Pest Survey Research Articles

Pest survey card on Diabrotica barberi and Diabrotica virgifera zeae

This document provides the conclusions of the pest survey card that was prepared in the context of the EFSA mandate on plant pest surveillance (M-2020-0114) at the request of the European Commission. The full pest survey card for Diabrotica barberi and Diabrotica virgifera zeae is published and available online in the EFSA Plant Pest Survey Cards Gallery at the following link and will be updated whenever new information becomes available: https://efsa.europa.eu/plants/planthealth/monitoring/surveillance/diabrotica-barberi-virgifera-zeae

Pest survey card on Citrus leprosis viruses

This document provides the conclusions of the pest survey card that was prepared in the context of the EFSA mandate on plant pest surveillance (M-2020-0114) at the request of the European Commission. The full pest survey card for citrus leprosis viruses is published and available online in the EFSA Plant Pest Survey Cards Gallery at the following link and will be updated whenever new information becomes available: https://efsa.europa.eu/plants/planthealth/monitoring/surveillance/citrus-leprosis-viruses

Presence of Pseudacysta perseae (Heidemann) (Hemiptera: Tingidae) and it relate predatory mirid Stethoconus praefectus on Persea americana at Franceville, Gabon

A local pest survey was carried out at Franceville town on september 2022, within Avocado trees. The study aimed to record the avocado lace bug Pseudacysta perseae (Heidemann) (Hemiptera: Tingidae) and it impact on the host plant Persea americana L. (Lauraceae), based on recognizing and characterizing the insect pest symptoms, detecting it presence and local potential enemies. Results revalead that symptoms were observed in all parts (100%) of Franceville, with attacked trees ranging from 3.33 to 90%. The pest injury ranges from little foliage brown spots to complete tree defoliation. A predatory mirid diagnosed as Stethoconus praefectus (Distant) (Hemiptera: Miridae) was recorded feeding on the avocado lace bug P. perseae. Typical symptoms and both insect pictures were provided. Further studies are needed to highlight the pest distribution in the country and the predatory effectiveness.

Pest survey card on Beet curly top virus

This document provides the conclusions of the pest survey card that was prepared in the context of the EFSA mandate on plant pest surveillance (M-2020-0114) at the request of the European Commission. The full pest survey card for Beet curly top virus (BCTV) is published and available online in the EFSA Plant Pest Survey Cards Gallery at the following link and will be updated whenever new information becomes available: https://efsa.europa.eu/plants/planthealth/monitoring/surveillance/beet-curly-top-virus

Pest survey card on Spodoptera litura

This document provides the conclusions of the pest survey card that was prepared in the context of the EFSA mandate on plant pest surveillance (M-2020-0114) at the request of the European Commission. The full pest survey card for Spodoptera litura is published and available online in the EFSA Plant Pest Survey Cards Gallery at the following link and will be updated whenever new information becomes available: https://efsa.europa.eu/plants/planthealth/monitoring/surveillance/spodoptera-litura

Pest survey card on Bretziella fagacearum

This document provides the conclusions of the pest survey card that was prepared in the context of the EFSA mandate on plant pest surveillance (M-2020-0114) at the request of the European Commission. The full pest survey card for Bretziella fagacearum is published and available online in the EFSA Plant Pest Survey Cards Gallery at the following link and will be updated whenever new information becomes available: https://efsa.europa.eu/plants/planthealth/monitoring/surveillance/bretziella-fagacearum

Survey of insect-pests of citrus crop in Eritrea

Citrus is the main fruit crop in Eritrea with the main citrus species being orange, lemon and mandarin that are produced in 2064, 328 and 17 ha, respectively. The production and productivity of these fruit crops are affected by several pests. Citrus pest survey was conducted in major citrus growing regions of the country with the objectives to assess the type of citrus insect-pests in the different areas, study the natural enemies of the citrus pests and assess the nature of pest damage on the fruit crop. Pest assessments and counts by species were done using hand lenses under field condition and microscope in laboratory. The result of the study showed that citrus is affected by 21 different species of arthropods out of which 19 are insect species and the remaining 2 species are Acarina (mites). The insect pests cause citrus tree damage at different stage and on different parts of the tree such as leaves, stem, fruit and root. Of the 21 species, six are major pest and the remaining 15 species are minor pests. The six important pests are leaf miner, red scale, black scale, fruit fly, whitefly and red spider mites. Leaf miner, fruit fly and red spider mites were observed in all citrus production areas while the remaining three species were recorded in limited areas. Black and red scales incidence and severity were high in Hamelmalo, Elabered, Alla, and Durfo. Fruit fly is the main pest of citrus throughout the fruit producing areas of the country, threatening its production and cause 20-40 percent fruit dropping and rotting.

Nationwide Termite Pest Survey Conducted in Taiwan as a Citizen Science Project.

Information regarding the species composition and dispersal flight season of termites is crucial for termite management. The major obstacles to collecting such information are a lack of access to private buildings and shortage of workers to monitor and report on termite swarming. To overcome these difficulties, we launched a citizen science project in which members of the public and pest management professionals were invited to collect termite samples. We created the website, Taiwan Termite Identification Service, on which populace could log the collection information, and ship termite samples to our laboratory for identification. We also established a Facebook group, called the "Termite Forum," to publicize this project. A total of 3024 samples were collected from 2015 to 2020, and we identified the species of >93% of the samples. Based on 1499 samples collected from buildings, five structural termite pests were identified, and species composition in each county of Taiwan is available. According to 844 dispersal flight events, termite dispersal flight timing peak and degree of centralization were estimated using a Gaussian model. The collected data demonstrated that the invasive termite species, Coptotermes gestroi (Wasmann) (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae), continued northward expansion. The first intercepted alate of Schedorhinotermes sp. (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae) indicated that it may be a new invasive pest from Southeast Asia. This study reports on a successful case of a citizen science project where urban pest data were collected on a national scale.

Hierarchical governance in invasive species survey campaigns

Large-scale delimiting surveys are critical for detecting pest invasions and often undertaken at different governance levels. In this study, we consider two-level hierarchical planning of surveys of harmful invasive pests including a government agency with a mandate to report the spatial extent of an invasion, and regional governments (counties) concerned about the possible threat of an outbreak. The central agency plans delimiting pest surveys across multiple administrative subdivisions. Counties could participate in these surveys if funds become available. Our goal is to find the optimal levels of cooperation between the central agency and regional governments in the form of the central agency sharing funds with regional governments in a way that benefits both it and the other entities. We propose a Stackelberg game model that finds optimal levels of collaboration between two levels of government in large-scale pest survey campaigns. We apply the model to surveillance of hemlock woolly adelgid, a harmful pest of hemlock trees in Ontario, Canada. Our solutions help anticipate the underperformance of surveys conducted by regional governments because their goals do not fully align with the central agency survey objective. The methodology can be adapted to explore governance hierarchies in other regions and political jurisdictions.

Pest survey card on Tomato brown rugose fruit virus

This document provides the conclusions of the pest survey card that was prepared in the context of the EFSA mandate on plant pest surveillance (M-2020-0114) at the request of the European Commission. The full pest survey card for Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is published and available online in the EFSA Plant Pest Survey Cards Gallery at the following link and will be updated whenever new information becomes available: https://efsa.europa.eu/plants/planthealth/monitoring/surveillance/tomato-brown-rugose-fruit-virus

A DNA Extraction Method for Insects From Sticky Traps: Targeting a Low Abundance Pest, Phthorimaea absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), in Mixed Species Communities.

Invasive insects can cause catastrophic damage to ecosystems and cost billions of dollars each year due to management expenses and lost revenue. Rapid detection is an important step to prevent invasive insects from spreading, but improvements in detection capabilities are needed for bulk collections like those from sticky traps. Here we present a bulk DNA extraction method designed for the detection of Phthorimaea absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), an invasive moth that can decimate tomato crops. We test the extraction method for insect specimens on sticky traps, subjected to different temperature and humidity conditions, and among mock insect communities left in the field for up to 21 d. We find that the extraction method yielded high success (>92%) in recovering target DNA across field and lab trials, without a decline in recovery after three weeks, across all treatments. These results may have a large impact on tomato growing regions where P. absoluta is in the early stages of invasion or not yet present. The extraction method can also be used to improve detection capabilities for other bulk insect collections, especially those using sticky traps, to the benefit of pest surveys and biodiversity studies.

Pests associated with two brassicaceous oilseeds and a cover crop mix under evaluation as fallow replacements in dryland production systems of the northern Great Plains

Abstract Identifying pests associated with novel crops is important for forecasting impacts on their production and determining if they could be reservoirs of pests moving over onto cash crops. We carried out preliminary pest surveys in two bioenergy crops, carinata (Brassica carinata Alexander Braun (Brassicaceae)) and camelina (Camelina sativa (Linnaeus) Crantz (Brassicaceae)), and a cover crop mix under evaluation to replace fallow in rotations with wheat. Insect pests were sampled in each of the three crops over two years. Crucifer flea beetles, Phyllotreta cruciferae Goeze (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), dominated the pest complex associated with carinata and the cover crop mix, comprising more than 70% of the insects sampled. In contrast, the pest complex associated with camelina was dominated (40–91%) by generalist Lygus spp. (Heteroptera: Miridae). Crucifer flea beetles were 200–1000 times more abundant in carinata than in camelina, suggesting that they could be a serious pest of carinata. Camelina, in contrast, appears less likely to be attacked by, or serve as a reservoir for, crucifer flea beetles. Future work to assess feeding damage and population buildup of pests in these crops is needed to determine impacts on their production and the extent to which they may be reservoirs of canola pests over broader spatial scales.

Pest survey card on `Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia’ and its vector Hishimonus phycitis

This document provides the conclusions of the pest survey card that was prepared in the context of the EFSA mandate on plant pest surveillance (M-2020-0114) at the request of the European Commission. The full pest survey card for `Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia’ and its vector Hishimonus phycitis is published and available online in the EFSA Plant Pest Survey Cards Gallery at the following link and will be updated whenever new information becomes available: https://arcg.is/19SK8v

Pest survey card on Satsuma dwarf virus

This document provides the conclusions of the pest survey card that was prepared in the context of the EFSA mandate on plant pest surveillance (M-2020-0114) at the request of the European Commission. The full pest survey card for the Satsuma dwarf virus is published and available online in the EFSA Plant Pest Survey Cards Gallery at the following link and will be updated whenever new information becomes available: https://arcg.is/1GCW4C0

Real-time Monitoring of Temperature and Relative Humidity and Visualization of Pest Survey Data for Integrated Pest Management in Collection Storage Area

Temperature and humidity data collection using real-time sensors and data loggers was conducted for integrated pest management in the collection storage and exhibition space of the Jeongnimsaji Museum, Buyeo. The real-time temperature and humidity monitoring system collected measurement data every 30 minutes and enabled real-time confirmation of the data through a linked application. If the temperature and humidity data measured in the real-time temperature and humidity monitoring system exceeds the set range, a push notification was sent to the mobile phone of the person in charge to provide status information to establish a continuous management system. Through this, it was possible to immediately recognize and take action when the temperature range exceeded the recommended relic temperature in August. We performed data visualization on the concentration of airborne fungus in the storage area and the inflow path and density of insects. Based on the recommended criteria presented by the National Institute of Cultural Heritage, The data on the spatial and temporal concentration of airborne fungus inside the collection storage were found to be maintained at a value below the standard recommended by the National Institute of Cultural Heritage (80 CFU/m3). Also, as a result of the insect inflow survey, no insects were captured inside the storage area, and in the case of the exhibition space, insects such as Scutigera coleoptrata, Loxoblemmus arietulus, Diestrammena asynamora, Koreoniscus racovitzai were captured. Based on this, as a result of visualization according to the individual density of captured insects by area, it was confirmed that the main inflow paths of insects were the external entrance and the toilet area.

Pest survey card on Ceratocystis platani

This document provides the conclusions of the pest survey card that was prepared in the context of the EFSA mandate on plant pest surveillance (M-2020-0114) at the request of the European Commission. The full pest survey card on Ceratocystis platani is published and available online in the EFSA Plant Pest Survey Cards Gallery at the following link and will be updated whenever new information becomes available: https://arcg.is/15CyXW

Insectivorous birds are not effective pest control agents in olive groves

Although avian-mediated pest control is a significant ecosystem service with important economic implications, few experimental studies have ever documented its role in Mediterranean agroforests. Specifically, information on pest control by birds is lacking in certain permanent agroecosystems of worldwide importance such as olive groves.Here, we assess experimentally for the first time the effectiveness of insectivorous birds in controlling the two main olive-tree pests. We also explore the effects of distance to semi-natural habitat patches on avian insectivore abundance and pest control. We combined bird and pest surveys with pest damage monitoring and two field experiments (branch exclusion and plasticine models) at a regional scale.The experiments showed that birds played a negligible role as pest controllers (measured in terms of attack rates on plasticine models and controlled pest damage) in the studied olive groves; overall, pests were abundant and pest damage was high on most farms. In addition, surveys showed that insectivorous birds were more abundant and diverse in patches of semi-natural habitat, compared to the matrix of olive groves, and that proximity to semi-natural patches was not a driver of bird-driven pest control.This study experimentally demonstrates that insectivorous birds are not effective pest controllers in olive groves. The absence of patterns linking insectivorous birds’ availability and observed pest control suggests that birds are unable to exert effective control over the main olive-tree pests. This lack of biocontrol by birds is probably due to low accessibility and/or appetence for the current insectivorous groups. Habitat improvement aimed at encouraging some under-represented forager species could improve the likelihood that birds will provide this ecosystem service.

Pest survey card on Erwinia amylovora

This document provides the conclusions of the pest survey card that was prepared in the context of the EFSA mandate on plant pest surveillance (M-2020-0114) at the request of the European Commission. The full pest survey card for Erwinia amylovora is published and available online in the EFSA Plant Pest Survey Cards Gallery at the following link and will be updated whenever new information becomes available: https://arcg.is/1DSaau1

Pest survey card on Bactrocera zonata

This pest survey card was prepared in the context of the EFSA mandate on plant pest surveillance (M-2020-0114), at the request of the European Commission. Its purpose is to guide the Member States in preparing data and information for Bactrocerazonatasurveys. These are required to design statistically sound and risk-based pest surveys, in line with current international standards.Bactrocerazonatais a clearly defined taxonomic entity.Imports of fruits of Prunus speciesand several other hosts are currently subject to specific measures aiming to prevent entry ofnon-European Tephritidae.Nevertheless,the most likely introduction of B. zonatawould be via transport of infested fruit followed by gradual natural spread. Bactrocerazonatais currently absent from the EU and surveys would therefore be aimed at substantiating pest freedom. Adult trapping is the preferred survey method for the detection of B. zonata. The preferred timing for surveillance is during the summer months when abundant fruits are available from the main host plants. Bactrocerazonatais a polyphagous species that has currently been reported to attack over 50 cultivated and wild plant species. The primary host for detection surveys in the EU would be cultivated peaches and nectarines, whereas other host species should be includedin case of delimiting surveys. Bactrocerazonata is expected to be able to establish in the southern part of the EU. Identification of B. zonataat the species level requires morphological examination of adults and molecular protocols are available.

Screening of Commercially Available Satsuma (Citrus unshiu and C. reticulata) Cultivars for Their Susceptibility to Citrus Canker Caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri

Citrus canker presents major challenges in citrus production worldwide. The disease spreads and develops rapidly under conducive environmental conditions, and Louisiana’s hot and humid weather provides highly favorable conditions for citrus canker development in both commercial and backyard citrus production. Despite being considered eradicated in late 1940s, citrus canker was reconfirmed in Louisiana in 2013. Citrus is the most popular fruit tree grown commercially and in backyards in Louisiana, and satsumas dominate with 63% of total citrus acreage. The results from an annual citrus cooperative agricultural pest survey from 2014 to 2016 revealed that satsumas are highly tolerant to citrus canker with only 2.5% disease incidence, but the survey lacked information on the types of satsuma cultivar. The main objective of this study was to screen commercially available satsuma cultivars including Brown’s Select, Louisiana Early, Miho, Owari, and St. Ann for their susceptibility to citrus canker under natural field disease inoculum conditions with a goal to provide citrus growers with alternate disease management tactics. The results showed that there were significant differences in disease severity (average number of lesions per leaf) among the satsuma cultivars. Of the five satsuma cultivars, Brown’s Select and Miho consistently showed less disease severity with delayed incidence. Additionally, both Brown’s Select and Miho exhibited significantly smaller lesion size, which could lower canker inoculum production for secondary infections. This work provides Louisiana growers with scientific field-based data to make sound decisions in selecting less-susceptible satsuma cultivars for future plantings to mitigate disease spread and development in the state.