Diapause status of females affects attraction of male pear psylla, Cacopsylla pyricola, to volatiles from female-infested pear shoots

A companion study showed that male pear psylla, Cacopsylla pyricola (Förster) (Homoptera: Psyllidae) were attracted to volatiles from pear shoots infested with post-diapause females. The present study compared the behavioral response of males to diapause and post-diapause females. Assays were done using a Y-tube olfactometer. We collected male and female winterform psylla from pear orchards at regular intervals between late October (early diapause) and late February (post-diapause). Female-infested shoots were not attractive to males until the February samples, coinciding with ovarian maturation and onset of mating in the field. A second set of assays was done in which we manipulated diapause status in the laboratory either by exposing psylla to a long-day photoperiod or by treating insects with an insect growth regulator, fenoxycarb. In the photoperiod experiments, both short-day and long-day males preferentially selected long-day (post-diapause) females over short-day (diapause) females. Fenoxycarb-treated males preferred fenoxycarb-treated (post-diapause) females over untreated (diapause) females; untreated males showed no preferences. Results support observations made elsewhere that male winterform pear psylla perceive and are attracted to volatile odors associated with pear shoots infested with post-diapause females.     

The Role of Chemical Cues in Host and Mate Location in the Pear Psylla Cacopsylla bidens (Homoptera: Psyllidae)

Chemical communication was shown to play a role in the pear psylla, Cacopsylla bidens. Electrophysiological (EAG) and behavioral responses were investigated in males and females pear psylla . Males were found to be attracted to females, and especially to those on host plants, but not to males, uninfested host plants, or plants infested with conspecific larvae. On the other hand, females were not attracted to males or females but displayed some attraction to host plants. Furthermore, females showed a preference for uninfested pear versus plants infested with conspecific larvae. The antennae of males gave highest electroantenographic response to volatiles from pears infested with females but not males, while females, responded also toward the volatiles of pear alone. These results indicate that females of C. bidens emit sex pheromones that are attractive to the males and suggest that, host volatiles may play a role in host selection by pear psylla females.     

Attraction of male winterform pear psylla to female-produced volatiles and to female extracts and evidence of male–male repellency

Pear psylla, Cacopsylla pyricola (Förster) (Homoptera: Psyllidae), is a major pest of commercial pears in North America and Europe. Olfactometer trials have shown that males of both the summer and winter morphotype are attracted to female-infested host material. Additional work with the summer morphotype has shown that males are attracted to females even in the absence of the host plant, which is evidence that female C. pyricola produce a volatile sex attractant. Here, we describe similar results with the winterform, confirming for this morphotype that the female psylla rather than the infested host material is the source of the attractant. Male winterforms displayed attraction to odors from live females in the absence of the host plant, freshly killed females, and female whole body extracts. The female whole body extracts were at least as attractive as a comparable number of live females, suggesting that we were successful at extracting the components of the attractant with this procedure. All previous olfactometer trials with C. pyricola used the insect as the attractant source; the current study is the first to demonstrate that volatile chemicals isolated from the female insect were attractive to male conspecifics. Winterform males were also assayed to odors produced by conspecific males. We found that male psylla avoided volatile odors from live males, freshly killed males, or whole body extracts of males. To our knowledge, these results are the first indication that males of any member of the Psyllidae avoid odors associated with conspecific males.     

Interplant movement by pear psylla (Homoptera: Psyllidae): Effects of sex ratio and reproductive status

Sticky trap catch of pear psylla,Cacopsylla pyricola Foerster, is male biased during the reproductive generations, but not the diapausing generation. In cage studies, we monitored movement by male and female pear psylla between host plants, and tested whether reproductive and diapausing psylla exhibit similar rates of movement. We also experimentally varied sex ratio to determine whether sex ratio affected movement. Male-biased sex ratios prompted increased movement off of the original host by male psylla of the reproductive generations; no such effect was noted for diapausing insects. We interpret these results to indicate that male movements increased under male-biased conditions due to mate-searching activities. There was also evidence in two experiments that severely male-biased sex ratios prompted movement off of the original host plant by reproductive females; this effect may have been due to harassment of ovipositing females by males.     

Prey Habitat Location by the Cassava Mealybug Predator Exochomus flaviventris: Olfactory Responses to Odor of Plant, Mealybug, Plant–Mealybug Complex, and Plant–Mealybug–Natural Enemy Complex

Exochomus flaviventris Mader is considered to be the most active predator of the cassava mealybug Phenacoccus manihoti Matile–Ferrero in Central Africa. The response of experienced gravid female coccinellids to the odor of cassava plant (var. Zanaga), unparasitized mealybugs, plant–mealybug complex with or without feeding prey (parasitized or not), and plant–mealybug complex with or without conspecific coccinellids was investigated in a Y-tube olfactometer. The odor of uninfested cassava plants was not more attractive than clean air. Dual-choice tests revealed that mealybug-infested plants were preferred to mealybugs alone and mealybug-damaged plants and were the major sources of volatiles that attract females coccinellids to the microhabitat of its prey. The emission of volatile chemicals did not appear to be limited to the infested parts of the plant but did occur systemically throughout the plant. The presence of conspecific coccinellid larvae or adult males did not modify the attractiveness of the mealybug-infested plants. However, when an infested plant with conspecific predator females (alone or with conspecific males) was compared to an infested plant or infested plant with conspecific males, E. flaviventris females showed a preference for the last two sources of odor. The uninfested plant with conspecific males was also preferred to the uninfested plant with conspecific females. In addition, the odor of conspecific males was preferred over that of conspecific females. Female predators preferred the plant infested with unparasitized mealybugs over the plant infested with mealybugs previously parasitized. These results showed that E. flaviventris females use herbivore-induced plant volatiles during foraging and can detect via olfaction the presence of conspecific gravid females and parasitized prey, thus assessing patch suitability from a distance.     

Pear transformed with a lytic peptide gene for disease control affects nontarget organism,pear psylla (Homoptera: Psyllidae)

The biology and behavior of pear psylla, Cacopsylla pyricola Foerster, on a transgenic clone of 'Bartlett' pear, Pyrus communis L., containing a synthetic antimicrobial gene, D5C1, was compared with that of a nontransgenic parental clone to determine whether there were any nontarget effects. The gene construct also contained the marker gene nptII (aminoglycoside 3'-phosphotransferase II) that encodes for antibiotic resistance to identify transformed plants. The purpose of the original transformation was to enhance pear resistance to the bacterial disease fireblight caused by Erwinia amylovora (Burr.) Winslow et al. The biology and behavior of pear psylla on a transgenic clone were compared with a nontransgenic parental pear clone in short- (< or = 7-d) and long-term (32-d) studies. Short-term studies indicated pear psylla adults preferred to settle and oviposit, and nymphs fed more and developed slightly faster, on transgenic pear compared with nontransgenic pear. In contrast, a long-term study on psylla colony development showed considerably fewer eggs, nymphs, and adults were produced on transgenic pear. Although adults reared on transgenic pear did not have weight affected, females produced fewer eggs and nymphal hatch was significantly reduced on the transgenic pear clone. Our results suggest that pear psylla biology and behavior are initially enhanced on this transgenic pear clone. However, chronic exposure of psylla populations to transformed pear plants that express the nptII marker and lytic peptide genes had detrimental effects on pear psylla reproductive biology. Field studies would be required to determine the specific effects of each gene on pear psylla biology and behavior and whether these effects would be expressed under natural conditions. The four-fold reduction in psylla population levels that resulted on this disease resistant transgenic pear line would be an added benefit to a pear integrated pest management (IPM) program. Overall, this study demonstrates that genetically altering plants to control one particular organism can have unintentional yet beneficial effects against other nontarget pest organisms in agricultural crops.     

Effects of fenoxycarb on ovarian development, spring fecundity and longevity in winterform pear psylla

The insect growth regulator fenoxycarb prompts ovarian development in diapausing winterform pear psylla, Cacopsylla pyricola (Förster) (Homoptera: Psyllidae). We applied fenoxycarb to caged psylla in September, November, and December to test whether premature ovarian development reduced overwintering survival, spring fecundity, or spring longevity. Fenoxycarb prompted ovarian development in all treated psylla, with the largest effects occurring in the September-treated insects. Recovery of live psylla in spring was 46–95% in treated insects and 72–92% in controls; overwintered insects from the fenoxycarb treatment survived field temperatures below –20°C despite having had mature ovaries. Fecundity and longevity of psylla were the same in treated and untreated insects, indicating that overwintering with mature ovaries did not cause reduced spring egglaying capacity. Several treated insects each deposited over 1900 eggs and survived more than 120 days. Due to their more advanced development, treated insects had higher oviposition rates than controls during the first 5 days after removal from the field. The largest impact on spring fitness was due to the effects of fenoxycarb on egg hatch. Eggs deposited on clean foliage by September-treated females were less likely to hatch than eggs deposited by controls, suggesting that fenoxycarb affected developing eggs within the female. Prospects for using fenoxycarb in fall to control pear psylla appear to be limited.     

Bottom-up and top-down control of pear psylla (Cacopsylla pyricola): Fertilization, plant quality, and the efficacy of the predator Anthocoris nemoralis

Herbivore population dynamics are governed both by bottom-up (plant-mediated) and by top-down (natural enemy-mediated) processes, with the potential for interaction between them. Pear psylla (Cacopsylla pyricola Foërster) is a phytophagous pest in pear orchards. Pear psylla is commonly attacked by several different natural enemies, but it may escape control, especially if fertilizer additions and new shoot production are not carefully managed. We tested the hypothesis that plant quality mediates the efficacy of an important natural enemy of pear psylla, Anthocoris nemoralis. One year-old caged Bartlett pear trees were fertilized at either low (5 mM N) or high (20 mM N) levels of nitrogen, then either psylla or psylla and Anthocoris were added to each tree. We measured plant growth, psylla population size, and Anthocoris establishment to determine effects of fertilizer and predation on psylla population dynamics. Trees receiving more N were taller, had longer total branches, a greater total number of leaves, and higher leaf nitrogen content. Psylla populations were also larger in the high N treatment. Anthocoris establishment and reproduction was positively related to the density of psylla at the time predators were added. And although psylla densities were, over-all, lower on trees where Anthocoris was present, the level to which Anthocoris suppressed psylla was not significantly affected by fertilizer level. These results indicate that the efficacy of this predator is not strongly mediated by plant quality, at least at the local (i.e. tree) scale. Minimizing fertilizer additions to the minimum level required for proper fruit set is likely to be an important feature of successful pear psylla biocontrol programs.     

越冬代梨木虱、梨二叉蚜产卵选择对子代种间竞争的影响

梨树萌芽期,越冬代梨木虱Cacopsylla chinensis和梨二叉蚜Schizaphis piricola子代共用同一食物资源,为了解其母代如何避免子代发生种间竞争,通过研究其产卵特点表明,梨二叉蚜和梨木虱在梨树枝条上的产卵位点不同。梨木虱主要在花芽枝上进行产卵,偏好于花芽芽鳞和枝条基部刻痕处产卵,以枝条基部产卵量最多,其次为顶花芽,产卵量随芽位次序依次下降,梨木虱还可在叶芽部位产卵,但数量较少;梨二叉蚜主要于叶芽枝上进行产卵,偏好在叶芽枝的第2、3芽位产卵,顶芽和枝条基部无产卵,未见梨二叉蚜在花芽部位产卵;在花芽枝上,梨木虱卵的空间生态位大于梨二叉蚜、叶芽枝上却相反,两者在梨树枝条上的产卵空间生态位呈分离状态;梨木虱和梨二叉蚜孵化的若虫数量及空间分布特点与卵一致;对梨木虱和梨二叉蚜产卵位点分析表明,其产卵位点的物理性状明显不同。本研究明确了梨木虱和梨二叉蚜母代通过不同产卵位点的选择,降低了子代种间的同位竞争。     

Effects of elicitors of host plant defenses on pear psylla,Cacopsylla pyricola

Pear psylla, Cacopsylla pyricola (Foerster) (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), is a key pest of cultivated pear [Pyrus communis L. (Rosaceae)] in North America and Europe. We examined the effects of foliar applications of three commercially available chemical elicitors of host‐plant defenses — Actigard (acibenzolar‐S‐methyl), Employ (harpin protein), and ODC (chitosan) — on survival, development, feeding, and egg laying of C. pyricola. All three defense elicitors reduced the number of nymphs present on pear (cvs. Bartlett or D'Anjou) 30 days after releasing 10 adults on the trees. Choice assays showed that females settled and oviposited on untreated trees more often than on trees treated with any of the three defense elicitors. Results of no‐choice assays confirmed that the effects of Actigard, Employ, and ODC on C. pyricola were due to activation of systemic plant responses that led to reduced oviposition preference and nymph survival. However, results did not provide evidence that plant responses to elicitors led to reduced nymphal feeding rates or development. Results of our laboratory studies suggest that commercial defense elicitors may be useful in the integrated management of pear psylla once the effects of elicitors at an ecological scale are better understood.     

Fungal pathogens for arthropod pest control in orchard systems: mycoinsecticidal approach for pear psylla control

This paper reviews the research on entomopathogenic fungi in orchard systems and presents research on a mycoinsecticidal approach to an important pest of pear, the pear psylla. The review identifies the host-pathogen relationships that have been examined to date, the microbial formulation and application strategies that have been used, and the results that were obtained. The mycoinsecticides used in the pear psylla research were based on conidia of Beauveria bassiana (ARSEF #2860) and Paecilomyces fumosoroseus (ARSEF #2658). These were formulated into sprayable solutions containing water, 0.1% or 0.5% Ultrafine Sunspray oil (paraffinic oil) in water, or 0.1% acrylic polymer (Stressguard^TM) in water. Final spray solutions that contained 6 × 10⁶ conidiospores/ml were applied to psylla nymph infested trees at a rate of 5.39 × 10¹³ conidiospores/ha during the 1993--1995 seasons. In addition, two commercial formulations of B. bassiana, GHA from Mycotech and Naturalis L from Fermone Corp., were mixed in water at the same conidiospore application rates as the other fungal isolates. Single applications of the ARSEF fungal strain/formulation combinations produced psylla nymphal mortalities that ranged from 18.2--37.1%, but the results varied with formulation. Conidia formulated with acrylic polymers in water caused significantly higher mortalities several days earlier than either the water or water and oil combination in 1993. However, no significant differences among pathogen/formulation combinations occurred in 1994 or 1995. The performance of Naturalis L was comparable to the ARSEF fungal strain/formulation combinations with peak nymphal mortalities of 34.1%, while GHA produced a significantly lower peak mortality of only 10.8%. However, because of the low conidiospore concentrations in the Naturalis L formulation, final spray solutions contained nearly 25% of the oil-like carrier. Thus, psylla mortalities may not have been entirely attributed to mycosis. Based on the results from the ARSEF fungal formulations, a mycoinsecticidal approach to pear psylla management could be a useful component in an integrated pest management program for pear.     

Synthetic Nasonov gland pheromone enhances abundance and visitation of honeybee,Apis mellifera,in Korla fragrant pear,Pyrus sinkiangensis

1. Korla fragrant pear (Pyrus sinkiangensis Yü) depends on cross-pollination by honeybees (Apis mellifera) but may suffer from low honeybee visitation.
2. We assessed whether honeybee abundance and visitation frequency are enhanced by using synthetic Nasonov gland pheromone (NGP), which is naturally produced by worker bees to stimulate the aggregation of bees to food resources or nesting sites.
3. The response of honeybees to synthetic NGP was firstly assessed using Y-tube olfactometer tests in the laboratory, and subsequently in the field, by placing NGP lures on Korla fragrant pear trees in orchards with and without beehives. Honeybee abundance was assessed using coloured pan traps while honeybee visits were assessed by visual observations on pear flowers.
4. Y-tube olfactometer tests showed a significant preference of honeybees for NGP. In pear orchards with beehives, honeybee abundance was 2.5-fold higher on trees with NGP lures than on trees without NGP, and 2.2-fold higher in orchards in which all trees contained NGP lures than in orchards without NGP lures. Such positive effects were not observed in orchards without beehives.
5. Flower visitation by honeybees was significantly higher in trees with NGP lures than without NGP lures, irrespective of the presence (5.7-fold higher) or absence of beehives (27.6-fold higher).
6. In mixed pear-apricot orchards, honeybee abundance was higher in pear trees with NGP lures than without lures.
7. Our results show that NGP lures attract honeybees to flowering pear trees in monoculture pear and mixed pear-apricot orchards, and that this effect is greatest in orchards with beehives.

     

Lekking and the small-scale distribution of the sexes in the Caribbean fruit fly,Anastrepha suspensa (Loew)

Male and female Anastrepha suspensa(Loew) had a clumped distribution in the foliage of their guava host plants. Males were no closer to other males than they were to females or than females were to other females. Flies were often found in roughly the same locations over time. However, contemporaries (flies present at the same time) were closer to each other than subsequent flies were to their predecessors. Males were more likely to be found near spots previously occupied by males than they were to spots used previously by females. Some trees had more flies than others, but there was no regional (northwest, etc.) preference within trees. Females were no more likely to be found in the vicinity of clumped (lekking) males than they were by isolated males. About a third of the females taken from inside leks had sperm in their spermathecae, and it is not clear if their motive for being in these areas was sexual. In pairs of males (within 15 cm of each other), the larger fly tends to be in a position farther up the branch, suggesting that larger males may control preferred territories. It seems possible that males attempting to intercept females accumulate in favorable microhabitats where females are likely to be concentrated and that leks have evolved from such clumping.     

Volatile compounds emitted by Triatoma dimidiata,a vector of Chagas disease: chemical analysis and behavioural evaluation

In this study, we evaluated the responses of Triatoma dimidiata Latreille (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) to volatiles emitted by conspecific females, males, mating pairs and metasternal gland (MG) extracts with a Y‐tube olfactometer. The volatile compounds released by mating pairs and MGs of T. dimidiata were identified using solid‐phase microextraction and coupled gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS). Females were not attracted to volatiles emitted by males or MG extracts; however, they preferred clean air to their own volatiles or those from mating pairs. Males were attracted to volatiles emitted by males, females, mating pairs, pairs in which the male had the MG orifices occluded or MG extracts of both sexes. However, males were not attracted to volatiles emitted by pairs in which the female had the MG orifices occluded. The chemical analyses showed that 14 and 15 compounds were detected in the headspace of mating pairs and MG, respectively. Most of the compounds identified from MG except for isobutyric acid were also detected in the headspace of mating pairs. Both females and males were attracted to octanal and 6‐methyl‐5‐hepten‐2‐one, and males were attracted to 3,5‐dimethyl‐2‐hexanol. Males but not females were attracted to a seven‐compound blend, formulated from compounds identified in attractive MG extracts.     

Comparative analysis of peach and pear fruit volatiles attractive to the oriental fruit moth,Cydia molesta

Cydia molesta is an important pest of peach and pear fruits late in growing season. We identified and quantified volatiles from immature and mature fruits of peach and pear using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Antennally, active compounds were identified by gas chromatography-electroantennogram detection and were further tested in the field. Consistent electroantennographic activity was obtained for nine compounds from headspace collections of the mature fruits of two peach and two pear varieties. Esters were the major components, but qualitative and quantitative differences were found among four odor profiles. Blends mimicking pear fruit volatiles were more attractive to both sexes than blends mimicking peach fruit volatiles in both orchards. Our finding indicated that mixtures mimicking peach and pear fruit volatiles attracted both females and males of C. molesta, and these host volatiles may also be involved in the host switch behavior from peach to pear in mid-late season.     

Female‐targeted attractant containing pear ester for Synanthedon myopaeformis

When testing pear ester (ethyl‐2,4‐decadienoate) + acetic acid (PEAA) lures to catch codling moths, Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), in Hungary, significant catches of the apple clearwing moth, Synanthedon myopaeformis (Borkhausen) (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae), were also recorded. This sesiid is one of the most important pests of apple in Europe. Pear ester plus acetic acid lures were attractive to S. myopaeformis no matter whether the two compounds were provided in separate dispensers or mixed together in a single dispenser, and a large percentage (40–80%) of the clearwing moths caught were females. In all cases, traps baited with binary combinations of PEAA caught far more than traps baited with either of the compounds presented alone. Traps with PEAA lures in some tests caught (females and males together) up to ca. 20% of the catch in traps baited with the synthetic apple clearwing moth sex attractant (all males). Consequently, the PEAA lure shows potential for future practical applications as a female‐targeted lure. To our knowledge, this is the first report of attractiveness of a lure containing pear ester for non‐tortricid Lepidoptera. Our finding suggests that the compound may be exploited as a host location stimulus by a wider array of insects than was indicated previously.     

Conditioned olfactory responses of a predatory mite, Neoseiulus womersleyi, to volatiles from prey-infested plants

To clarify the prey‐finding behavior of the predatory mite Neoseiulus womersleyi (Schicha) (Acari: Phytoseiidae), we studied its olfactory responses to volatiles from the prey‐infested plant on which the mites had been collected. We used a local N. womersleyi population called Kanaya collected from tea (Camellia sinensis L.) (Theaceae) plants infested by Tetranychus kanzawai Kishida (Acari: Tetranychidae) in Kanaya City, Japan. Neoseiulus womersleyi (Kanaya population) were more attracted to volatiles from tea plants infested with five female T. kanzawai per leaf for 7 days than to intact tea leaves in a Y‐tube olfactometer. Tetranychus kanzawai‐induced tea leaf volatiles were identified as (E)‐β‐ocimene, (E)‐4,8‐dimethyl‐1,3,7‐nonatriene, and (E,E)‐α‐farnesene. As olfactory responses are known to differ among local populations of N. womersleyi, we compared the responses of the Kanaya population with those of a Kikugawa population collected from tea plants infested by T. kanzawai in Kikugawa City. To test the influence of previous predation experience, we reared the two populations on tea plants infested by T. kanzawai or on kidney bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris) infested by Tetranychus urticae Koch. The Kanaya population was more attracted to the volatiles from infested plants on which they had been reared. Because the Kanaya population was not attracted to the plant volatiles they had not previously experienced, the positive response to previously experienced volatiles might be the result of learning. By contrast, the Kikugawa population showed no preference for previously experienced volatiles from infested plants. The implications of this flexibility in foraging behavior are discussed.     

Olfactory response of Stenotus rubrovittatus to rice and paddy weed,Scirpus juncoides

The olfactory response of the sorghum plant bug, Stenotus rubrovittatus (Matsumura) (Het., Miridae), to rice, Oryza sativa L., and paddy weed, Scirpus juncoides Roxb. var. ohwianus T. Koyama, was investigated with an olfactometer to clarify the mechanism of the invasion of the bugs in paddy fields. Both adult females and males were significantly attracted to panicles of rice in the flowering and full‐ripe stages. Whole plants (aboveground parts) of rice in the panicle‐formation stage, and stems and leaves of rice in the flowering stage significantly attracted only adult females. Other rice structures tested did not attract males or females. Both males and females were attracted to the flowering spikelets of S. juncoides. Although females showed no olfactory response to stems of S. juncoides in the flowering stage, males were repelled by them. Only females were attracted to whole plants of flowering S. juncoides. Whole plants of S. juncoides in the spikelet‐formation stage significantly attracted only females. The findings suggest that the invasions of S. rubrovittatus into paddy fields are caused by their olfactory responses to the volatiles emitted from rice and some paddy weeds such as S. juncoides.     

Seasonal variation in susceptibility of the pear psyllid,Cacopsylla permixta (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) to selected insecticides

Although Cacopsylla pyri Forster and Cacopsylla pyricola Linnaeus have long been considered as more significant pests of pear trees around the world, Cacopsylla permixta Burckhardt and Hodkinson is the most significant pest in some parts of Iran, especially in pear gardens of Karaj. Current control strategies against this pest in Iran generally involve five or six insecticide treatments each year, despite unsatisfactory results are reported at many localities. So, it is crucial to know the most susceptible generation of the pest to apply a good strategy for its control. The aim of this study was to explore the seasonal variation in susceptibility of C. permixta to four commonly used insecticides. The results showed that winter forms (February) were 2.71‐fold, 4.58‐fold, 3.26 fold and 3.38‐fold more tolerant to diazinon, imidacloprid, acetamiprid and abamectin, respectively, compared with summer forms. Also, Esterase, GST and P450 monooxygenase activity was highest during February. Moreover, the content of lipid, carbohydrate, glycogen and protein was significantly higher in February compared with other months. Based on these results, the best period for insecticide treatment for efficient control is treatment against the first generation, at the time when eggs are laid by females as well as during the egg hatching and the larvae appearance. At this time of year, psylla are more susceptible, which would likely lead to better results and the reduction in damage during the next summer. However, further studies are needed to test this in farm settings, and to whether this holds true for other psylla species.     

Sex‐specific responses of Asian citrus psyllid to volatiles of conspecific and host‐plant origin

Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) is the primary vector of Candidatus Liberibacter spp. bacteria that cause citrus greening, a disease of worldwide importance. Olfactometry was employed to test responses of D. citri to odours from intact citrus plants (Mexican lime, Citrus aurantifolia, sour orange, Citrus aurantium, Marsh grapefruit, Citrus paradisi and Valencia orange, Citrus sinensis), citrus plants previously infested with D. citri, and odours of conspecifics including nymphs, adult insects of same and opposite sex, and their products (honeydew), both alone and in combination. In contrast to other studies, psyllids of both sexes were attracted to volatiles of undamaged Mexican lime leaves, whereas undamaged grapefruit attracted only females, and leaves of Valencia and sour orange did not attract either sex. All four plant species attracted female psyllids when previously infested, but only Mexican lime and sour orange‐attracted males. Thus, Citrus species appear to vary in the production of both constituitive and induced volatiles that attract adult psyllids. Volatiles emitted by nymphs did not attract either sex, but psyllid honeydew was attractive to males, likely due to female pheromone residues. Males oriented to the odour of females, whereas the reverse was not true, and neither males nor females oriented to same‐sex volatiles. The addition of conspecific cues (adults, nymphs or honeydew) did not increase female attraction to previously infested leaves, but male response was increased by the presence of adults and honeydew, regardless of plant species. Thus, female psyllids appear to orient more strongly to volatiles of plant origin, whereas males respond more strongly to cues emanating from females and conspecific excretions. These results suggest that female psyllids drive the initial colonization of host plants, whereas males orient to females and infested plants. Identification of the specific volatiles involved may permit their use in monitoring and management of this pest.