Dosage reduction to improve the selectivity of deltamethrin between aphids and coccinellids in cereals

The toxicity of the pyrethroid insecticide deltamethrin to a cereal aphid and a coccinellid beetle predator was assessed. Deltamethrin gave effective aphid control in winter wheat at dose-rates of 6.25, 3.13 and 1.56g a.i./ha. The direct exposure of adultCoccinella septempunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) to spray drops was estimated at a range of positions in a cereal crop canopy from volumetric analysis of fluorescent tracer deposits. These measurements were used to calculate exposure to deltamethrin at the three experimental dose-rates. Observations of coccinellid beetle distribution through a cereal crop canopy permitted a realistic range of direct contact doses tobe calculated and the toxic effects of these levels of exposure to be predicted from laboratory dose-response data. Estimated beetle mortalities from direct exposure were 19, 8 and 3% at the three experimental dose-rates.In situbioassays with adultC. septempunctata which exposed beetles continuously to deltamethrin residues on flag leaves, resulted in 100, 94 and 39% mortality respectively at these dose-rates during the 10 days after spray application. Additionalin situ bioassays exposed beetles to deltamethrin residues on flag leaves for 24 h and then transferred surviving beetles to the soil under the cereal crop canopy for a further 9 days. This resulted in 89, 69 and 29% beetle mortality respectively at the three dose-rates. Mortality predictions combining both direct contact and residual exposure were made for the three dose-rates.to determine the maximum impact of summer sprays of deltamethrin on adult coccinellid populations in cereals. These worst case predictions suggested that a reduction in dose-rate by as much as three quarters of the recommended application rate in UK cereals may be necessary to preserve approximately 60% of adultC. septempunctata in the crop over the 10 days after a deltamethrin spray application. The methodology described may be appropriate for estimating selective dose-rates for key enemies in a range of crops.     

Pitfall trap catches of and aphid predation byPterostichus melanarius andPterostichus madidus in insecticide treated and untreated potatoes

Aphids were countedin situ and carabid beetle populations assessed by pitfall trapping betwen 1983–1985 in potato fields in Scotland treated with demeton-S-methyl (DSM) or untreated.Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas) (Homoptera: Aphididae) was the most abundant aphid. Nineteen species of carabid beetles were trapped but the fauna was dominated byPterostichus melanarius (Ill.) andPterostichus madidus (Fabr.) (Coleoptera: Carabidae). Pitfall trap catches of these carabids were variable but generally lower in sprayed than unsprayed plots for a few days after DSM application and higher a week or two later. Of 1800P. melanarius and 910P. madidus dissected, 14.4 per cent and 30.5 per cent respectively, contained aphid remains. The proportion that had eaten aphids often was higher in sprayed than unsprayed plots immediately after treatment. In additional experiments, aphids treated with DSM fell from plants; four to five per cent of the theoretically applied dose of DSM reached the ground in a closed-canopy potato crop; and no mortality occurred whenPterostichus spp. were exposed to DSM in a field bioassay. It is proposed that observed patterns in trap catch ofPterostichus spp. around times of pesticide application may be due in part to aphids falling to the ground after treatment. Beetles that eat these fallen aphids may be less hungry, less active and less likely to be trapped. Later increases in catches may be attributed to hungry, more active beetles, a consequence of prey removal by the insecticide. Although this hypothesis requires further research, it is clear that the effects of insecticide treatment on carabid populations cannot be measured by pitfall trapping alone.     

Effects of eyespot on the yield of winter wheat

In two experiments, on Julia and Zephyr spring barley, evidence was obtained that the development of powdery mildew in sprayed plots depended very much on their proximity to unsprayed crop. The effective period of control achieved with one spray was greater where plots were well separated from unsprayed crop than where they were surrounded by or very close to unsprayed crop. There is probably a risk that small plot experiments may not only underestimate the potential effectiveness of fungicides in agricultural practice, but also give misleading information on optimal spray timing.     

Roadside Revegetation in Glacier National Park, U.S.A.: Effects of Herbicide and Seeding Treatments

From 1992 to 1995 we experimentally evaluated the effectiveness of several revegetation treatments along a segment of Going-to-the-Sun Highway in Glacier National Park, U.S.A. This segment, reconstructed during the spring and summer of 1992, is bordered by fescue prairie vegetation and is known to be susceptible to invasion by several alien species, including Centaurea maculosa (spotted knapweed) and Phleum pratense (common timothy). We used a split plot study design to evaluate the effectiveness of herbicide and seeding treatments on assisting recovery of native flora and limiting the establishment of alien species. The herbicide treatment consisted of a yearly herbicide spray application of clopyralid (3,6-dichloropicolinic acid). Five seeding treatments were evaluated, three of which included an indigenous graminoid-forb seed mix. Percent canopy coverages of four species groups—alien graminoids, native graminoids, alien forbs, and native forbs—were determined in July 1995. In addition, community-level patterns in sprayed plots and unsprayed plots were compared with a reference site of native fescue prairie. Herbicide treatments decreased mean canopy coverage of alien forbs (treated = 4.2%, untreated = 23.4%) and increased mean canopy coverage of native graminoids slightly (treated = 6.3%, untreated = 4.0%). But herbicide treatments reduced mean coverage of native forbs (treated = 3.9%, untreated = 8.9%) and likely increased coverage of alien graminoids. Treatments that included a fall 1992 seed mix increased native graminoid coverages 2.8–4.6 times, although coverages were still lower than those attained by alien graminoids. Native and alien forb coverage appeared unaffected by seeding treatments. Species composition was less diverse in sprayed plots and more dominated by alien grasses than in unsprayed plots and the reference site. Areas for additional study are suggested, including seed bank assays to determine treatment effects on recruitment of alien versus native species and the use of native graminoids to create low-diversity communities with high canopy coverages to resist establishment of alien species.     

Interaction between two synthetic pyrethroids and the spread of two non-persistent viruses in cowpea

The effectiveness of the synthetic pyrethroids deltamethrin and lambda-cyhal-othrin in preventing (i) aphid colonisation of four cowpea cultivars with different levels of aphid resistance and (ii) the introduction and subsequent spread of cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus and cucumber mosaic virus was investigated under tropical field conditions. Sprays of these pyrethroids eight days apart prevent aphid colonisation and within crop spread of virus by the colonising Aphis craccivora. However, neither deltamethrin nor lambda-cyhalothrin prevented the initial introduction of virus into the cowpea crop and, when incoming alate incidence was high, virus incidence was higher in the sprayed than in the unsprayed plots. In addition, the degree of aphid resistance of each cultivar affected secondary virus spread within the crop, with greatest spread in the most resistant cultivar.     

The incidence of rosette disease in groundnut in relation to plant density and its effect on yield

Trials are described in which the relationships between plant density, rosette disease incidence and the yield and quality of groundnuts were investigated on sprayed and unsprayed groundnut plants. During growth, the number and percentage of sprayed and unsprayed plants showing symptoms of rosette disease was significantly greater at low plant populations than at high. At harvest, in general on unsprayed plots the numbers attacked were also greater at low plant populations, but on the sprayed plots the results were inconsistent. The percentage attack at harvest was much lower on sprayed plots at all plant populations. Menazon used as a seed dressing did not affect the incidence of the disease but used as a spray it significantly reduced the amount of disease found. The spray was applied at a rate of 294 g a.i./ha, four times at 10-day intervals, the first spray being applied 10 days from germination. Spraying controlled secondary spread of the virus within the crop and appeared to reduce the severity of early attack. There was a marked improvement of yields and quality of nuts from sprayed plots. Plant density did not affect quality of the groundnuts obtained, but yields per ha were highest on both sprayed and unsprayed plots at the highest plant densities (seed rate up to 134 kg/ha).     

Managing the dispersal of ladybird beetles (Col.: Coccinellidae): Use of artificial honeydew to manipulate spatial distributions

We tested whether large-scale distributions of aphidophagous ladybirds could be manipulated by localized application of artificial honeydew. In addition to enhancing local build-up of ladybird numbers (e.g., in areas of incipient aphid outbreak), such an approach may prove useful for drawing ladybirds out of a crop scheduled for insecticide treatment. In six experiments, we sprayed sucrose dissolved in water to small plots in the center of large alfalfa fields in Utah. Within 48 hours, ladybird densities in the plots increased 2–13x, whereas ladybird densities at distances of 40–150 m from the plots decreased to a mean of less than two-thirds their former density. We then applied sucrose in a narrow band along the entire perimeter of an alfalfa field; densities of ladybirds increased following treatment both along the treated field edge and in untreated alfalfa throughout the field. Finally, we compared the numerical responses of two ladybird species to sucrose application; both species responded positively, butCoccinella transversoguttata did so consistently more strongly than didC. septempunctata. Our results suggest that both promise and challenges lie in the use of artificial honeydew to direct the dispersal and spatial patterns of ladybirds.     

Aerial application of mixed virus formulations to control joint infestations of Panolis flammea and Neodiprion sertifer on lodgepole pine

An aerial spray using mixed formulations of two viruses, Panolis flammea nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) and Neodiprion sertifer NPV was conducted against mixed populations of the two pests, P. flammea and N. sertifer on lodgepole pine. These were compared with single virus formulations sprayed against their respective host pests and an unsprayed control. One hectare plots of 14 yr old pine were sprayed by helicopter using ultra low volume techniques. Larvae from each plot were assessed weekly for virus and this showed that the mixed formulations gave the same level of control as separate applications of each NPV. Levels of infection in P. flammea reached 95 – 100% 9 wk post-spray, and in N. sertifer reached 100% 6 wk post-spray. Later P. flammea pupal sampling showed no viral infection in the control but significant levels in sprayed plots, which ranged from 37–9% in the plot sprayed with the high dose of N. sertifer NPV to 75% in the plot sprayed with the low dose of NsNPV.     

Response ofHelicoverpa spp. (Lep.: Noctuidae) and their natural enemies to petroleum spray oil in cotton in Australia

Refined petroleum products have been used since last century for the control of phytophagous arthropod pests. The response ofHelicoverpa spp. and its natural enemies to petroleum oil sprays on cotton was investigated under laboratory choice/no-choice and small plot field conditions at the Australian Cotton Research Institute at Narrabri in New South Wales. In oviposition choice and no-choice tests, petroleum oil sprays suppressed oviposition inHelicoverpa punctigera (Wallengren) but notH. armigera (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).H. punctigera females laid about seven times as many eggs on the control (water sprayed) cotton plants as on either petroleum oil spray alone or oil mixed with Kelgum. HoweverH. armigera females laid the same number of eggs on both treated and control plants. In field trials, the number of eggs per metre per sample date found on the plots treated with petroleum oil spray was 3.83 compared with 6.29 and 7.82 eggs respectively on plots treated with conventional insecticide sprays and the unsprayed plots. The number of larvae found on plots treated with petroleum oil sprays was 2.9 times higher than the conventional insecticide sprayed plot, however, this was 1.6 times fewer than the unsprayed plot. The cotton yields from plots treated with petroleum oil sprays was 3.70 bales/ha compared with 7.32 and 2.69 bales respectively from the conventional insecticide treated and the unsprayed plots. Petroleum oil sprays had little or no effect on predatory beetles, bugs, lacewings and spiders.

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Résumé Des produits de pétrole raffiné ont été utilisés depuis le siècle dernier pour lutter contre les arthropodes ravageurs phytophages. La réponse deHelicoverpa spp. et des ses ennemis naturels à des pulvérisations d'huile de pétrole sur cotonnier a été étudiée en laboratoire dans des expériences de choix et d'absence de choix ainsi que dans de petites parcelles en plein champ à l'Institut de Recherche australien sur le coton (Narrabri, Nouvelles Galles du Sud). Dans des expériences de choix/non choix concernant l'oviposition, les pulvérisations d'huile de pétrole empêchaient la ponte d'Helicoverpa punctigera (Wallengren) mais pas deH. armigera (Hubner) (Lep.: Noctuidae). Les femelles deH. punctigera pondent environ 7 fois plus d'oeufs sur les plants de coton témoins (pulvérisés avec de l'eau) que sur les plants traités à l'huile de pétrole seule ou en mélange avec du Kelgum. Par contre,H. armigera pond le même nombre d'oeufs sur les plants traités ou témoins. Dans les essais en plein champ, les parcelles pulvérisées avec de l'huile de pétrole comportent significativement moins deHelicoverpa et présentent une récolte plus importante que celles non traitées; cependant le nombre de chenilles est plus élevé et la récolte moindre que dans les parcelles traitées avec des insecticides. Les pulvérisations d'huile de pétrole ont un effet faible ou nul sur la faune auxiliaire.

     

Population fluctuations of the diamondback moth,Plutella xylostella (L.) on cabbages inBacillus thuringiensis sprayed and non sprayed plots and factors affecting within-generation survival of immatures

Summary The population fluctuations and within-generation survival of immatures stages of the diamondback moth,Plutella xylostella on summer cabbages, were examined in unsprayed plots in 1984 and 1985 and in plots sprayed with two formulations ofBacillus thuringiensis in 1985. There was two distincy generations per crop and no noticeable difference in population fluctuations were observed in unsprayed plots between years. There was distinct difference between unsprayed and sprayed plots in 1985, from the larval period onwards. However, the survivorship patterns in all plots in both years were a Type 2 based onDeevey's (1947) classification. Life table studies showed that there was essentially no difference in the mortality agents acting on each of the stages except for numerical differences in the within-generation mortality rates. The major mortality rates during the egg stage were the parasitoid,Trichogramma spp. and unknown factors including rainfall; in the larval 1 stage was unknown mortality; in the larval 2 stage was the parasitoid,Apanteles plutellae and during the pupal stage was unknown mortality and parasitoid,Diadromus subtilicornis. Adult mortality was determined for generation 2. It was relatively higher in the unsprayed plots compared to theB. thuringiensis sprayed plots. The contribution of abiotic factors such as rainfall and temperature, and biotic factors such as parasitoids and predators in determining within-generation population levels and the fluctuation of populations on cabbage were discussed.     

The effects of the foliar fungicide pyrazophos on beneficial arthropods in barley fields

The insecticidal properties of the foliar fungicide pyrazophos were investigated in autumn- and spring-sown barley crops using several methods to estimate the density of non-target arthropods and by using manipulative experiments. In autumn-sown crops, pyrazophos significantly reduced densities of cereal aphid natural enemies relative to pre-treatment levels compared to areas of crop that were left unsprayed. These significant differences persisted in most groups for over 45 days after treatment. Groups most affected were aphid-specific predators, polyphagous predators, (Carabidae, Staphylinidae but not Araneae) and parasitoids. Insects known to be preferred food items of wild gamebird chicks and other non-target groups such as the Collembola were also significantly reduced in density on plots sprayed with pyrazophos, the effects again persisting for over 45 days. Densities of beneficial and non-target insects were also reduced in plots of spring barley sprayed with pyrazophos. However, the experimental design meant that levels of reductions were not significant for most arthropod groups. Removal of prey items (Drosophila pupae) placed in sprayed and unsprayed spring barley plots showed that the proportion predated was significantly lower on pyrazophos-treated plots compared to those remaining unsprayed, the difference persisting for at least 7 wk after treatment. Removal of cereal aphids from colonies introduced to sprayed and unsprayed plots was also significantly lower on plots treated with pyrazophos. Difficulties of data interpretation associated with experimental design are discussed together with the consequences of the use of broad-spectrum pesticides in I.P.M. programmes in cereals.     

Genome size increase in the phytophagous ladybird beetle Henosepilachna vigintioctomaculata species complex (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

This study reports genome size (C‐value) estimates for seven species of ladybird beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Japan using flow cytometry. The results demonstrated genome sizes of 1.0–1.4 Gb in four closely related phytophagous ladybird beetles belonging to the Henosepilachna vigintioctomaculata species complex. These values were approximately two times larger than that of a congeneric phytophagous ladybird beetle H. vigintioctopunctata (0.66 Gb), and of two very distantly related common carnivorous ladybird beetles, Harmonia axyridis (0.46 Gb) and Coccinella septempunctata (0.42 Gb). These lines of evidence suggest that rapid and large genome size increase occurred just after the branching of the common ancestor of the H. vigintioctomaculata species complex from other ladybird species.     

Field observations of the effects of fenitrothion and Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum on non-target ground dwelling arthropods in the Sahel

The effect of the chemical insecticide, fenitrothion, and a mycoinsecticide based on Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum on the activity of non-target epigeal arthropod scavengers was investigated in areas of open savannah in southeast Niger Republic, West Africa. Both insecticides were applied as full cover sprays to unreplicated 800 ha plots to assess their season-long control of Sahelian grasshoppers. Compared with control plots, fenitrothion caused an immediate but temporary reduction in grasshopper numbers, whereas M. anisopliae var. acridum provided delayed but prolonged control. Scavenging rates of pyrethroid-killed grasshoppers placed along transects in unsprayed plots and those treated with fenitrothion and M. anisopliae var. acridum at various intervals after spraying were assessed. In the fenitrothion plot, an immediate reduction in scavenging activity occurred that was still apparent after 40 days at the plot center, although recovery at the plot edges was more rapid. By contrast scavenging rates remained high over equivalent areas in the M. anisopliae var. acridum and two untreated plots. Concurrent to the scavenging study, counts of grasshopper cadavers resulting from the spray treatments were conducted. These counts revealed that the density of grasshopper cadavers remained low throughout the M. anisopliae var. acridum plot and explained <1% of the reduction in live grasshoppers resulting from treatment, compared with >20% in the fenitrothion plot. This shortfall in grasshopper cadavers resulting from the spray treatment in the M. anisopliae var. acridum plot was unexpected because in a monitoring study, fungus-killed (unlike pyrethroid-killed) grasshoppers were unattractive to scavengers and readily persisted in this plot, and thus should have become apparent. Given we did not observe significant grasshopper dispersal, the scarcity of cadavers generated in the M. anisopliae var. acridum plot, together with unquantified visual observations, suggests that predation of infected but living grasshoppers was high. Our data provide circumstantial evidence that the different effects of chemical and biological grasshopper control on grasshopper natural enemies may influence the efficacy of large-scale treatments.     

Expansion of the geographical distribution of an exotic ladybird beetle, Adalia bipunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), and its interspecific relationships with native ladybird beetles in Japan

The first record of the exotic ladybird beetle, Adalia bipunctata (Coleoptera; Coccinellidae), in Japan was in 1993 at Osaka Nanko Central Park. Since that time, studies on the life history and geographical distribution of A. bipunctata have been ongoing, and its establishment in the Osaka Nanko area has been confirmed. A. bipunctata is a predacious ladybird beetle and a member of a guild that overlaps in habitat and prey with that of native ladybird beetles such as Harmonia axyridis and Menochilas sexmaculatus. We investigated the distribution of A. bipunctata and its interspecific relationships with native predacious ladybird beetles. In some areas, A. bipunctata was dominant in interspecific relationships with native ladybird beetles. For the first 10 years after A. bipunctata was discovered, it occurred only in the Osaka Nanko area, but the present geographical distribution indicates that it has expanded its range. Though the population density of this species was highest at the area recorded first, and tended to decrease in inverse proportion to the distance from Osaka Nanko Central Park, a satellite occurrence was observed in a remote area. The numbers of aphid and tree species (leaf shelter for aestivation and over-wintering) utilized by A. bipunctata have recently increased. Such increases will cause the rate of distribution of A. bipunctata to accelerate. Interspecific competition between H. axyridis and A. bipunctata, which occurs earlier than H. axyridis, may be avoided by desynchronization of the occurrence seasons, and another common predacious ladybird beetle, Coccinella septempunctata, may escape interspecific competition by habitat segregation.     

Yield loss of faba bean (Vicia faba) due to chocolate spot (Botrytis fabae) in sole and mixed cropping systems in Ethiopia

Two field experiments were conducted during 2004 and 2005 cropping seasons at Adet Agricultural Research Center, Ethiopia to assess yield losses caused by chocolate spot(Botrytis fabae) of faba bean in sole and mixed cropping systems using two cultivars. Cropping systems were sole faba bean (FB), faba bean mixed with field pea (FB: FP), barley (FB: BA) and maize (FB: MA). Mancozeb was sprayed at the rate of 2.5 kg a.i/ha at 7-, 14- and 21-day interval to generate different levels of chocolate spot disease in all the four cropping systems, and unsprayed control was also included. The treatments were arranged in a randomised complete block design (RCBD) with four replications. FB: MA mixed cropping significantly reduced disease severity and the area under disease progress curve (AUDPC) and increased faba bean grain yield. The highest faba bean grain yield among the three mixed croppings under different spray schedules was obtained from FB: MA mixed cropping in both 2004 and 2005 (2.56 and 3.74 t/ha, respectively) cropping seasons. There were highly significant yield differences (P < 0.05) among the spray intervals of mancozeb in both seasons. The highest grain yield (4.9 t/h) was recorded from the 7-day spray interval in 2005. The unsprayed faba bean had a lower grain yield (1.9 t/ha in 2004 and 2.3 t/ha in 2005) compared to the sprayed plots. The highest relative yield loss (67.5%) was calculated in 2005 from FB: FP mixed cropping in unsprayed plots. The relative yield losses in the unsprayed plots were in the range of 35.8–41.5% in 2004 and 52.6–67.5% in the 2005 cropping season. Severity and AUDPC were inversely correlated with faba bean grain yield. Significant differences were recorded in the 100-seed weight and days to maturity (DM). The unsprayed plots had shorter DM ranging from 126 to 128.5 day (except FB: MA mixed cropping) in 2004 and 122–123.9 days in 2005. In the sprayed plots DM was relatively longer than the unsprayed plots. A higher seed weight was recorded in the sole FB (56 g) and FB: MA (55 g) mixed cropping, and the lowest value of 100-seed weight was recorded from FB: FP (53 g) mixed cropping. The productivity of the mixed cropping evaluated by land equivalent ratio (LER) exceeded that of sole cropping. Faba bean grain yield was highly influenced by the severity of chocolate spot. The disease affects the DM, forcing early maturing of the plants.     

Temporal and spatial changes in aphid and parasitoid populations following applications of deltamethrin in winter wheat

The spatial and temporal effects of the pyrethroid insecticide, deltamethrin, on populations of cereal aphids and their primary parasitoids and hyperparasitoids were investigated in a large scale field experiment in winter wheat. Four hectare plots were treated at the recommended field concentration or a reduced concentration representing one twentieth of field rate. A control plot was left unsprayed. Invertebrate populations were sampled at sites within a grid layout covering the whole plots, enabling the use of geostatistical analysis. Hymenopteran populations were monitored using transparent sticky traps and suction sampling. Aphid populations were recorded by visual counts. Monitoring continued for 36 days after treatment. The full rate deltamethrin treatment resulted in initial reductions of aphid populations by 78%. Primary parasitoid and hyperparasitoid populations were reduced in suction samples by 90% and 47% respectively, when corrected for control fluctuations. The reduced deltamethrin concentration caused reductions of aphid, primary parasitoid and hyperparasitoid populations of 40, 60 and 54% respectively. Aphid population recovery over the full rate plot occurred slowly and in a patchy manner following treatment. No significant reinvasion gradients were detected. Aphid population density recovered more rapidly in the reduced rate treatment; with initial evidence for increased densities at the plot centre. Significant patterns of reinvasion were initially detected for both groups of Hymenoptera in the full rate treatment, suggesting that reinvasion of the sprayed area was taking place from untreated surrounding reservoirs. It was concluded that experiments that examine pesticide impacts within small plots will lead to underestimates of effects on dispersive groups including parasitic Hymenoptera.     

Dicyphus tamaninii as a beneficial insect and pest in tomato crops in Catalonia,Spain

The mirid bugDicyphus tamaninii Wagner, is common in Catalonia in vegetable crops which have not been sprayed with insecticide. To study the feeding habits of this bug in tomato crops, several treated and untreated tomato plots were set up at Cabrils Experimental Station (North of Barcelona) during 1983, 1984 and 1985. The results indicate thatTrialeurodes vaporariorum Westwood populations are greatly affected by the mirid bug when no, or only a few, insecticide sprays are applied. However, the bug heavily damaged tomato fruits in unsprayed plots, where bug numbers were high and whitefly numbers low. It seems that tomato fruit is only preferred when whitefly numbers are extremely low. Similar results were obtained in 1984 in a preliminary experiment using cages to exclude the bug.      

Intraguild predation and successful invasion by introduced ladybird beetles

Introductions of two ladybird beetle (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) species, Coccinella septempunctata and Harmonia axyridis, into North America for aphid biocontrol have been followed by declines in native species. We examined intraguild predation (IGP) between larvae of these two exotic species and larvae of the two most abundant native coccinellids in eastern Washington State, C. transversoguttata and Hippodamia convergens. In pairings between the two native species in laboratory microcosms containing pea (Pisum sativum) plants, neither native had a clear advantage over the other in IGP. When the natives were paired with either Harmonia axyridis or C. septempunctata, the natives were more frequently the victims than perpetrators of IGP. In contrast, in pairings between the exotic species, neither had an IGP advantage, although overall rates of IGP between these two species were very high. Adding alternative prey (aphids) to microcosms did not alter the frequency and patterns of relative IGP among the coccinellid species. In observations of encounters between larvae, the introduced H. axyridis frequently survived multiple encounters with the native C. transversoguttata, whereas the native rarely survived a single encounter with H. axyridis. Our results suggest that larvae of the native species face increased IGP following invasion by C. septempunctata and H. axyridis, which may be contributing to the speed with which these exotic ladybird beetles displace the natives following invasion.     

The effects of sowing date and choice of insecticide on cereal aphids and barley yellow dwarf virus epidemiology in northern England

During the mid-1980s, Sitobion avenae became recognised as an important vector of barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) in the Vale of York. A field trial at the University of Leeds Farm, North Yorkshire, was carried out during the autumn/winter of 1984-85 to evaluate different control procedures against S. avenae-transmitted BYDV and to investigate its epidemiology. Winter barley was sown on three dates in September, and plots were sprayed with either deltamethrin, demeton-S-methyl or pirimicarb on one of three dates between mid-October and mid-November, making a factorial design. Rhopalosiphum padi, the main vector of BYDV in southern England, were rarely found during the experiment, but the numbers of S. avenae were much higher, reaching a peak of 21% of plants infested in the unsprayed plots of the first sowing date. Single applications of each insecticide reduced populations of S. avenae to zero. Some treatments, particularly in the early sown plots and those treated with pirimicarb, however, did allow some recolonisation, and thus led to increased virus incidence and decreased yields. Sprays applied before the end of the migration of S. avenae were more efficient at controlling BYDV if the insecticide was persistent, otherwise a spray after this period, in November, was more effective. Virus incidence, although reduced by sprays, was generally low in plots sown on 18 and 27 September. In contrast, about 11% of plants were infected in unsprayed plots sown on 6 September and a small yield benefit was obtained with insecticidal treatments. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of plants taken from the plots indicated that MAV- and PAV-like strains were present, and were most likely to have been transmitted by S. avenae.     

Potential of pigeon pea as a trap crop for control of fruit worm infestation and damage to okra

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