (myrmicitoxin) with the amino acid sequence NH2-IDPKLLESLA-CONH2. The decapeptide was named U-MYRTX-MRArub1 and verified against a synthetic standard. The amidated peptide was tested in a synthetic form to determine the antimicrobial activity towards the bacterial pathogens and insecticidal potential against pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum). This peptide did not show antimicrobial activity but it significantly reduced the survival of aphids. It also increased the sensitivity of the aphids to two commonly used chemical insecticides (imidacloprid and methomyl). Since ant venom research is still in its infancy, the findings of this first study on venom peptides derived from M. rubra highlight these insects as an important and rich source for discovery of novel lead structures with potential application in pest control.

Preparation of Gd2O3 Hollow Nanospheres for Electrochemical Detection of Methyl Parathion

The routine analysis and detection of organophosphate pesticides (OPPs) in consumer products has become an important activity, due to organophosphate insecticides’ extensive applications in agriculture and pest control. We have prepared Gd2O3 hollow nanospheres to fabricate the modified electrode for enzyme-free detection of methyl parathion (MP), one of the most commonly used OPPs. The electrochemical responses of MP on the Gd2O3 hollow nanosphere modified glassy carbon electrode (Gd2O3/GCE) were investigated in detail. Furthermore, the current of the differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) is linear, with the MP concentration moving from 0.05 μM to 100 μM. It is demonstrated to be a sensitive and simple electrochemical method for the sensing of MP with a low detection limit (0.03 μM). The as-prepared electrode also shows a long-time stability and an acceptable selectivity. The Gd2O3/GCE is applicable for detecting MP in real samples, such as vegetables, tap water, and paddy field water, with satisfactory results. Therefore, the proposed method is promising for the routine analysis and detection of MP residues in foods and environments.

Engineering of the baculovirus expression system for optimized protein production.

Baculoviruses are arthropod-specific large circular double-stranded DNA viruses successfully used for the control of multiple insect pests. In addition to their application in pest control, baculoviruses have become a versatile and powerful eukaryotic vector for the production of large quantities of recombinant proteins for research and biomedical purposes. Since the first recombinant protein was expressed in 1983 using the baculovirus expression system (BEVS), different strategies have been developed for the generation of recombinant viruses and to increase the stability, yield, and posttranslational modifications of recombinant proteins. In this review, we summarize the main methods and elements playing a role in the BEVS emphasizing recent progresses and future developments with respect to the main aspects involved in protein production using the BEVS.

OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO PESTICIDES AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT RELATED POLICIES IN URBAN PEST CONTROL OPERATORS FROM SOUTHEAST MEXICO

Pesticides, widely used in tropical areas for controlling disease vectors, require urban pest control operator (fumigator) services. Pesticide-use and handling policies and regulations mostly relate with agricultural use according to their application in urban pest control. Our objectives included investigating use pattern, pesticide management practices, and knowledge on related policies in urban pest control of southeastern Mexico and comparing Butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) activity in these compared with a group of individuals not occupationally exposed to pesticides. We conducted cross-sectional study where all participants were male. The exposed group was integrated by 27 urban pest control operator, the non-exposed group, 26 non-sprayer subjects. A structured questionnaire was applied to participants and BuChE activity in serum was determined. Urban pest control operator had been working with pesticides for 1–17 years, mostly during summer; 67 % did not use personal protection equipment. Eighteen active ingredients were employed as pesticides; chemical groups included pyrethroids (PYR), organophosphates (OP), coumarins, phenylpyrazoles, carbamates (CAR), chloronicotinyls, and amides. Policy knowledge and application were reported for only 30 % of fumigator. BuChE activities (U/L) were similar between groups: 9,837.95 ± 1,844.46 U/L in urban pest control vs. 10,414.81 ± 1,558.42 U/L for the non-sprayer group. We suggest inclusion of additional biological markers in the evaluation of occupational exposure to pesticides, because currently, only OP and CAR are considered, while fumigators are exposed to many other pesticides. Urban pest control lacked knowledge about pesticide management and policy application requiring, hence the need for educational courses for workers and a regulations update

Molecular basis and mechanism underlying the insecticidal activity of venoms and toxins from Latrodectus spiders

Latrodectus species are among the most venomous of spiders, with abundant toxic proteinaceous components in their venomous glands and other tissues, as well as their eggs. To date, several proteinaceous toxins with insecticidal potential, including α-insectotoxin and δ-insectotoxin, two of the most potent known insecticidal toxins, have been purified and characterized by comprehensively utilizing conventional biochemical techniques. This has greatly enhanced our knowledge of the molecular basis and mechanism of action of their toxicity. Application of proteomic and transcriptomic techniques further revealed the synergistic action of multiple Latrodectus proteinaceous toxins and toxin-like components. Insecticidal toxins from Latrodectus spiders have great potential in insect pest control; however, more studies are needed to further reveal their mechanisms of action and understand their structures and properties before any practical application, for example, the insecticidal toxin-containing fusion proteins with oral activity. Here, we review current knowledge of the molecular basis and mechanism of action underlying the insecticidal activity of venoms and toxins from Latrodectus spiders, and examine their potential application in insect pest control. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Lavandula Essential Oils: A Current Review of Applications in Medicinal, Food, and Cosmetic Industries of Lavender

The global essential oil market has been steadily increasing in size over the past few years, and is estimated to reach ca. $7.5 billion USD per annum by 2018. Lavenders ( Lavandula; Lamiaceae) contribute significantly to this market, yielding ca. 1500 tons of essential oils which are primarily used in cosmetics, personal care products, and medicines. Recent literature indicates that these oils may also have applications in food preservation and pest control, among others. The medicinal and pharmaceutical properties of lavenders are chiefly due their essential oils, in particular the major essential oil constituents linalool and linalyl acetate, although certain activities have been attributed to the phenolic compounds. In addition, there is evidence that the major and minor essential oil constituents act synergistically to provide various biological effects. A substantial amount of current research focuses on evaluating the biological activities of lavender essential oils for potential use in traditional and complementary medicine, food systems, cosmetic and fragrance formulations, and insect control products. This review examines recent progress in these areas, and highlights the current and future implications for these economically and medicinally valuable plants.

Functional analysis of eight chitinase genes in rice stem borer and their potential application in pest control

Insect chitinases participate in numerous physiological processes such as nutrition, parasitism, morphogenesis and immunity. These properties make chitinases good targets for pest control. Rice striped stem borer (SSB), Chilo suppressalis Walker, is one of the most destructive pests of rice causing huge yield losses. In our previous work, we reported the identification of 12 SSB chitinase (CsCht) genes, and studied the functions of CsCht1 to 4. Here, we have extended our study to investigate the expression patterns and functions of CsCht5 to 12. All eight chitinase genes displayed distinct temporospatial expression profiles. We looked at the effect of knocking down each gene at the developmental stage where highest expression was observed. Knocking down CsCht5, CsCht6 and CsCht8 resulted in high mortality and delayed development. Although silencing CsCht7, CsCht9, CsCht10, CsCht11 and CsCht12 had no apparent effect on development, knocking down CsCht10 in SSB individuals that were simultaneously treated with Beauveria bassiana (Bb84) led to higher mortality rates and quicker death, suggesting CsCht10 has an essential role in protecting SSB from exogenous microorganisms. In summary, we elucidated the functions of eight SSB chitinase genes and found that CsCht10 could be a good candidate for pest control.

Life-history changes in the cold tolerance of the two-spot spider mite Tetranychus urticae: applications in pest control and establishment risk assessment.

Lethal time50 (LTime50) and lethal temp (LTemp50) are commonly used laboratory indices of arthropod cold tolerance, with the former often being employed to predict winter survival in the field. In the present study, we compare the cold tolerance of different life‐history stages (nondiapausing and diapausing females, as well as males and juveniles) of a major agricultural pest: the two‐spot spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acarina: Tetranychidae). Diapausing females from European populations of this species are shown to be freeze avoiding, supercooling to −23.6 ± 0.37 °C and with an LTemp50 of −23.2 °C. However, nondiapausing females [supercooling point (SCP) –19.1 ± 0.49 °C, LTemp50 –14.32 °C], males (SCP –21.27 ± 0.52 °C, LTemp50 –16 °C) and juveniles (SCP –25.34 ± 0.29 °C, LTemp50 –18.3 °C) are subclassified as strongly chill tolerant juveniles. LTime50 is 148.3 days for non‐acclimated diapausing females, whereas nondiapausing females, males and juveniles reach 50% mortality by 21.7 days. When individuals are acclimated at 10 °C for a period of 7 days, no effect is found. Cold tolerance is suggested to be a major contributor to the successful spread of T. urticae across temperate countries, although it is dependent on a diapause trait, suggesting a potential target for control. Winter field trial data from diapausing females indicate that LTime50 is a reliable indicator of winter survival even within diapause, supporting the use of these indices as a valuable component within environmental niche models for the prediction of future pest invasions.