Non-target impacts of poison baiting for predator control in Australia

• 1 Mammalian predators are controlled by poison baiting in many parts of the world, often to alleviate their impacts on agriculture or the environment. Although predator control can have substantial benefits, the poisons used may also be potentially harmful to other wildlife.
• 2 Impacts on non‐target species must be minimized, but can be difficult to predict or quantify. Species and individuals vary in their sensitivity to toxins and their propensity to consume poison baits, while populations vary in their resilience. Wildlife populations can accrue benefits from predator control, which outweigh the occasional deaths of non‐target animals. We review recent advances in Australia, providing a framework for assessing non‐target effects of poisoning operations and for developing techniques to minimize such effects. We also emphasize that weak or circumstantial evidence of non‐target effects can be misleading.
• 3 Weak evidence that poison baiting presents a potential risk to non‐target species comes from measuring the sensitivity of species to the toxin in the laboratory. More convincing evidence may be obtained by quantifying susceptibility in the field. This requires detailed information on the propensity of animals to locate and consume poison baits, as well as the likelihood of mortality if baits are consumed. Still stronger evidence may be obtained if predator baiting causes non‐target mortality in the field (with toxin detected by post‐mortem examination). Conclusive proof of a negative impact on populations of non‐target species can be obtained only if any observed non‐target mortality is followed by sustained reductions in population density.
• 4 Such proof is difficult to obtain and the possibility of a population‐level impact cannot be reliably confirmed or dismissed without rigorous trials. In the absence of conclusive evidence, wildlife managers should adopt a precautionary approach which seeks to minimize potential risk to non‐target individuals, while clarifying population‐level effects through continued research.

     

Giving them what they want: manipulating Argentine ant activity patterns with water

The invasive success of the exotic Argentine ant [Linepithema humile (Mayr)] is often closely tied to year‐round availability of water sources. Previous studies suggest that the location of such water sources can strongly influence activity patterns of colonies and may be a key predictor of building infestations. We studied activity patterns of Argentine ants in relation to water and food resources in two open‐air structures (aviaries). In one series of manipulations, ant activity inside the aviaries was significantly reduced with the placement of numerous water sources around the outside. Inside activity increased again when the outside water sources were removed. A second series of manipulations involved the placement of water sources at targeted locations outside of the structures. Ant activity inside the aviaries consistently shifted significantly closer to these targeted sites. The results suggest that providing a reliable water source to Argentine ant colonies exterior to buildings can be a non‐chemical method of integrated pest management for reducing ant infestations. Independent of our manipulations, L. humile activity levels predictably declined with time of day, but these changes were uncorrelated with observed surface temperatures. In fact, activity was often noted at surface temperatures higher than those that cause worker mortality under laboratory conditions. This suggests that L. humile exhibits a consistent temperature‐independent circadian activity pattern of reduced foraging in afternoons relative to mornings.     

Net design for selective control of the “plague minnow” Gambusia holbrooki that minimises impact on native Australian fishes

Gambusia holbrooki is one of the world's most environmentally damaging introduced species, being notoriously difficult to control once established. A composite double-winged fyke net comprising four vertically stacked compartments was developed to determine the potential to control G. holbrooki, while reducing negative interactions of this aggressive species with small threatened fishes. The stacked fyke net captured three times as many G. holbrooki as a conventional fyke net while maintaining consistent catches of native fishes relative to that from a conventional fyke net, and detected species-specific vertical distributions. This stratified net design represents a valuable management option for controlling this agonistic species or for limiting antagonistic interactions between G. holbrooki and native species during typical fyke sampling of native ecosystems.     

It’s a wrap: encapsulation as a management tool for marine biofouling

Encapsulation of fouled structures is an effective tool for countering incursions by non-indigenous biofoulers. However, guidelines for the implementation of encapsulation treatments are yet to be established. This study evaluated the effects of temperature, biomass, community composition, treatment duration and the biocide acetic acid on biofoulers. In laboratory trials using the model organisms Ciona spp. and Mytilus galloprovincialis, increasing the temperature or biomass speeded up the development of a toxic environment. Total mortality for Ciona spp. occurred within 72 and 24 h at 10 and 19°C, respectively. M. galloprovincialis survived up to 18 days, with high biomass increasing mortality at 10°C only. In a field study, three-month-old and four-year-old communities were encapsulated with and without acetic acid. Mortality took up to 10 days for communities encapsulated without acetic acid, compared to 48 h with acetic acid. The insights gained from this study will be useful in developing standardised encapsulation protocols.     

Entomopathogenic nematodes as potential biological control agents of Popillia japonica (Coleoptera,Scarabaeidae) in Piedmont Region (Italy)

In 2014, the Japanese beetle Popillia japonica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) was first spotted in northern Italy in the Nature Park of the Ticino Valley, its first detection in continental Europe. This polyphagous invasive species has the potential to cause serious losses to horticulture and agriculture. Particularly for its management in a Nature Park, environmentally friendly strategies are necessary. To develop baseline data for a biological control approach to the Italian outbreak of P. japonica, we conducted laboratory and field experiments testing several indigenous and commercial strains of the entomopathogenic nematode (EPN) species Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and Steinernema carpocapsae against P. japonica larvae. In the laboratory, strains of H. bacteriophora caused greater mortality (ranging from 57% to 100%) than those of S. carpocapsae (3% to 77%). In micro‐plot field tests carried out at three different times, the most virulent indigenous EPN strain, H. bacteriophora ItH‐LU1, showed again the best results ranging from 44% to 93% against young larvae. Finally, in a large‐plot field trial, the commercial H. bacteriophora product provided 46% larval mortality. This study shows that H. bacteriophora strains have good potential as biological control agents of larvae of the invasive P. japonica in northern Italy.     

全球外来入侵生物与植物有害生物数据库的比较评价

[目的]为了明确全球生物安全与植物保护领域内数据库建设进展和我国数据库的建设成效,对全球重要的外来入侵生物与植物有害生物数据库进行分类介绍和比较评价研究.[方法]根据数据库收录物种的地理范围、类群及数据库特色功能,对数据库进行分类.对重要数据库的主要功能进行简要介绍,设立多指标评价体系将我国数据库与国际优质数据库进行比...     

Isolation and characterization of the first microsatellite loci from the order Psocoptera in the economically important pest insect Liposcelis decolor (Pearman) and cross‐species amplification

A total of 11 microsatellite loci from the invasive insect pest Liposcelis decolor were isolated and characterized of which six loci were polymorphic. A population survey involving a total of 30–192 individuals per locus from five populations revealed a range of four to seven alleles per locus and moderate observed heterozygosities (0.183–0.565), highlighting the utility of these loci in further population genetic studies. Cross‐species amplifications were successful for two to 11 loci in five other Liposcelis species also of international economic importance.     

Leaf miners: The hidden herbivores

Leaf mining is a form of endophagous herbivory in which insect larvae live and feed within leaf tissue. In this review we discuss aspects of leaf miner ecology, and the current evidence for three hypotheses relating to the evolution of this feeding guild. We also present a summary of the literature coverage relating to these herbivores, which have been relatively poorly studied compared with insects that feed externally such as sap suckers and leaf chewers. The majority of published studies concern leaf miners from the northern hemisphere, with a general focus on those species considered to be agricultural, forestry or horticultural pests. In a more detailed case study, we examine aspects of leaf miner ecology of Australian species. At least 114 species have been recorded as leaf miners in Australia in four orders: Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera and Hymenoptera. Lepidoptera and Diptera are the most speciose orders of Australian leaf miners; Hymenoptera are represented by a single endemic genus and half of all coleopteran miners are species introduced for biological control. Both the known number of leaf‐mining species in Australia and the known number of hosts have increased in recent years following new targeted surveys. Leaf miners in Australia occur in many habitats and feed on a wide variety of host plants in at least 60 families although most individual species are monophagous. Although much of the research on leaf miners in Australia has focused on species that are commercially important pests or biological control agents, studies on fundamental aspects of leaf miner ecology are increasing. We identify a number of research questions aimed at better understanding the ecology of leaf miners in Australia and elsewhere.     

福建省桑树害虫种类调查

在前人调查的基础上,作者于1989-1997年一初步查清了福建省桑树害虫种类,9目59科269种(包括软体动物2种)。     

Lethal and sublethal effects of cypermethrin and methoxyfenozide on the larvae of Rachiplusia nu (Guenee) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Rachiplusia nu is a defoliator lepidopteran species considered a potential pest in soybean and other crops. Cypermethrin is the main insecticide used in Argentina. Worldwide trends in pest control promote the use of insecticides with high specificity like methoxyfenozide; however, their usage in South America is still incipient. The effectiveness of cypermethrin and methoxyfenozide was studied on fifth larval instar of R. nu under chronic exposure in laboratory conditions. Four dilutions (between 10% and 80%) of the maximum field recommended concentration for each insecticide were assessed. Methoxyfenozide caused 100% larval mortality in all tested concentrations, while at tested cypermethrin concentrations, larval mortalities were between 75% and 98%. Cypermethrin treatments showed higher mean survival time values than methoxyfenozide. Both insecticides inhibited larval growth according to weight loss assessment. Cypermethrin also inhibited diet consumption during the first 24-h exposure.     

Thermal conditioning of fifth-instar Cydia pomonella (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) affects HSP70 accumulation and insect mortality

Abstract.  Levels of HSP70 protein of fifth-instar codling moth [ Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)] are determined after conditioning at 35 °C for different times and also after recovery at 22 °C. Protein samples from larvae conditioned for different times are separated by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis electrophoresis. Sub-lethal thermal conditioning at 35 °C for 40 min, 2, 6 and 18 h induces new protein bands in the extracts from treated codling moth larvae. Immunodetection with an antibody to a heat-inducible HSP70 indicates a stronger reaction after 35 °C for 2, 6 and 18 h than after 35 °C for 40 min or control and, during the recovery period at 22 °C, the level of heat shock protein decreases. Conditioning of fifth-instar codling moths at 35 °C also induces thermotolerance in the insects and necessitates longer times at a lethal temperature to ensure mortality. Thermotolerance is correlated with the accumulation of heat inducible HSP70 protein.     

Ecological distribution and niche segregation of sibling species: the case of bean beetles, Acanthoscelides obtectus Say and A. obvelatus Bridwell

Abstract.  1. Molecular techniques have greatly added to the number of known sympatric cryptic species in insects. Ecological differences between these newly distinguished species are little explored, but niches often appear to overlap strongly. These cases are good models for exploring new ideas about species coexistence and community structure.
2.  Acanthoscelides obtectus and A. obvelatus are two sister species of bean bruchids, which have been confused until the last decade. One important ecological difference between them has emerged, however: A. obtectus is multivoltine and now distributed worldwide, whereas A. obvelatus is univoltine and restricted to Mesoamerica. Where their ranges overlap, the two species share the same host plants and larvae can sometimes complete development in the same seed.
3. The analysis of 27 622 Mexican individuals of the two species in 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 indicates that their niches overlap, but are differentiated with respect to altitude and the kind of beans (wild vs. domesticated). The principal patterns in their relative abundance in different habitats, and at different seasons, were constant from one year to the next.
4. As sympatry of these species seems to be of recent origin, the observed niche differentiation may not have evolved in response to competition, but could instead be the consequence of physiological differences, evolved independently in each species in allopatry, that pre-adapted them for different altitudes and kinds of resources.
5. The combination of biological and historical factors thus appears to allow these two sibling species to coexist in sympatry, despite their broadly overlapping ecological niches.     

Population recovery of alien black rats Rattus rattus: A test of reinvasion theory

Reinvasion of pest animals after incomplete control is a major challenge for invasive species management, yet little is known about the behavioural and demographic categories of reinvaders or the mechanisms that drive population‐level responses to control. To understand the fine‐scale mechanisms of reinvasion, we examined changes in demography, movements and activity patterns of reinvading alien black rats Rattus rattus in the short (4 weeks) and longer term (3 months) following localised experimental pest removal. Using recovery and invasion theory, we tested three hypothesised mechanisms of reinvasion: the ‘in situ effect’, the ‘trickle effect’ and the ‘vacuum effect’. We created space for reinvasion by removing black rats from the core of replicate 1‐ha plots (short‐term experiment) and later by removing animals from the entire plot (longer‐term experiment). Reinvaders were characterised as dispersing juveniles, floaters or neighbours. Radio‐tracking quantified home range changes for adjacent resident animals (short‐term experiment only). In the short term, there was no net influx of rats after targeted removal. Radio‐tracked residents’ movements were highly variable and displayed no directional changes after nearby conspecifics were removed. However, in the longer term, removal led to slow population recovery through a mix of reinvading floaters, dispersing juveniles and shifting residents. These responses best support a hypothesis of reinvasion through a trickle effect, with rats being extremely mobile and having a high degree of population turnover, even in untreated sites. Our findings provide the first test of reinvasion theory at a small scale, demonstrating the importance of understanding the differing categories of reinvaders and mechanisms of reinvasion after population control. These mechanisms drive the rate of population recovery and, in turn, should help determine which strategy of pest control should be used, and the frequency with which they are implemented, in order to slow the recovery of pest populations.     

Is the yellow-legged gull a superabundantbird species in the Mediterranean? Impacton fauna and flora, conservation measuresand research priorities

In the Mediterranean basin, the yellow-legged gull Larus cachinnans has undergone a widespread demographic increase for the past 30 years. Owing to its high ecological adaptability, its aggressive behaviour and its abundance, this gull is often considered to be a pest. The authors review and analyse the impacts of the expansion of the yellow-legged gull on fauna and flora in the Mediterranean area. Despite the relatively limited number of both intensive and general studies, it clearly appears that the population explosion has had a very diverse and severe effect on the ecosystem as a whole (flora, vertebrates, interspecific competition, extinction–colonization processes). The most serious damage has occurred around the largest breeding colonies to the detriment of fragile, rare or very restricted plant and animal species. Thus, from the point of view of fauna and flora conservation, the yellow-legged gull can, for the moment, be considered to be locally superabun dant. Control measures are often very onerous and necessitate heavy manpower and material resources. Additional extensive investigations will be necessary to assess the future development of yellow-legged gull populations and their impact on natural environments.     

外来树种对本地林业虫害的诱发作用

白蜡窄吉丁、萧氏松茎象、光肩星天牛、黄斑星天牛、云斑天牛和桑天牛等林业害虫均为我国本地林业生态系统中的昆虫种类,在北美白蜡树、北美松树和北美黑杨派杨树等外来树种引入和大量栽培之前,一直没有形成严重的危害,以至于白蜡窄吉丁和萧氏松茎象都没有引起人们的关注。这些重要林业害虫在我国的发生都是伴随着敏感外来树种的引进和大量不合理的种植而逐渐严重起来的。本文对外来树种的引进与本地林业虫害的发生之间的关系进行了分析,提出了外来树种的不合理引进可能诱发本地林业新虫害的观点,并对其发生机理以及相应的研究和治理对策进行了讨论。     

First Red-billed Quelea breeding record in the winter rainfall region of South Africa

The Red-billed Quelea Quelea quelea is a serious pest of agricultural crops throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa. Since the 1980s, it has expanded its range into the Eastern Cape and Western Cape, South Africa, facilitated by changes in agricultural practices. This note documents the first breeding of Red-billed Quelea in the winter rainfall region of South Africa. A colony of 350–600 nests was found, with evidence of recent breeding. Red-billed Quelea numbers were low in this region, but if numbers increase in the future in the Western Cape, winter crops could be under threat.     

Dreyfusia nordmannianae in Northern and Central Europe: potential for biological control and comments on its taxonomy

The silver fir woolly adelgid, Dreyfusia nordmannianae, is the most severe pest occurring on Abies nordmanniana in Central and Northern Europe. The adelgid is particularly damaging to trees in Christmas tree plantations. Dreyfusia nordmannianae is native to the Caucasus region and alien to Europe, where its natural enemy complex is less diverse compared to its area of origin. Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence data from the samples of D. nordmannianae collected in its native range and Europe and from the samples of Dreyfusia piceae and Dreyfusia prelli collected in Europe and North America were examined for phylogenetic structure. There was no evidence of differentiation, suggesting that these Dreyfusia species have recently diverged or require taxonomic revision. All existing published and unpublished reports on natural enemies of D. nordmannianae in its place of origin were reviewed, with the purpose of selecting agents for classical biological control in Europe. The literature review suggested that the most promising agent was the Chamaemyiidae fly, Leucopis hennigrata. A new survey in D. nordmannianae's area of origin – Turkey, Georgia and Russia – showed that L. hennigrata was present in all localities. It was particularly abundant in Turkey, where its impact on populations of D. nordmannianae appears to be high. Its use as a biological control agent is discussed, as well as other biological control strategies.     

Genetic variation and origin of red turpentine beetle (Dendroctonus valens LeConte) introduced to the People's Republic of China

Abstract 1 The red turpentine beetle, Dendroctonus valens LeConte, is a recent New World introduction to the People's Republic of China. An outbreak of these beetles has infested over 0.5 million hectares of pine forests. 2 Efforts are underway to suppress this outbreak using biological control measures. However, the wide distribution in the native range of D. valens suggests regional variation of the beetle's biology, predators, and parasitoids. Thus, knowledge of the origin of these beetles can help devise precise and effective control measures. 3 A portion of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene was sequenced for 218 individuals from 32 populations throughout the native range of D. valens and in China. 4 Haplotype diversity was high. A total of 131 haplotypes were found and Jukes–Cantor corrected nucleotide difference ranged from 0 to 16%. Haplotype diversity ranged from 0.53 to 0.98 and unique haplotypes were found in most populations. 5 Parsimony and statistical parsimony analyses of these haplotypes support the hypothesis that the introduction of D. valens to China was recent and originated from the Pacific North‐west of the U.S.A. 6 In addition, the high haplotype diversity also suggests a large or multiple introductions. However, based on the genetics of the beetle's reproductive behaviour, this diversity may also be explained by a limited number of individuals or introductions.     

Forecasting Helicoverpa populations in Australia： A comparison of regression based models and a bioclimatic based modelling approach

Abstract Long-term forecasts of pest pressure are central to the effective management of many agricultural insect pests. In the eastern cropping regions of Australia, serious infestations of Helicoverpa punctigera (Wallengren) and H. armigera (Hübner)(Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) are experienced annually. Regression analyses of a long series of light-trap catches of adult moths were used to describe the seasonal dynamics of both species. The size of the spring generation in eastern cropping zones could be related to rainfall in putative source areas in inland Australia. Subsequent generations could be related to the abundance of various crops in agricultural areas, rainfall and the magnitude of the spring population peak. As rainfall figured prominently as a predictor variable, and can itself be predicted using the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), trap catches were also related to this variable. The geographic distribution of each species was modelled in relation to climate and CLIMEX was used to predict temporal variation in abundance at given putative source sites in inland Australia using historical meteorological data. These predictions were then correlated with subsequent pest abundance data in a major cropping region. The regression-based and bioclimatic-based approaches to predicting pest abundance are compared and their utility in predicting and interpreting pest dynamics are discussed.