Improved monitoring of oriental fruit moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) with terpinyl acetate plus acetic acid membrane lures

Male and female moth catches of Grapholita molesta (Busck) in traps were evaluated in stone and pome fruit orchards untreated or treated with sex pheromones for mating disruption in Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, USA, and Italy from 2015 to 2017. Trials evaluated various blends loaded into either membrane cup lures or septa. Membrane lures were loaded with terpinyl acetate (TA), acetic acid (AA) and (Z)‐3‐hexenyl acetate alone or in combinations. Two septa lures were loaded with either the three‐component sex pheromone blend for G. molesta alone or in combination with codlemone (2‐PH), the sex pheromone of Cydia pomonella (L). A third septum lure included the combination sex pheromone blend plus pear ester, (E,Z)‐2,4‐ethyl decadienoate (2‐PH/PE), and a fourth septum was loaded with only β‐ocimene. Results were consistent across geographical areas showing that the addition of β‐ocimene or (Z)‐3‐hexenyl acetate did not increase moth catches. The addition of pear ester to the sex pheromone lure marginally increased moth catches. The use of TA and AA together significantly increased moth catches compared with the use of only one of the two components. Traps with the TA/AA lure outperformed the Ajar trap baited with a liquid TA plus sugar bait. The emission rate of AA was not a significant factor affecting the performance of the TA/AA lure. The addition of TA/AA significantly increased moth catches when combined with the 2‐PH lure. The TA/AA lure also allowed traps to catch both sexes. Catch of C. pomonella with the 2‐PH lure was comparable to the use of codlemone; however, moth catch was significantly reduced with the 2‐PH/PE lure. Optimization of these complex lures can likely further improve managers’ ability to monitor G. molesta and help to develop multispecies tortricid lures for use in individual traps.     

Development of 2‐phenylethanol plus acetic acid lures to monitor obliquebanded leafroller (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) under mating disruption

We evaluated the effectiveness of 2‐phenylethanol (PET) in combination with acetic acid (AA) as a binary lure for monitoring male and female obliquebanded leafroller, Choristoneura rosaceana (Harris). Studies were conducted in apple, Malus domestica Borkhausen, orchards treated with or without sex pheromone dispensers for mating disruption (MD). Open polypropylene vials, closed membrane cups, and rubber septa loaded with AA and/or PET in varying amounts were first evaluated in a series of trapping experiments. Membrane cups loaded with 800 mg of PET were as effective as 10‐mg septa, but longer lasting, and were comparable to the open vials. A membrane cup AA lure was effective in tests, but further work is needed to increase its release rate and extend its activity. Catches of codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), and C. rosaceana were unaffected by combining PET with (E,E)‐8,10‐dodecadien‐1‐ol, the sex pheromone of codling moth, pear ester, (E,Z)‐2,4‐ethyl‐decadienoate and AA lures. Adding (E)‐4,8‐dimethyl‐1,3,7‐nonatriene to this blend to enhance codling moth catch significantly reduced catches of C. rosaceana. PET + AA was a more attractive binary lure than AA plus phenylacetonitrile (PAN) for C. rosaceana. The addition of PET or PAN to traps already baited with the sex pheromone of C. rosaceana significantly reduced male catches. Traps baited with PET + AA placed in blocks not treated with MD caught significantly fewer C. rosaceana than traps baited with sex pheromone. In comparison, sex pheromone‐baited traps in MD blocks caught ≤1 male moth per season which was significantly lower than total moth (>10) or female moth (≥3) catch in these blocks with PET + AA. A high proportion (>70%) of trapped females were mated in both untreated and MD‐treated orchards. Further refinement of this binary, bisexual lure using membrane cup technology may allow the establishment of action thresholds and improve management timings for C. rosaceana.     

Monitoring oriental fruit moth and codling moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) with combinations of pheromones and kairomones

Experiments were conducted in North and South America during 2012–2013 to evaluate the use of lure combinations of sex pheromones (PH), host plant volatiles (HPVs) and food baits in traps to capture the oriental fruit moth, Grapholita molesta (Busck), and codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), in pome and stone fruit orchards treated with sex pheromones. The combination of the sex pheromone of both species (PH combo lure) significantly increased G. molesta and marginally decreased C. pomonella captures as compared with captures of each species with either of their sex pheromones alone. The addition of a HPV combination lure [(E,Z)‐2,4‐ethyl decadienoate plus (E)‐β‐ocimene] or acetic acid used alone or together did not significantly increase the catch of either species in traps with the PH combo lure. The Ajar trap baited with terpinyl acetate and brown sugar (TAS bait) caught significantly more G. molesta than the delta trap baited with PH combo plus acetic acid in California during 2012. The addition of a PH combo lure to an Ajar trap significantly increased catches of G. molesta compared to the use of the TAS bait or PH combo lure alone in 2013. Female G. molesta were caught in TAS‐baited Ajar traps at similar levels with or without the use of additional lures. Ajar traps baited with the TAS bait alone or with (E)‐β‐ocimene and/or PH combo lures caught significantly fewer C. pomonella than delta traps with sex pheromone alone. Ajar traps with 6.4‐mm screened flaps caught similar numbers of total and female G. molesta as similarly baited open Ajar traps, and with a significant reduction in the catch of non‐targets. Broader testing of HPV and PH combo lures for G. molesta in either delta or screened or open Ajar traps is warranted.     

Species spectrum of flea beetles (Phyllotreta spp., Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) attracted to allyl isothiocyanate-baited traps

In field tests in Hungary, Slovenia and Bulgaria, in allyl isothiocyanate-baited traps significantly more beetles of Phyllotreta cruciferae, Ph. vittula, Ph. undulata, Ph. nigripes, Ph. nodicornis, Ph. balcanica, Ph. atra, Ph. procera, Ph. ochripes, Ph. diademata and Psylliodes chrysocephalus (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Halticinae) were captured than in unbaited control traps. With the exception of Ph. cruciferae, this is the first report on significant field attraction by allyl isothiocyanate for these species. The species spectrum captured included six important agricultural pests. At all sites a great portion of the catch (ranging from ca 30 to 98%) was Ph. cruciferae, irrespective of the plant culture. The second most abundant species present at most sites was Ph. vittula. The present results are very promising from the point of view of applicability of allyl isothiocyanate in Europe as a bait in cabbage flea beetle traps for detection and monitoring.     

Monitoring oriental fruit moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) with the Ajar bait trap in orchards under mating disruption

Studies in Oregon, California, Pennsylvania and Italy evaluated the relative performance of the Ajar trap compared with several other traps for the capture of Grapholita molesta (Busck), in pome and stone fruit orchards treated with sex pheromone dispensers for mating disruption. The Ajar is a delta‐shaped trap with a screened jar filled with an aqueous terpinyl acetate plus brown sugar bait solution (TAS) that opens inside the trap and is surrounded by a sticky liner. The TAS‐baited Ajar trap was evaluated with and without the addition of a sex pheromone lure and compared with a delta trap baited with a sex pheromone lure and a bucket trap filled with the TAS bait. Although the Ajar trap had a 90% lower evaporation of the TAS bait than the bucket trap, both of them caught similar numbers in the majority of the field tests of both sexes of G. molesta. The addition of the sex pheromone lure did not increase moth catches by the TAS‐baited Ajar trap. The TAS‐baited Ajar trap caught significantly greater numbers of moths than the sex pheromone‐baited delta trap in 18 of the 20 orchards. Few hymenopterans were caught in orange TAS‐baited Ajar traps, but the catch of flies and other moths relative to the target pest remained high. Flight tunnel and field tests evaluated the effect of several screen designs on the catches of G. molesta and non‐target species. All exclusion devices significantly reduced the catch of larger moths. However, designs that did not reduce the catch of male G. molesta did not reduce the catch of muscid flies. Exclusion devices with openings <7.0 mm significantly reduced the catch of female G. molesta. The addition of (E)‐β‐farnesene, (E)‐β‐ocimene or butyl hexanoate septa lures to TAS‐baited Ajar traps significantly increased total moth catch. The addition of (E)‐β‐ocimene also significantly increased female moth catch.     

Combined approaches using sex pheromone and pear ester for behavioural disruption of codling moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

Attractive properties of pear ester, ethyl (E,Z)‐2,4‐decadienoate, and codlemone, (E,E)‐8,10‐dodecadien‐1‐ol, the sex pheromone of codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), were utilized in experiments on behavioural disruption of mating. Standard dispensers loaded with codlemone alone or in combination with pear ester (combo) were applied at 500–1000/ha. Larger (10‐fold) combo dispensers (Meso) were evaluated at a rate of 80/ha. The addition of microencapsulated pear ester, PE‐MEC, sprayed with insecticides at 30 ml/ha was also evaluated. Male moth catches in unmated female‐baited traps were lower in standard combo dispenser than in codlemone dispenser–treated plots. Female moth catch in traps baited with the combination of pear ester, codlemone and acetic acid was lower in standard combo dispenser than in codlemone dispenser–treated plots. In 12 comparative experiments spanning from 2006 to 2012, male moth catch in unmated female‐baited traps was consistently and significantly lower in combo than in codlemone dispenser–treated plots. Male catch in codlemone‐baited traps did not differ between dispenser treatments in eight studies from 2006 to 2009. These results emphasize the benefit of alternatively using traps baited with unmated females over codlemone lures for the analysis of dispenser activity. Fruit injury was significantly reduced with the addition of PE‐MEC to insecticide applications across untreated and dispenser treatments. Proportion of unmated females trapped was higher in standard combo dispenser than in codlemone dispenser–treated and untreated plots. Similarly, the proportion of unmated females caught was higher in the Meso combo dispenser than in nearby or distant codlemone dispenser–treated plots. These field studies conducted in apple over 3 years demonstrate that adding pear ester both to pheromone dispensers, either standard or Meso, and to supplementary insecticide sprays can provide a significant increase in the disruption of sexual communication, reductions in female mating and reductions in fruit injury.     

Antifungal Vapour‐phase Activity of a Combination of Allyl Isothiocyanate and Ethyl Isothiocyanate Against Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium expansum Infection on Apples

The potential use of allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) and ethyl isothiocyanate (EITC), singly and in combination, was tested in in vitro and in vivo trials for their effect on Penicillium expansum Link and Botrytis cinerea Persl. infection on apple when used as a fumigant. A 3 : 1 ratio of AITC : EITC was more efficient at reducing in vitro spore germination of P. expansum and B. cinerea than were other combinations or either AITC or EITC alone. The optimized combination showed the lowest EC₅₀ values, at 0.08 and 0.14 μg/ml air, for P. expansum conidial germination and mycelial growth, respectively, and 0.07 and 0.12 μg/ml air for B. cinerea conidial germination and mycelial growth, respectively. In in vivo trials, artificially infected apples were exposed for 4 days to an ITC‐enriched atmosphere. Among the ITCs tested, AITC, EITC and their combinations reduced incidence by more than 85% after 3–4 days of apple incubation at 20°C. Although further studies are necessary to evaluate any detrimental effects on apple quality, the evidence from this study supports the use of fumigation based on ITCs, and in particular a 3 : 1 combination of AITC and EITC, for control of postharvest mildew in apple fruit.     

Evaluation of attractants and traps for monitoring small banded pine weevil Pissodes castaneus

This study aimed to develop a semiochemical‐baited trapping system to monitor the populations of small banded pine weevil, Pissodes castaneus, a serious pest in Pinus sylvestris young stands that are weakened by biotic and abiotic factors. The scope of the work included the development of a dispenser for compounds (ethanol and α‐pinene) emitted by P. sylvestris and the pheromones of P. castaneus: grandisol and grandisal. Additionally, the effectiveness of beetle catches in different types of traps (unitrap, cross‐unitrap and long and short pipe traps) baited with a dispenser was assessed. The olfactometric studies showed that most of the newly hatched beetles that had not fed were attracted by a mixture of grandisol and grandisal. However, in the group of feeding beetles, half were attracted by a mixture of ethanol and α‐pinene. These results indicated that both pheromones and α‐pinene plus ethanol should be useful for capturing P. castaneus beetles. In the field trials, the highest efficiency was found in baited unitraps that caught up to several hundred P. castaneus beetles, while the baited cross‐unitraps caught up to a few dozen beetles. No insects were found in either type of baited pipe trap or in any of the unbaited control traps. The baited unitraps and cross‐unitraps also collected, with varied intensity, Hylobius abietis beetles, a serious pest of reforestations. These results indicate the possibility of using a unitrap baited with a 4‐component attractant for monitoring P. castaneus in integrated pest management for the protection of young forests.     

Commercial Yellow Sticky Strips more attractive than yellow boards to western cherry fruit fly (Dipt., Tephritidae)

Bright yellow sticky rectangles made of paper boards were previously identified as the most effective traps for capturing western cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis indifferens Curran (Dipt., Tephritidae). However, no data on the effectiveness of commercial sticky yellow plastic traps against R. indifferens have been reported. In tests conducted in sweet cherry trees [Prunus avium (L.) L.] in Washington state (USA) using ammonium carbonate as the chemical lure, commercial plastic ‘Yellow Sticky Strips’ made of translucent high‐impact polystyrene captured ~two or three times more flies than commercial sticky yellow‐folded Pherocon^® AM and Alpha Scents boards. Yellow Sticky Strips also minimized captures of non‐target flies and bees per surface area compared with Pherocon^®AM and/or Alpha Scents boards. Trap size and adhesive type were not factors for greater catches of R. indifferens. However, more flies were caught on the shade‐facing side of Yellow Sticky Strips, which was brightly illuminated, than on the shade‐facing side of boards, which was darker, suggesting differential light passage was a factor. The Yellow Sticky Strips could be very useful for monitoring R. indifferens in detection programmes and based on the results of this study can replace yellow boards. They are also useful because they are relatively unattractive to non‐target insects.     

Insecticidal activity of Brassica juncea seed meal to the fungus gnat Bradysia impatiens Johannsen (Diptera:Sciaridae)

Fungus gnats (Bradysia impatiens) can be a serious pest especially to plants grown in confined areas, and although various methods of control are available, safer and more effective control measures are desirable. Mustard seed meal, a by‐product remaining after oil removal for use as a biodiesel feedstock, contains compounds called glucosinolates that hydrolyse to insecticidal 2‐propenyl isothiocyanate. Our objective was to produce a dose‐response curve for making recommendations of Brassica juncea seed meal applications that will result in fungus gnat larvae control. Twenty colony‐raised fungus gnat larvae were added to 20 g (226 per cm³) of potting media, and adult emergence monitored during 2 weeks using yellow sticky cards. Treatments included without meal, detoxified meal and 19 doses ranging from 0.05 to 3.0 g seed meal. A logistic model was used to predict an LC50 of 0.18 and an LC90 of 0.38 g seed meal for the 20‐g pot. The amounts of seed meal required to produce the observed LC50 and LC90 were predicted to produce 0.08 and 0.17 μmol 2‐propenyl isothiocyanate per cm³ potting medium, respectively. B. juncea seed meal has potential utility for the control of B. impatiens, thus warranting additional studies to determine the seed meal's chronic impact on fungus gnats, phytotoxicity and plant fertility benefits.     

Efficacy of the pheromone (3Z)‐lactone and the host kairomone (3Z)‐hexenol at detecting early infestation of the emerald ash borer,Agrilus planipennis

The invasive emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), is a major pest of ash trees, Fraxinus spp., in its introduced range in North America. Field studies were conducted to quantify the efficacy of traps baited with kairomone and pheromone lures for early detection of A. planipennis infestation. A trapping experiment demonstrated that green traps baited with the kairomone (3Z)‐hexenol detected at least one adult A. planipennis in 55.3% of plots with ‘nil to low’‐density infestations and in 100% of plots with ‘moderate to high’‐density A. planipennis infestations. Mean trap captures increased significantly with increasing infestation density. In terms of the optimal number of traps per plot, when one (3Z)‐hexenol‐baited trap was placed per plot, the trap detected populations in 62% of the plots with ‘low to moderate’‐density infestations through branch sampling. Detectability was increased to 82% when two traps were placed per plot. Finally, addition of female‐produced (3Z)‐lactone pheromone to traps significantly increased detection rates at both the trap and plot level, as compared with traps baited with the host volatile, (3Z)‐hexenol, alone (88 vs. 60%, respectively). Our results are the first to demonstrate the efficacy of baited green sticky traps for detecting low‐density A. planipennis infestations, particularly when the (3Z)‐lactone pheromone is used. This combination is therefore recommended for development of early‐detection protocols against A. planipennis.     

Sticky trap monitoring of a pest–predator system in glasshouse tomato crops: are available trap colours sufficient?

Monitoring of pest presence and population development in the crop during the season is essential for integrated pest management. Although many tools, for instance coloured sticky traps, have been developed, the full advantage of available information is rarely taken into account in decision‐making. The reasons behind include high workload in practice but also the poorly studied relationships between trap catches and populations in the crop. Here, we investigate whether commercially available coloured sticky traps can be used as tool to monitor population densities of a pest–predator system in glasshouse tomato. The response of Macrolophus pygmaeus (Rambur) (Hemiptera, Miridae) to blue and yellow sticky traps was tested in laboratory and glasshouse experiments. The results indicate that M. pygmaeus can be monitored equally well with both trap colours. The number of trapped insects showed good correlation with the population densities on the crop. Under growing conditions, more M. pygmaeus were trapped on blue compared with yellow sticky traps. However, due to the known preference of Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood) (Hemiptera, Aleyrodidae), yellow traps should be used for a combined pest–predator monitoring.     

Site‐specific labeling of synthetic peptide using the chemoselective reaction between N‐methoxyamino acid and isothiocyanate

Site‐specific labeling of synthetic peptides carrying N‐methoxyglycine (MeOGly) by isothiocyanate is demonstrated. A nonapeptide having MeOGly at its N‐terminus was synthesized by the solid‐phase method and reacted with phenylisothiocyanate under various conditions. In acidic solution, the reaction specifically gave a peptide having phenylthiourea structure at its N‐terminus, leaving side chain amino group intact. The synthetic human β‐defensin‐2 carrying MeOGly at its N‐terminus or the side chain amino group of Lys¹⁰ reacted with phenylisothiocyanate or fluorescein isothiocyanate also at the N‐methoxyamino group under the same conditions, demonstrating that this method is generally useful for the site‐specific labeling of linear synthetic peptides as well as disulfide‐containing peptides. Copyright © 2015 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Acetic acid lure placement within traps affects moth catches of codling moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

Previous studies have shown that the addition of an acetic acid colure (AA) to traps baited with pear ester, (E,Z)‐2,4‐ethyl‐decadienoate, and codlemone, (E,E)‐8,10‐dodecadien‐1‐ol, the sex pheromone (PH) of codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), (Combo lure) can significantly increase moth catches. A commercial AA colure was developed to be used with the Combo lure using a specialized cardboard lure holder. However, research in 2011 suggested that the addition of the AA colure placed in the holder was reducing moth catches. Studies were subsequently conducted in both North America and South America to examine the factors affecting these unexpected results. Hanging the AA colure from the inside top of the delta trap was found to be a primary factor reducing moth catches of male but not female codling moth. Significantly, more males were caught if the AA colure was placed on the sticky liner of the trap than in the holder. Laboratory and field studies found that this negative effect on moth catches lessens over time with aged AA colures that had lower emission rates. The position of the holder in the trap (upwind or downwind) relative to the direction where moths approached was not a significant factor affecting moth catch with the AA colure. However, the spacing of the lures on the holder was an important factor with significantly higher male catches with lures 5.5 cm apart and the AA lure above the Combo lure than with lures 1.5 cm apart and the Combo lure above the AA lure. Similarly, pinning the Combo lure to the roof of the trap was more effective than the use of the holder with the AA lure on the liner. Standardization of lure placement will be important to fully utilize the use of bisexual, multilure monitoring systems for codling moth and likely for other pests.     

Trapping of European buprestid beetles in oak forests using visual and olfactory cues

Trapping approaches developed for the emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), were adapted for trapping several European oak buprestid species. These approaches included the use of natural leaf surfaces as well as green and purple plastic in sticky trap designs. Plastic surfaces were incorporated into novel ‘branch‐trap’ designs that each presented two 5 × 9‐cm² rectangular surfaces on a cardboard structure wrapped around the leaves of a branch. We used visual adult Agrilus decoys in an attempt to evoke male mating approaches toward the traps. Our first experiment compared the attractiveness of visual characteristics of the surfaces of branch‐traps. The second looked at the effect on trap captures of adding semiochemical lures, including manuka oil, (Z)‐3‐hexen‐1‐ol, and (Z)‐9‐tricosene. In total, 1 962 buprestid specimens including 14 species from the genus Agrilus were caught on 178 traps in a 22‐day time‐span. Overall, the green plastic‐covered branch‐traps significantly out‐performed the other trap designs. We further found that the presence of an EAB visual decoy placed on the trap surface often increased captures on these green traps, but this effect was stronger for certain Agrilus species than for others. The visual decoy was particularly important for the most serious pest detected, Agrilus biguttatus Fabricius, which was captured 13 times on traps with decoys, but only once without a decoy. There were some small but significant effects of odor treatment on the capture of buprestids of two common species, Agrilus angustulus Illiger and Agrilus sulcicollis Lacordaire. There were also 141 Elateridae specimens on these traps, which were not influenced by trap type or decoys. The results suggest that small branch‐traps of this nature can provide a useful new tool for monitoring of buprestids, which have the potential to be further optimized with respect to visual and olfactory cues.     

Small‐plot studies comparing pheromone and juice baits for mass‐trapping invasive Synanthedon myopaeformis in Canada

Recent introduction of Synanthedon myopaeformis (Borkhausen) (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) into organic apple‐growing areas of Canada has stimulated research on semiochemical‐based management of this European pest. Replicated, small‐plot (0.16 ha) experiments were conducted to compare sex pheromone, 3Z,13Z‐octadecadienyl acetate (10 mg), Concord grape juice (300 ml), or their combination, as mass‐trapping lures at trap densities equivalent to 12.5, 25, 50, and 100 traps ha^?1. Total numbers of male and female moths removed from test plots increased significantly with trap density in all juice‐based mass‐trapping experiments. In pheromone mass‐trapping experiments, however, total catches of males did not increase significantly as trap densities were increased and catches appeared to plateau with 25–50 traps ha^?1. With pheromone‐based mass‐trapping, significantly fewer males were caught in pheromone‐baited assessment traps at the centre of each mass‐trapping plot than in identical traps in untreated plots. This reduction is indicative of significant trap interference or trap ‘shut‐down’. Increasing the density of juice‐based mass‐trapping had no effect on catches of male or female moths in juice‐baited assessment traps, indicating a short range of attraction and lack of interference between juice traps. Pheromone‐ and juice‐based mass trapping removed similar numbers of males at each trap density tested, respectively, but summed catches of males and females were greatest with juice baits. Combining pheromone and juice into a single mass‐trapping treatment (50 traps ha^?1) did not significantly increase catches of males or females relative to either treatment alone. If a practical bisexual mass‐trapping system is going to be developed for S. myopaeformis, then identification of volatile kairomones in Concord grape juice may be useful.     

Some responses of cabbage root fly (Delia brassicae) to ally I isothiocyanate and other volatile constituents of crucifers

Vapour components emanating from disrupted cauliflower, turnip, radish, wallflower and brown mustard tissue were assessed for their effects on the cabbage root fly (Delia brassicae). Of about 20 vapour components detected and separated by gas chromatography, six elicited sufficiently large electroantennal responses to warrant further testing, but of these only allyl isothiocyanate and hexyl acetate markedly affected the behaviour of gravid flies in an olfactometer. In wind-tunnel tests at a wind speed of 1–2-1-7 m/s, the numbers of females caught was increased when allyl isothiocyanate vapour was released at 32–130 mg/h but decreased at higher evaporation rates. The only effect of hexyl acetate vapour released at 40–140 mg/h was a reduction in the numbers caught at the highest concentration. In a cabbage crop, yellow water traps fitted with allyl isothiocyanate sources, each evaporating 2–3 g/day, caught 11 times as many female and seven times as many male flies as unmodified traps during the early period of the third generation but the improvement in trap efficiency later diminished. Trap efficiency was slightly reduced when the rate of evaporation of allyl isothiocyanate from a trap was decreased from 2–3 to 0–51 g/day. On fallow ground, allyl isothiocyanate improved trap performance in catching female flies by about seven-fold, but along a hedgerow adjacent to Brussels sprouts the improvement was barely two-fold. Hexyl acetate did not improve the performance of traps in a cabbage crop.     

A selective insecticidal protein from Pseudomonas mosselii for corn rootworm control

The coleopteran insect western corn rootworm (WCR, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera) is an economically important pest in North America and Europe. Transgenic corn plants producing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insecticidal proteins have been useful against this devastating pest, but evolution of resistance has reduced their efficacy. Here, we report the discovery of a novel insecticidal protein, PIP‐47Aa, from an isolate of Pseudomonas mosselii. PIP‐47Aa sequence shows no shared motifs, domains or signatures with other known proteins. Recombinant PIP‐47Aa kills WCR, two other corn rootworm pests (Diabrotica barberi and Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi) and two other beetle species (Diabrotica speciosa and Phyllotreta cruciferae), but it was not toxic to the spotted lady beetle (Coleomegilla maculata) or seven species of Lepidoptera and Hemiptera. Transgenic corn plants expressing PIP‐47Aa show significant protection from root damage by WCR. PIP‐47Aa kills a WCR strain resistant to mCry3A and does not share rootworm midgut binding sites with mCry3A or AfIP‐1A/1B from Alcaligenes that acts like Cry34Ab1/Cry35Ab1. Our results indicate that PIP‐47Aa is a novel insecticidal protein for controlling the corn rootworm pests.     

Baiting improves CPUE in nine‐spined stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) minnow trap fishery

Whether or not baiting influences stickleback catch per unit effort (CPUE) remains a matter of debate among stickleback researchers: While the opinions about the impact of baiting on CPUE differ, supporting quantitative data are scarce. The effect of baiting and trap type on nine‐spined stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) CPUE was studied in a field experiment conducted over four consecutive days in a small pond in northeastern Finland. The results show that baited traps yielded better (mean CPUE = 1.24 fish/trap/d) catches than unbaited traps (mean CPUE = 0.66); however, there were also differences in CPUE depending on the type of collapsible trap that was used. The trap type effect on CPUE seemed to differ among age classes – the finer meshed trap caught more young‐of‐the‐year fish than the coarse‐meshed one, whereas the opposite was true for the older and larger individuals. The results agree with those of an earlier more restricted study conducted in the same locality: Together, these results provide strong evidence for the positive impact of baiting on nine‐spined stickleback CPUE.     

Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Activities of Lepidium latifolium L. Hydrodistillate,Extract and Its Major Sulfur Volatile Allyl Isothiocyanate

The cultivated Lepidium latifolium L. was investigated to decipher its glucosinolate profile, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities. HPLC/ESI‐MS analyses of the intact glucosinolates and GC/MS analysis of their hydrolysis products showed the presence of sinigrin ( 1 ), glucocochlearin ( 2 ), glucotropaeolin ( 3 ), and 4‐methoxyglucobrassicin ( 4 ). Hydrodistillate, extract, and allyl isothiocyanate, the main volatile resulting from sinigrin degradation, showed antimicrobial activity against all eleven tested pathogenic and food spoilage bacteria and fungi, with highest effect observed against Candida albicans with MIC₅₀ 8 and 16 μg/mL. Hydrodistillate and extract showed the best cytotoxic activity on bladder cancer UM‐UC‐3 cell line during an incubation time of 24 h (IC₅₀ 192.9 and 133.8 μg/mL, respectively), while the best effect on glioblastoma LN229 cell line was observed after 48 h (IC₅₀ 110.8 and 30.9 μg/mL, respectively). Pure allyl isothiocyanate displayed a similar trend in cytotoxic effect on both cell lines (IC₅₀ 23.3 and 36.5 μg/mL after 24 h and 48 h, respectively).