Pecan Weevil Biology, Management and Control Strategies

The pecan weevil, Curculio caryae (Horn), is a major pest of pecans throughout the southeastern United States, as well as portions of Texas and Oklahoma.

In "Biology and Management of the Pecan Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)," a new article appearing in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management, scientists from Oklahoma State University and Texas A&M University describe the biology, life stages, crop injury, monitoring approaches, and primary control strategies currently used for pecan weevil in pecan.

Aimed at pecan growers extension personnel using integrated pest management (IPM) strategies, the authors describe monitoring techniques using limb Jarring, tree bands, knockdown sprays, pyramid traps, circle traps, and infestation records.

Other management considerations, such as biological control and livsestock grazing are also discussed.

Finally, suggested economic thresholds are extrapolated from several sources and the utility of current monitoring information is presented to aid in management and quarantine decisions.

The full article is available for free at http://bit.ly/xrqS3d.

The Journal of Integrated Pest Management is a peer-reviewed, open-access, extension journal covering the field of integrated pest management. It is published by the Entomological Society of America, the largest organization in the world serving the professional and scientific needs of entomologists and people in related disciplines.

Southern Insect Scientists to Meet in Little Rock

The 2012 Joint Meeting of the Southeastern and Southwestern Branches of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) will be held March 4-7, 2012 at the Peabody Hotel in Little Rock, Arkansas. Southern entomologists from New Mexico to North Carolina will meet to discuss insect pests, invasive species, insect-borne diseases, and other topics.

In addition, the two Branches will host student competitions, an awards ceremony, an Insect Photo Salon, and the Linnaean Games, a lively question-and-answer, college bowl-style competition on entomological facts played between university-sponsored student teams.

"This special joint meeting is a great opportunity to share information and network with fellow entomologists," said Norm Leppla, President of the ESA Southeastern Branch. "The meeting will have symposia on important topics and informative presentations."

Some topics that will be discussed at the meeting include:

- Insect pests of cotton, corn, soybeans, citrus, sugarcane, wheat, sorghum, vegetables, turfgrass, and ornamental plants

- Invasive species such as the spotted wing drosophila, Caribbean crazy ant, Imported fire ant, and the Formosan subterranean termite

- Biological control (using insects to control pest insects or weeds)

- Diseases transmitted by ticks

- Medical and veterinary entomology

- Transgenic crops (GMOs)

- Organic farming

- Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

"This joint meeting, the first ever for two Branches, provides a unique opportunity to meet and network with colleagues, both current and new, and to share information on entomological topics of interest across the southeastern and southwestern US," said Allen Knutson, President of the ESA Southwestern Branch.


Members of the media who would like to attend should contact Richard Levine at rlevine@entsoc.org or 301-731-4535, ext. 3009, for a press pass.

More information, including the entire program, is available at http://bit.ly/yLEmAD.

The Entomological Society of America is the largest organization in the world serving the professional and scientific needs of entomologists and people in related disciplines. Founded in 1889, ESA today has more than 6,000 members affiliated with educational institutions, health agencies, private industry, and government. Members are researchers, teachers, extension service personnel, administrators, marketing representatives, research technicians, consultants, students, and hobbyists. For more information, visit http://www.entsoc.org.

Green Beetles and Bees Hit Hartford, CT on St. Patrick's Day at BugWorld Insect Fair

Thousands of insects and a swarm of entomologists will converge on Hartford, CT for the 83rd Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America's Eastern Branch.

The meeting will include a free public program for kids and parents, “It’s a Bug’s World,” which will be held on Saturday, March 17 from 10:00am-3:00pm at the Hilton Hartford.

“It's a Bug’s World” will feature interactive displays, demonstrations, and artwork, including:

- Live insects and bug-eating reptiles and amphibians

- An "All About Honey" exhibit, and a honey tasting by the 2012 American Honey Princess

- Beetles that kill Connecticut trees, and the wasps that hunt them down

- Bed bugs and Ellie, the bed-bug scent detector dog

- Chances for kids to paint watercolor insects with a professional nature illustrator

- Presentations by the environmental science students from the Mary M. Hooker Environmental Sciences Magnet School

- Insect kites and cricket musicians

- Build-a-Bug, face painting, and balloon art

"It's a Bug's World" will coincide with the entomological society’s scientific meeting sessions, which will be held March 16-19, 2012, at the Hilton Hartford. The three-day meeting will draw entomologists from northeastern and mid-Atlantic states and several Canadian provinces, and the symposia will involve identifying and managing pests and invasive species, pollinator health and biodiversity, biological control, and several other topics. In addition, there are submitted paper and poster presentations, and student competitions.

Click here for the full program.

The Entomological Society of America (ESA) is the largest organization in the world dedicated to the science, magic, and mystery of the world’s most abundant life form -- insects. With more than 6,000 active members, the ESA helps to promote understanding of insects and solve world problems associated with them, including world hunger, disease prevention, and urban pest control. ESA is a 501c(3) not-for-profit membership society headquartered in Lanham, MD. For more information, go to http://www.entsoc.org.

For more information about "It's a Bug's World," contact the Program Organizer, Faith Kuehn, Delaware Department of Agriculture, at (302) 698-4587 or Faith.Kuehn@state.de.us. The Hilton Hartford is located at 315 Trumbull St., Hartford, CT 06103, telephone 860-728-5151.

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An Economic Analysis of Emerald Ash Borer Management Options

The emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis (Fairmaire), an invasive insect from Asia which was first found in the U.S. in the 1990s, has since spread to 15 states and is responsible for the deaths of millions of ash trees. This insect has the potentionl to kill billions more trees and to do several billions of dollars worth of damage.

In "Economic Analysis of Emerald Ash Borer Management Options," a recent study published in the Journal of Economic Entomology, the authors performed an economic analysis of management options to aid decision makers in preparing for likely future infestations. A relative economic analysis was used to compare a control option (do-nothing approach, only removing ash trees as they die) to three distinct management options: 1) preemptive removal of all ash trees over a 5 yr period, 2) preemptive removal of all ash trees and replacement with comparable nonash trees, or 3) treating the entire population of ash trees with insecticides to minimize mortality.

The results show that the retention of ash trees using insecticide treatments typically retained greater urban forest value, followed by doing nothing, which was better than preemptive removal and replacement.

Preemptive removal without tree replacement, which was the least expensive management option, also provided the lowest net urban forest value over the 20-year simulation.

The authors conclude that communities can prepare for emerald ash borer and attempt to minimize a significant loss in canopy in a narrow window of time through the treatment of ash, the preemptive replacement (underplanting) of nonash before ash trees die, the removal of the worst condition ash first, and the development of an emerald ash borer management plan in advance.

The full article (DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1603/EC11130) is available at http://bit.ly/wucFev.

The Journal of Economic Entomology is published by the Entomological Society of America, the largest organization in the world serving the professional and scientific needs of entomologists and people in related disciplines.

Can Indigenous Insects Be Used Against the Light Brown Apple Moth?

The light brown apple moth (LBAM), Epiphyas postvittana (Walker), an invasive insect from Australia, was found in California in 2006. The LBAM feeds on apples, pears, stonefruits, citrus, grapes, berries and many other plants. A native of Australia, it has been found in California since 2007. The California Department of Food and Agriculture has spent more than $70 million in CDFA and USDA funds to eradicate the LBAM, and estimates that failure to eradicate it could cost California growers over $133 million per year.

In "Light Brown Apple Moth in California: A Diversity of Host Plants and Indigenous Parasitoids," a new study published in Environmental Entomology, the authors surveyed plants that were especially susceptible to LBAM infestations in order to find suitable insect parasitoids to be used as biocontrol agents to control the LBAM.

Twelve primary parasitoid species and two hyperparasitoids were then reared. The most common were the egg parasitoid Trichogramma fasciatum (Perkins), the larval parasitoids Meteorus ictericus Nees, and Enytus eureka (Ashmead), and the pupal parasitoid Pediobius ni Peck. Meteorus ictericus accounted for more than 80% of the larval parasitoids, and was recovered from larvae collected on 39 plant species. Across all samples, mean parasitism was 84.4% for eggs, 43.6% for larvae, and 57.5% for pupae.

The results show that resident parasitoids may already be contributing to the suppression of LBAM populations in California, at least on the host plant species monitored in the surveys. Further work may show whether adequate suppression of LBAM can be achieved by resident parasitoids present in the urban environments of California or whether introductions of specialized parasitoid species from Australia would aid in the future management of this new invader.

As the LBAM expands its range in California, the authors suggest that additional parasitoid species will be found using this pest as a novel host and that further studies will better elucidate the levels of pest suppression and help to determine the need for classical biological controls, as well as targeting those natural enemies that might best fit into the parasitoid assemblage already present in California.

Click here for the full Environmental Entomology article.

Environmental Entomology is published by the Entomological Society of America, the largest organization in the world serving the professional and scientific needs of entomologists and people in related disciplines.

Best Management Practices for Invasive Crane Flies in Northeastern United States Sod Production

A new study recently published in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management (JIPM) explains the best management practices for consideration and adoption by sod producers in the northeastern U.S.

Two species of crane flies have become established across portions of northeastern United States and present an economic concern to the production sod industry. The infestation of production fields poses a threat to the quality of the developing sod product as well as a conduit for human-mediated range expansion of an invasive species. As the unintentional transport of larvae in shipments of sod is a major repercussion, much of the burden from invasive crane fly establishments may fall on the consumer.

In the article "Best Management Practices for Invasive Crane Flies in Northeastern United States Sod Production," the JIPM authors discuss the crane fly's life history and ecology as a key element to recognizing and locating infestations in production fields.

They then explain the scientific rationale behind their recommendations for interventions with respect to basic Integrated Pest Management (IPM) elements (monitoring populations, damage thresholds, cultural management, chemical and biological control).

Their recommendations are further summarized in a checklist with respect to sod production cycle (preharvest, harvest, postharvest). The goal of these practices is the prevention of in-field infestations, the protection of developing sod, the assurance of crane fly-free shipments, and the safeguarding of commercial customers.

Click here for the full article, available for free.

The Journal of Integrated Pest Management is a peer-reviewed, open-access, extension journal covering the field of integrated pest management. It is published by the Entomological Society of America, the largest organization in the world serving the professional and scientific needs of entomologists and people in related disciplines.

New Discover Entomology Brochure Available Now

Discover Entomology is a 12-page, color brochure that was written for students from grades 6-12 (see pricing information below).

Discover Entomology explains why studying insects is important for agriculture, medicine, forestry, veterinary medicine, human health, criminology, ecology, and other topics.

Discover Entomology can be downloaded for free by clicking here.

Or it can be purchased in the following increments (prices include shipping within the U.S.):

50 copies ................... $15.00
100 copies ................. $29.00
200 copies ................. $51.00
300 copies ................. $71.00
450 copies ................. $101.00
600 copies ................. $135.00

To order Discover Entomology brochures through our Online Bookstore, click here to log in to your ESA account or to create a new one.

If you have any problems or questions, write to pubs@entsoc.org or call 301-731-4535, ext 3009.

IPM Decreased Pesticide Use in University of Florida Housing

A new study recently published in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management (JIPM) shows that from 2003 to 2008, the use of insecticide active ingredients was reduced by about 90% in University of Florida housing buildings after an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program was implemented.

IPM is a systematic approach to managing pests based on long-term prevention or suppression by a variety of methods that are cost effective and minimize risks to human health and the environment. The goal of urban IPM is to manage pests primarily by prevention and elimination of their access to food, water and harborages, along with changing human behavior. Low-risk insecticides are used only when necessary.

In their article "Advancement of Integrated Pest Management in University Housing," the JIPM authors found that the IPM program helped to virtually eliminate the use of hydramethylnon, borate, desiccants, organophosphates, fipronil, and pyrethroids, and they conclude that further IPM advancements can be made by increasing resident education, technician training, and the level of pest preventative inspection and maintenance.

The full study is available at http://bit.ly/ACHgth.

The Journal of Integrated Pest Management (http://bit.ly/fCMnJW) is a peer-reviewed, open-access, extension journal covering the field of integrated pest management. It is published by the Entomological Society of America, the largest organization in the world serving the professional and scientific needs of entomologists and people in related disciplines.

Contacts:

Dr. Norman C. Leppla, BCE
University of Florida
Phone: (352) 273-3951
ncleppla@ifas.ufl.edu

Kevyn J. Juneau
Michigan Tech University
Phone: (518) 578-5329
kjjuneau@mtu.edu