Response of garden chafer, Phyllopertha horticola, to plant volatiles: from screening to application

Field tests were performed on a golf course and in an apple orchard to screen synthetic plant volatiles with respect to their attractiveness for the garden chafer, Phyllopertha horticola L. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), and to investigate the possible application of plant volatiles for garden chafer control. The chemicals tested were green leaf volatiles (GLV), terpenoids, and phenylpropanoids. Funnel traps baited with the GLV (Z)‐3‐hexen‐1‐ol, 1‐hexanol (Z)‐3‐hexenal, and hexanal captured more P. horticola than unbaited controls. Furthermore, traps baited with all tested floral terpenoids (i.e., geraniol, geranyl acetate, citronellol, linalool, and nerol) and phenylpropanoids (i.e., eugenol, anethol, isoeugenol, eugenyl acetate, and isoeugenyl acetate) captured more garden chafers than controls. Different dispenser types loaded once with a mixture of (Z)‐3‐hexen‐1‐ol (50%), geraniol (11.5%), eugenol (27%), and 2‐phenylethyl propionate (11.5%) attracted P. horticola over a whole flight season. A commercially available membrane dispenser had the best properties, combining the highest number of captured beetles with a low release rate. A simple modification of the trap design, i.e., a reduction of the funnel outlet diameter, significantly reduced the capture of beneficial non‐target insects (Apoidea), without influencing the number of captured garden chafers. A mass trapping experiment in the apple orchard revealed that the use of attractant traps significantly reduced the percentage of apples disfigured by feeding holes of adult garden chafers (control area: 18.9%, test area: 11.6%). The possible application of synthetic plant volatiles in mass trapping and monitoring approaches for garden chafer control is discussed.     

杭州郊区豌豆彩潜蝇的发生危害及寄生性天敌研究

豌豆彩潜蝇是豌豆、油菜及一些蔬菜的重要害虫。近年来,在杭州郊区菜区豌豆彩潜蝇的危害有加重的趋势。本通过1998－1999年的调查,对该虫的习性及寄生性天敌情况进行初步研究。     

豌豆彩潜蝇幼期各虫态的形态学研究

【目的】豌豆彩潜蝇Chromatomyia horticola (Goureau)是我国蔬菜上常见的一种重要害虫,目前尚未见该虫幼期卵到蛹各虫态形态特征的系统研究。【方法】本研究采用野外取样和室内饲养的方法收集豌豆彩潜蝇的卵、不同龄期的幼虫以及蛹,对该虫从卵期到羽化成成虫的全过程进行了详细的观察,并通过测量幼虫口钩和头咽骨的长度对幼虫龄期进行了划分。【结果】卵期观察到了豌豆彩潜蝇及其他潜蝇科昆虫中从未记述过的卵的呼吸角。利用口钩和头咽骨长度将幼虫划分为3个龄期,并对不同龄期幼虫的形态特征进行了比较和描述,确定了通过骨化结构对幼虫龄期准确鉴定和通过外部形态快速鉴定的方法。根据豌豆彩潜蝇蛹期发育的形态特征变化将蛹期划分为5个明显的发育阶段。【结论】本研究记述了豌豆彩潜蝇卵到蛹期的形态特征并对幼虫龄期进行了划分,为潜蝇幼虫和蛹的形态学及豌豆彩潜蝇生物学、生理学和防治研究提供基础。     

Wasp behavior leads to uniform parasitism of a host available only a few hours per year

The parasitoid wasp, Hyposoter horticola, parasitizes a nearlyfixed fraction of its host butterfly larvae within a host metapopulationof 300–500 local populations in a 50 x 70-km area. Weshow, through laboratory observation, that the wasp lays eggsin fully developed larvae that have not yet hatched from theegg, constraining the period of host vulnerability to severalhours out of the host's one year lifecycle. The parasitoid achievesa persistent high rate of parasitism over the entire host rangedespite the extremely limited period of host vulnerability aswell as a high rate of host population extinctions and colonizationsof new habitat patches every year. It does this in part by beingextremely mobile. In addition, we show by using a field experimentand observation of marked wasps foraging for hosts in naturalpopulations, that the wasp finds virtually all host egg clustersin the weeks before the hosts become vulnerable to parasitism,and then later returns to parasitize them. By locating the hostsbefore their vulnerability, the wasp extends the time availablefor searching from hours to weeks. After parasitizing aboutone-third of the larvae in a host cluster the wasp stops, apparentlyleaving a mark that deters further parasitism by other individuals.The result of this novel combination of mobility and local foragingbehavior is a stable population size despite an unstable hostthat is vulnerable during about one thousandth of its lifecycle.     

Revealing species-specific trophic links in soil food webs: molecular identification of scarab predators

Soil food webs are particularly important in terrestrial systems, but studying them is difficult. Here we report on the first study to apply a molecular approach to identify species-specific trophic interactions in below-ground food webs. To identify the invertebrate predator guild of the garden chafer Phyllopertha horticola (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) whose root-feeding larvae can be highly abundant in grasslands, a specific DNA marker was developed. It allowed detection of P. horticola egg and white grub meals within the gut content of Poecilus versicolor (Coleoptera, Carabidae) larvae for up to 24 h post-feeding. Soil samples from an alpine grassland revealed a diverse below-ground macro-invertebrate community with earthworms, P. horticola larvae, and centipedes as well as beetle larvae as the most abundant detritivores, herbivores, and predators, respectively. Garden chafer DNA was detected in 18.6%, 4.1%, and 4.4% of field-collected Geophilidae (n = 124), beetle larvae (n = 159), and Lithobiidae (n = 49), respectively. We conclude that most of the investigated predators actively preyed on P. horticola, as secondary predation is unlikely to be detected in below-ground systems. Moreover, scavenging most likely contributes only to a small percentage of the revealed trophic links due to the low availability of carrion. Sampling date did not influence prey detection rates, indicating that both P. horticola eggs and larvae were preyed on. Only 2.7% of the below-ground predators tested positive for earthworms, an alternative, highly abundant prey, suggesting that P. horticola represents an important prey source for centipedes and predatory beetle larvae during summer within the soil food web.     

Green leaf volatile-detecting olfactory receptor neurones display very high sensitivity and specificity in a scarab beetle

In the Japanese scarab beetle, Phyllopertha diversa, olfactory receptor neurones specific for the detection of so-called general green leaf volatiles (GLV) display a high specificity and sensitivity. Three main types of green-leaf-volatile-detecting receptor neurones specific to (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate, (E)-2-hexenal and (Z)-3-hexenol, respectively, were identified. Each type responded at a very low stimulus concentration to the key stimulus, and required at least a thousand-fold increase in concentration to respond to any of the other GLVs tested. Flower-odour-and pheromone-detecting receptor neurones were also identified. Olfactory sensilla housing plant-odour- or pheromone-detecting receptor neurones displayed clear morphological differences, and were also separated into different antennal regions.     

Efficacy of the Entomopathogenic Nematodes Heterorhabditis megidis and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora for the control of grubs (Phyllopertha horticola and Aphodius contaminatus) in Golf Course Turf

Liquid culture-produced entomopathogenic nematodes, Heterorhabditis megidis and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, were applied at 0.5 and 1.5 million dauer juveniles m-2 against Aphodius contaminatus and Phyllopertha horticola on a golf course. The reduction of A. contaminatus was found to be between 40 and 62%. P. horticola reduction reached 70% with H. megidis and 83% with H. bacteriophora. Turf damage caused by birds preying on the grubs was successfully prevented.     

Population genetics and ecological niche modelling provide insights into management strategies of the herbivorous pest Phytomyza horticola (Diptera: Agromyzidae)

Aim

Research on population genetic patterns and potential distribution dynamics can provide insights into the development of pest management strategies. Herein, we integrated population genetic analyses with the climatic niche approach to investigate spatial population genetic variations and potential geographical distribution (PGD) of the herbivorous pest Phytomyza horticola. We also analysed its population response patterns to both late Pleistocene climatic events and future climate change.

Location

China.

Methods

We analysed the patterns of genetic diversity distribution in 29 populations from 19 regions across China using three mitochondrial (COI, COII and Cytb) genes as markers. We estimated demographic histories using neutrality tests, mismatch distributions and Bayesian skyline plots. Changes in PGD were assessed using an ecological niche model.

Results

High genetic diversity was found in most populations, and the northern population exhibited higher haplotype diversity. The population genetic structure included the Tibet lineage and a large lineage comprising the remaining populations. Demographic analyses indicated that rapid population expansion occurred during the cold Last Glacial Maximum. In addition, our projections suggested that P. horticola currently has a vast PGD in China, for which the human influence index was the strongest variable. Large areas of cold northern regions were highly suitable for its survival. Under future global warming, highly suitable habitats will shift towards the higher latitudes.

Main conclusions

P. horticola is widely distributed across varied environments, which may be attributed to its high degree of genetic variation. Human activities likely facilitated the current PGD and the frequent gene flow that homogenized differentiation among most populations. In addition, P. horticola exhibits strong adaptability to cold climates and environments from the past to the future. Considering future climatic changes, prevention and control should focus on high-latitude regions, and vigilance regarding human-mediated pest dispersals and outbreaks should be maintained.     

Attraction of garden chafer, Phyllopertha horticola, to floral Japanese beetle lure

Field experiments using funnel traps were performed on a golf course to investigate the attractiveness of a floral Japanese beetle lure for adults of the garden chafer, Phyllopertha horticola, a common European turf pest. Traps baited with 10 mg of the floral lure consisting of phenylethyl propionate + eugenol + geraniol (3 : 7 : 3) captured more adult garden chafers of both sexes than non‐baited control traps. In contrast, 1,3‐dimethyl‐2,4‐(1H, 3H)‐quinazolinedione, the sex pheromone of the closely related pale‐brown chafer P. diversa, neither influenced alone nor in combination with the floral lure the behaviour of adult garden chafers. The results suggest that the floral Japanese beetle lure might be used for monitoring or control of P. horticola.