Progress 04/21/11 to 03/31/16
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416): 1. Improve performance of the sterile insect technique (SIT) as an integrated control tactic against invasive and established lepidopteran pests by developing techniques that accurately measure field performance of released sterile moths and evaluating various laboratory and semi- field bioassays for their ability to predict field performance of sterile moths. 2. Advance the ability to integrate and monitor SIT in abatement/ eradication programs against exotic/invasive Lepidoptera pests by developing methods and techniques to survey for the presence and density of both genders of target pest species, and to measure overflooding ratios and interaction of released sterile insects and wild insects; improving trapping and survey technology by developing calibrations that accurately predict pest population densities, trap efficiency, and efficacy of early detection programs for exotic pests; and, evaluating various marking techniques for identifying irradiated, released, and sterile moths and their interaction with the wild population, and measuring invasive pest movement and dispersal. 3. Increase our understanding of factors that affect insect pest invasiveness and establishment by examining and comparing mortality factors and host plant assemblages present in the insect pests� native geographical range with the mortality factors and host plant assemblages present in the adventive geographical range and studying the ecology of invasive Lepidoptera pests to understand the role of voltinism, multiple strain introductions, flight propensity and capacity, and strain interaction with respect to dispersal and invasiveness. Approach (from AD-416): We will conduct laboratory, greenhouse, and field research to improve the performance of the SIT as an integrated control tactic against invasive and established lepidopteran pests, advance the ability to integrate and monitor SIT in abatement/eradication programs against exotic/invasive Lepidoptera pests, and Increase our understanding of factors that affect insect pest invasiveness and establishment. This research, which emphasizes collaboration with State, Federal, and international cooperators, will result in improved management strategies for invasive insect pests that threaten U.S. agricultural and horticultural crops and natural ecosystems. Invasive alien species are constantly threatening the abundant plant resources and the plant-based industries of the United States. Many of the most serious insect pests in the U.S. are introduced Lepidopterans. Action Agencies like the USDA-APHIS need pest control options and technologies such as the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) that are effective, environmentally-benign, and socially-acceptable in order to provide a rapid response to newly invasive lepidopteran species in agricultural, urban and environmentally-sensitive areas. The SIT has been a useful tactic for combating lepidopteran pest species; however, implementing the SIT against an invasive species requires a high level of organization, substantial funding, and a considerable knowledge of the biology and ecology of the invasive pest. Improved knowledge, control tactics, technologies, strategies and assays are needed to reduce the costs and increase the successful implementation of the SIT against invasive Lepidoptera. This is the final report for Project 6048-22000-042-00D, which has been replaced by new Project 6048-22000-045-00D. The lone SY on this project retired January 3, 2016. All cactoblastic responsibilities under the project were transferred to ARS, Tallahassee, Florida. Support staff in Tifton, Georgia, are rearing egg sticks for delivery to Tallahassee, Florida, but all other progress is on hiatus until recruitment for a new SY is completed.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Ni, X., Toews, M.D., Buntin, G., Carpenter, J.E., Huffaker, A., Schmelz, E. A., Cottrell, T.E., Abdo, Z. 2014. Influence of brown stink bug feeding, planting date and sampling time on common smut infection of maize. Insect Science. 21(5):564-571.
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Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416): 1. Improve performance of the sterile insect technique (SIT) as an integrated control tactic against invasive and established lepidopteran pests by developing techniques that accurately measure field performance of released sterile moths and evaluating various laboratory and semi- field bioassays for their ability to predict field performance of sterile moths. 2. Advance the ability to integrate and monitor SIT in abatement/ eradication programs against exotic/invasive Lepidoptera pests by developing methods and techniques to survey for the presence and density of both genders of target pest species, and to measure overflooding ratios and interaction of released sterile insects and wild insects; improving trapping and survey technology by developing calibrations that accurately predict pest population densities, trap efficiency, and efficacy of early detection programs for exotic pests; and, evaluating various marking techniques for identifying irradiated, released, and sterile moths and their interaction with the wild population, and measuring invasive pest movement and dispersal. 3. Increase our understanding of factors that affect insect pest invasiveness and establishment by examining and comparing mortality factors and host plant assemblages present in the insect pests� native geographical range with the mortality factors and host plant assemblages present in the adventive geographical range and studying the ecology of invasive Lepidoptera pests to understand the role of voltinism, multiple strain introductions, flight propensity and capacity, and strain interaction with respect to dispersal and invasiveness. Approach (from AD-416): We will conduct laboratory, greenhouse, and field research to improve the performance of the SIT as an integrated control tactic against invasive and established lepidopteran pests, advance the ability to integrate and monitor SIT in abatement/eradication programs against exotic/invasive Lepidoptera pests, and Increase our understanding of factors that affect insect pest invasiveness and establishment. This research, which emphasizes collaboration with State, Federal, and international cooperators, will result in improved management strategies for invasive insect pests that threaten U.S. agricultural and horticultural crops and natural ecosystems. Invasive alien species are constantly threatening the abundant plant resources and the plant-based industries of the United States. Many of the most serious insect pests in the U.S. are introduced Lepidopterans. Action Agencies like the USDA-APHIS need pest control options and technologies such as the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) that are effective, environmentally-benign, and socially-acceptable in order to provide a rapid response to newly invasive lepidopteran species in agricultural, urban and environmentally-sensitive areas. The SIT has been a useful tactic for combating lepidopteran pest species; however, implementing the SIT against an invasive species requires a high level of organization, substantial funding, and a considerable knowledge of the biology and ecology of the invasive pest. Improved knowledge, control tactics, technologies, strategies and assays are needed to reduce the costs and increase the successful implementation of the SIT against invasive Lepidoptera. Research activities and experimental trials were conducted to optimize the sterile insect technique (SIT) and develop control tactics to manage/ exclude invasive and exotic lepidopteran pest species. A continued effort was directed toward the improvement of a Bi-National Program to control/ eradication the Argentine cactus moth, an invasive pest that poses a serious threat to native Opuntia cacti biodiversity and Opuntia-based industries in the southwestern USA and Mexico. In cooperative partnerships with USDA-APHIS, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), North American Plant Protection Organization, Florida Division of Plant Industry, the University of Florida, and SAGARPA, Mexico, we continued to develop new control technologies that offer sustainable management options for this pest in native desert ecosystems and commercial cactus production areas, including biological control and the disruption of pheromone communication systems (adult and larval). In cooperation with scientists from FuEDEI (Fundaci�n Para el Estudio de Especies Invasivas), Argentina, we examined the host range of a newly described larval parasitoid of the cactus moth through field surveys and laboratory bioassays, and initiated an examination of museum records. These studies have revealed that this parasitoid, Apanteles opuntiarum, endemic to Argentina has a very narrow host range in Argentina. We collected A. opuntiarum from various field sites in Argentina, established a colony of A. opuntiarum in a quarantine facility in Gainesville, FL, developed rearing protocols with the aim of increasing the production of parasitoid females, and continued testing of its potential host range on North American lepidopteran species. Because preliminary field trials in Argentina on a formulation of the synthetic C. cactorum sex pheromone as a mating disruptant significantly reduced mating and oviposition in the pheromone-treated plots, expanded field trials were conducted at a plantation level to evaluate a pheromone dispenser that should improve field application and maximize the release rate of the pheromone components. In continued collaboration with scientists from SUNY, Cortland, NY, we conducted laboratory and field studies to evaluate the efficacy of the trail-following pheromone in C. cactorum larvae, or a suitable pheromone mimic formulation, to disrupt the gregarious behavior required for larvae to successfully attack Opuntia. Other research activities have included the continued development and testing of bioassays, and the use of stable isotopes as markers, to evaluate the quality of sterile moths for lepidopteran SIT programs. The work was conducted with colleagues from several countries as part of an International Atomic Energy Agency Coordinated Research Project, the results of which are being published as a special issue of the Florida Entomologist. Accomplishments 01 Control of the invasive Argentine cactus moth in North America using semiochemicals. Following the successful eradication of the cactus moth from Mexico using control tactics including the sterile insect technique, scientists from the USDA-ARS Crop Protection and Management Research Unit, Tifton, GA, in collaboration with USDA-ARS-CMAVE in Tallahassee, FL, have continued to develop new control technologies that offer sustainable management options for this pest in native desert ecosystems and commercial cactus production areas, including pheromone mating disruption and disruption of the larval trail- following pheromone. In cooperation with scientists from FuEDEI (Fundaci�n Para el Estudio de Especies Invasivas), Argentina, we conducted mating disruption trials in two plantations in the Argentina provinces of Catamarca and Santiago del Estero. Pheromone dispensers placed at the rate of 1,000/ha significantly reduced male moths captured in pheromone-baited traps, and significantly reduced the number of eggs laid in the treated areas. In cooperation with scientists from SUNY Cortland, NY, laboratory and field trials demonstrated that plant surface treatments with a trail-following pheromone significantly reduce the establishment and survival of cactus moth larvae. Results from these trials using semiochemicals as a control tactic are very encouraging for the further development of two different management tools in commercial cactus plantations.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Hofmeyr, J., Carpenter, J.E., Bloem, S., Hofmeyr, M., Groenwald, S.S. 2015. Development of the sterile insect technique to suppress false codling moth Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in citrus fruit: Research to implementation (Part 1). African Entomology. 23(1):180-186.
- Varone, L., Lagarzo, G., Martinez, J.J., Navarro, F., Carpenter, J.E., Hight, S.D. 2015. Field host range of Apanteles opuntiarum (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in Argentina, a potential biocontrol agent of Cactoblastis cactorum (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in North America. Florida Entomologist. 98(2):803-806.
- Guala, M.E., Varone, L., Logarzo, G.A., Carpenter, J.E., Hight, S.D. 2013. Reproductive biology of Apanteles opuntiarum (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), biological control agent of Cactoblastis cactorum (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in Mexico and USA. Acta Zoological Bohem. 57(Suppl.S):42-44.
- Fitzgerald, T.D., Kelly, M., Potter, T., Carpenter, J.E., Rossi, F. 2015. Trail following response of larval Cactoblastis cactorum to 2-acyl-1,3 cyclohexane diones. Journal of Chemical Ecology. 41(4):409-417. doi: 10. 1007/S10886-015-0567-9.
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Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/14
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416): 1. Improve performance of the sterile insect technique (SIT) as an integrated control tactic against invasive and established lepidopteran pests by developing techniques that accurately measure field performance of released sterile moths and evaluating various laboratory and semi- field bioassays for their ability to predict field performance of sterile moths. 2. Advance the ability to integrate and monitor SIT in abatement/ eradication programs against exotic/invasive Lepidoptera pests by developing methods and techniques to survey for the presence and density of both genders of target pest species, and to measure overflooding ratios and interaction of released sterile insects and wild insects; improving trapping and survey technology by developing calibrations that accurately predict pest population densities, trap efficiency, and efficacy of early detection programs for exotic pests; and, evaluating various marking techniques for identifying irradiated, released, and sterile moths and their interaction with the wild population, and measuring invasive pest movement and dispersal. 3. Increase our understanding of factors that affect insect pest invasiveness and establishment by examining and comparing mortality factors and host plant assemblages present in the insect pests� native geographical range with the mortality factors and host plant assemblages present in the adventive geographical range and studying the ecology of invasive Lepidoptera pests to understand the role of voltinism, multiple strain introductions, flight propensity and capacity, and strain interaction with respect to dispersal and invasiveness. Approach (from AD-416): We will conduct laboratory, greenhouse, and field research to improve the performance of the SIT as an integrated control tactic against invasive and established lepidopteran pests, advance the ability to integrate and monitor SIT in abatement/eradication programs against exotic/invasive Lepidoptera pests, and Increase our understanding of factors that affect insect pest invasiveness and establishment. This research, which emphasizes collaboration with State, Federal, and international cooperators, will result in improved management strategies for invasive insect pests that threaten U.S. agricultural and horticultural crops and natural ecosystems. Invasive alien species are constantly threatening the abundant plant resources and the plant-based industries of the United States. Many of the most serious insect pests in the U.S. are introduced Lepidopterans. Action Agencies like the USDA-APHIS need pest control options and technologies such as the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) that are effective, environmentally-benign, and socially-acceptable in order to provide a rapid response to newly invasive lepidopteran species in agricultural, urban and environmentally-sensitive areas. The SIT has been a useful tactic for combating lepidopteran pest species; however, implementing the SIT against an invasive species requires a high level of organization, substantial funding, and a considerable knowledge of the biology and ecology of the invasive pest. Improved knowledge, control tactics, technologies, strategies and assays are needed to reduce the costs and increase the successful implementation of the SIT against invasive Lepidoptera. Research activities and experimental trials were conducted to optimize the sterile insect technique (SIT) and develop control tactics to manage/ exclude invasive and exotic lepidopteran pest species. A continued effort was directed toward the improvement of a Bi-National Program to control/ eradication of the Argentine cactus moth, an invasive pest that poses a serious threat to native Opuntia cacti biodiversity and Opuntia-based industries in the southwestern USA and Mexico. In cooperative partnerships with USDA-APHIS, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), North American Plant Protection Organization, Florida Division of Plant Industry, the University of Florida, and Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food, Mexico, we continued to develop new control technologies that offer sustainable management options for this pest in native desert ecosystems and commercial cactus production areas, including biological control and the disruption of pheromone communication systems (adult and larval). In cooperation with scientists from FuEDEI (Fundaci�n Para el Estudio de Especies Invasivas), Argentina, we examined the host range of a newly described larval parasitoid of the cactus moth through field surveys and laboratory bioassays. These studies indicated that this parasitoid, Apanteles opuntiarum, endemic to Argentina has a very narrow host range in Argentina. We established a colony of A. opuntiarum in a quarrentine facility in Gainesville, Florida, developed rearing protocols to insure the production of parasitoid females, and initiated testing of its potential host range on North American lepidopteran species. Because preliminary field trials in Argentina on a formulation of the synthetic Cactoblastis cactorum sex pheromone as a mating disruptant significantly reduced mating and oviposition in the pheromone-treated plots, expanded field trials have been initiated at a plantation level to evaluate a pheromone dispenser that should improve field application and maximize the release rate of the pheromone components. In continued collaboration with scientists from The State University of New York, Cortland, New York, studies are ongoing to evaluate the efficacy of the trail-following pheromone in C. cactorum larvae, or a suitable pheromone mimic formulation, to disrupt the gregarious behavior required to successfully attack Opuntia. Other research activities have included the continued development and testing of bioassays, and the use of stable isotopes as markers, to evaluate the quality of sterile moths for lepidopteran SIT programs. The work was conducted with colleagues from several countries as part of an IAEA Coordinated Research Project. A Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement (6602-22000-042-02R)- "Improved Tactics for Integrated Control and Containment of Cactoblastis Cactorum" with APHIS will terminate 9/30/2014. Progress for this agreement is noted in the overall progress of the parent project above. Interagency Agreement (6602-22000-042-03I) - "Enhanced Mitigation Techniques for Control of Cactoblastis Cactorum" with APHIS will terminate 9/30/2014. Progress for this agreement is noted in the overall progress of the parent project above. Significant Activities that Support Special Target Populations: Served as courtesy graduate committee professor at Florida A&M Unviersity and assisted in research training opportunities to a graduate student from Florida A&M University. Accomplishments 01 Mating disruption developed for the control of the invasive Argentine cactus moth in North America. Subsequent to its detection in south Florida in 1989, the Argentine cactus moth which has had two incursions in Mexico, has expanded its range along the Atlantic Coast and west along the Gulf Coast to the barrier islands of Mississippi and bayous of Louisiana, and has become an imminent threat to many Opuntia cactus species valued as a food, a forage, a wildlife habitat, and a major plant group contributing to ecosystem struction and biodiversity. Following the successful eradication of this pest from Mexico using control tactics including the sterile insect technique, scientists from the USDA-ARS Crop Protection and Management Research Unit, Tifton, Georgia, in collaboration with USDA-ARS-CMAVE in Tallahassee, Florida, have continued to develop new control technologies that offer sustainable management options for this pest in native desert ecosystems and commercial cactus production areas, including mating disruption. In cooperation with scientists from FuEDEI (Fundacion Para el Estudio de Especies Invasivas), Argentina, we conducted mating disruption trials disruption trials at two plantations, El Virque and Porton Blanco, in the Argentina provinces of Catamarca and Santiago del Estero. At these locations we had 4 and 3 replicates, respectively, consisting of 1-ha plots with either no treatment (control) or pheromone dispensers placed at the rate of 1,000/ha. In El Virque, we saw a statistically significant reduction in male capture from control to treated of 85% over the 5 week study and a statistically significant reduction in egg-stick production from control to treated of 90%. In Porton Blanco, male capture was significantly reduced by >90% and egg- stick production was significantly reduced by >99%. In these trials mating disruption as a management toll in commercial cactus plantations.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Lopez-Martinez, G., Carpenter, J.E., Hight, S.D., Hahn, D.A. 2014. Low- oxygen atmospheric treatment improves the performance of irradiation- sterilized male cactus moths used in SIT. Journal of Economic Entomology. 107(1):185-197.
- Varone, L., Logarzo, G., Briano, J.A., Hight, S.D., Carpenter, J.E. 2014. Cactoblastis cactorum (Berg) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) use of Opuntia host species in Argentina. Biological Invasions. DOI 10.1007/s10530-014-670-9.
- Fitzgerald, T.D., Wolfin, M., Rossi, F., Carpenter, J.E., Pescador-Rubio, A. 2014. Trail marking by the larvae of the cactus moth Cactoblastis cactorum (Lepideptera: Pyralidae). Journal of Insect Science. 14(64).
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Progress 10/01/12 to 09/30/13
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416): 1. Improve performance of the sterile insect technique (SIT) as an integrated control tactic against invasive and established lepidopteran pests by developing techniques that accurately measure field performance of released sterile moths and evaluating various laboratory and semi- field bioassays for their ability to predict field performance of sterile moths. 2. Advance the ability to integrate and monitor SIT in abatement/ eradication programs against exotic/invasive Lepidoptera pests by developing methods and techniques to survey for the presence and density of both genders of target pest species, and to measure overflooding ratios and interaction of released sterile insects and wild insects; improving trapping and survey technology by developing calibrations that accurately predict pest population densities, trap efficiency, and efficacy of early detection programs for exotic pests; and, evaluating various marking techniques for identifying irradiated, released, and sterile moths and their interaction with the wild population, and measuring invasive pest movement and dispersal. 3. Increase our understanding of factors that affect insect pest invasiveness and establishment by examining and comparing mortality factors and host plant assemblages present in the insect pests� native geographical range with the mortality factors and host plant assemblages present in the adventive geographical range and studying the ecology of invasive Lepidoptera pests to understand the role of voltinism, multiple strain introductions, flight propensity and capacity, and strain interaction with respect to dispersal and invasiveness. Approach (from AD-416): We will conduct laboratory, greenhouse, and field research to improve the performance of the SIT as an integrated control tactic against invasive and established lepidopteran pests, advance the ability to integrate and monitor SIT in abatement/eradication programs against exotic/invasive Lepidoptera pests, and Increase our understanding of factors that affect insect pest invasiveness and establishment. This research, which emphasizes collaboration with State, Federal, and international cooperators, will result in improved management strategies for invasive insect pests that threaten U.S. agricultural and horticultural crops and natural ecosystems. Invasive alien species are constantly threatening the abundant plant resources and the plant-based industries of the United States. Many of the most serious insect pests in the U.S. are introduced Lepidopterans. Action Agencies like the USDA-APHIS need pest control options and technologies such as the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) that are effective, environmentally-benign, and socially-acceptable in order to provide a rapid response to newly invasive lepidopteran species in agricultural, urban and environmentally-sensitive areas. The SIT has been a useful tactic for combating lepidopteran pest species; however, implementing the SIT against an invasive species requires a high level of organization, substantial funding, and a considerable knowledge of the biology and ecology of the invasive pest. Improved knowledge, control tactics, technologies, strategies and assays are needed to reduce the costs and increase the successful implementation of the SIT against invasive Lepidoptera. Research activities and experimental trials were conducted to optimize the sterile insect technique (SIT) and develop control tactics to manage/ exclude invasive and exotic lepidopteran pest species. A continued effort was directed toward the improvement of a Bi-National Program to control/ eradication the Argentine cactus moth, an invasive pest that threatens native Opuntia cacti biodiversity and Opuntia-based industries in the southwestern USA and Mexico. In cooperation with USDA-APHIS, the IAEA, the NAPPO, Florida Division of Plant Industry, the University of Florida, and SAGARPA, Mexico, we continued developing and testing quality control bioassays, continued field trials to improve the pheromone lure for monitoring pest presence and population levels, improved handling and irradiation procedures for the SIT, and improved interstate and international shipping protocols that would preserve the quality of sterile moths to be used in SIT releases. Following the successful eradication of this pest from Mexico, the Bi-National Program established a mass-rearing insectary for the production of sterile moths at the Florida Department of Plant Industries Laboratory in Gainesville, Florida, to supplement the sterile moth production at the ARS CPMRU research laboratory and eventually provide the moths for the operational program. To insure moth quality, laboratory and field bioassays were conducted on sterile moths from both insectaries. Research findings on quality assessments and comparisons between the two insectaries have been incorporated into a manuscript and into the Bi-National Program against the cactus moth. Data from this study were used as feedback mechanisms to make protocol changes both rearing and handling that improved moth quality and performance. Research has continued to develop new control technologies that offer sustainable management options for this pest in native desert ecosystems and commercial cactus production areas, including biological control and the disruption of pheromone communication systems (adult and larval). In cooperation with scientists from FuEDEI, Argentina, we found that a newly described larval parasitoid of the cactus moth, Apanteles opuntiarum, endemic to Argentina has a very narrow host range in Argentina. We established a colony of A. opuntiarum in a quarantine facility in Gainesville, Florida, for further testing of its potential host range on North American lepidopteran species. These scientists also conducted field trials in Argentina on a formulation of the synthetic C. cactorum sex pheromone as a mating disruptant, and observed that both mating and oviposition were significantly reduced in the pheromone-treated plots. In continued collaboration with scientists from SUNY, Cortland, New York, we are evaluating the efficacy of a trail- following pheromone in C. cactorum larvae to disrupt the gregarious behavior required to successfully attack Opuntia. Also, bioassays to evaluate the quality of sterile moths for lepidopteran SIT programs have been conducted in South Africa using the codling moth as a model system with the cooperation of the Agricultural Research Council of South Africa and the IAEA. Accomplishments 01 Biological control agent targeted for the control of the invasive Argentine cactus moth in North America. Subsequent to its detection in south Florida in 1989, the Argentine cactus moth has had two incursions in Mexico, has expanded its range along the Atlantic Coast and west along the Gulf Coast to the barrier islands of Mississippi and bayous of Louisiana, and has become an imminent threat to many Opuntia cactus species valued as a food, a forage, a wildlife habitat, and a major plant group contributing to ecosystem structure and biodiversity. Following the successful eradication of this pest from Mexico using control tactics including the sterile insect technique, scientists from the USDA-ARS Crop Protection and Management Research Unit, Tifton, GA, in collaboration with USDA-ARS-CMAVE in Tallahassee, FL, have continued to develop new control technologies that offer sustainable management options for this pest in native desert ecosystems and commercial cactus production areas, including biological control. In cooperation with scientists from FuEDEI (Fundaci�n Para el Estudio de Especies Invasivas) , Argentina, we examined the host range of a newly described larval parasitoid of the cactus moth through field surveys and laboratory bioassays. These studies indicated that this parasitoid, Apanteles opuntiarum, native to Argentina has a very narrow host range in Argentina. These scientists, in cooperation with scientists from USDA- APHIS and Florida Department of Agriculture, Division of Plant Industry, collected A. opuntiarum from the field in Argentina and established a colony in a quarantine facility in Gainesville, FL, for further testing of its potential host range on North American lepidopteran species.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Carpenter, J.E., Hight, S.D. 2012. Rearing the oligophagous Cactoblastis cactorum (Lepideptera: Pyralidae) on meridic diets without host plant materials. Florida Entomologist. 95(4):1132-1141.
- Carpenter, J.E., Blomefield, T., Hight, S.D. 2013. Comparison of laboratory and field bioassays of lab-reared Cydia pomonella (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) quality and field performance. Journal of Applied Entomology. 137:631-540. DOI:10.1111/jen.12039.
- Varone, L., Mariana, M., Logarzo, G.A., Briano, J., Hight, S.D., Carpenter, J.E. 2012. Performance of cactoblastis cactorum (Berg) (Lepidoptera:Pyralidae) on South and North American Opuntia species occurring in Argentina. Florida Entomologist. 95(4):1163-1173.
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Progress 10/01/11 to 09/30/12
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416): 1. Improve performance of the sterile insect technique (SIT) as an integrated control tactic against invasive and established lepidopteran pests by developing techniques that accurately measure field performance of released sterile moths and evaluating various laboratory and semi- field bioassays for their ability to predict field performance of sterile moths. 2. Advance the ability to integrate and monitor SIT in abatement/eradication programs against exotic/invasive Lepidoptera pests by developing methods and techniques to survey for the presence and density of both genders of target pest species, and to measure overflooding ratios and interaction of released sterile insects and wild insects; improving trapping and survey technology by developing calibrations that accurately predict pest population densities, trap efficiency, and efficacy of early detection programs for exotic pests; and, evaluating various marking techniques for identifying irradiated, released, and sterile moths and their interaction with the wild population, and measuring invasive pest movement and dispersal. 3. Increase our understanding of factors that affect insect pest invasiveness and establishment by examining and comparing mortality factors and host plant assemblages present in the insect pests� native geographical range with the mortality factors and host plant assemblages present in the adventive geographical range and studying the ecology of invasive Lepidoptera pests to understand the role of voltinism, multiple strain introductions, flight propensity and capacity, and strain interaction with respect to dispersal and invasiveness. Approach (from AD-416): We will conduct laboratory, greenhouse, and field research to improve the performance of the SIT as an integrated control tactic against invasive and established lepidopteran pests, advance the ability to integrate and monitor SIT in abatement/eradication programs against exotic/invasive Lepidoptera pests, and Increase our understanding of factors that affect insect pest invasiveness and establishment. This research, which emphasizes collaboration with State, Federal, and international cooperators, will result in improved management strategies for invasive insect pests that threaten U.S. agricultural and horticultural crops and natural ecosystems. Invasive alien species are constantly threatening the abundant plant resources and the plant-based industries of the United States. Many of the most serious insect pests in the U.S. are introduced Lepidopterans. Action Agencies like the USDA-APHIS need pest control options and technologies such as the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) that are effective, environmentally-benign, and socially-acceptable in order to provide a rapid response to newly invasive lepidopteran species in agricultural, urban and environmentally-sensitive areas. The SIT has been a useful tactic for combating lepidopteran pest species; however, implementing the SIT against an invasive species requires a high level of organization, substantial funding, and a considerable knowledge of the biology and ecology of the invasive pest. Improved knowledge, control tactics, technologies, strategies and assays are needed to reduce the costs and increase the successful implementation of the SIT against invasive Lepidoptera. Research activities and experimental trials were conducted to optimize sterile insect technique (SIT) and inherited sterility tactics to manage/exclude invasive and exotic lepidopteran pest species. A significant effort was directed toward the improvement of a USDA-APHIS control/eradication strategy for the Argentine cactus moth, an invasive pest that poses a serious threat to native Opuntia cacti biodiversity and Opuntia-based industries in the southwestern USA and Mexico. In cooperative partnerships with USDA-APHIS, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), North American Plant Protection Organization, Florida Division of Plant Industry, and Secretaria de Agricultura, Ganaderia, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca Y Alimentacion (SAGARPA), Mexico, we continued developing and testing quality control bioassays, continued field trials to improve the pheromone lure for monitoring pest presence and population levels, improved handling and irradiation procedures for the SIT, and improved interstate and international shipping protocols that would preserve the quality of sterile moths to be used in SIT releases. Following the successful eradication of this pest from Mexico, the Bi- National Program established a mass-rearing insectary for the production of sterile moths at the Florida Department of Plant Industries Laboratory in Gainesville, Florida, to supplement the sterile moth production at the ARS-Crop Protection and Management Research Unit and eventually provide the moths for the operational program. To insure moth quality, laboratory and field bioassays were conducted on sterile moths from both insectaries. Data from the quality assessments and comparisons between the two insectaries were used as feedback mechanisms to make protocol changes both rearing and handling that improved moth quality and performance. The findings from these studies have been incorporated into the Bi-National Program against the cactus moth. Research has been initiated to develop new control technologies that offer sustainable management options for this pest in native desert ecosystems and commercial cactus production areas, including biological control and the disruption of pheromone communication systems (adult and larval). We identified a formulation of the synthetic adult sex pheromone that improved moth captures that contains only two of the original three components. Research has been initiated to identify the best formulation of a two-component pheromone blend for use in mating disruption trials. Also, in collaboration with scientists from SUNY, Cortland, New York, studies are ongoing to fully characterize a recently discovered trail-following pheromone in cactus moth larvae that may be crucial to the gregarious behavior required to successfully attack Opuntia. Other research activities have included the development and testing of bioassays to evaluate the quality of sterile moths for lepidopteran SIT programs. The work was conducted in South Africa using the codling moth as a model system with the cooperation of the Agricultural Research Council of South Africa and the IAEA. Accomplishments 01 Control strategy mitigates the threat of the invasive Argentine cactus moth in North America. Subsequent to its detection in south Florida in 1989, the Argentine cactus moth has had two incursions in Mexico, has expanded its range along the Atlantic Coast and west along the Gulf Coas to the barrier islands of Mississippi and bayous of Louisiana, and has become an imminent threat to many Opuntia cactus species valued as a foo a forage, a wildlife habitat, and a major plant group contributing to ecosystem structure and biodiversity. Following the successful eradicati of this pest from Mexico using control tactics including the sterile insect technique, scientists from the USDA-ARS Crop Protection and Management Research Unit, Tifton, Georgia, in collaboration with USDA-AR CMAVE in Tallahassee, Florida and USDA-APHIS transferred mass-rearing technology to the Florida Department of Plant Industries Laboratory in Gainesville, Florida, and assisted in the establishment of an insectary supported by USDA-APHIS to supply sterile moths for the U.S.-Mexico bi- national cactus moth program. To insure moth quality, laboratory and fie bioassays were developed and conducted on sterile moths, and data were used as feedback mechanisms to make protocol changes in both rearing and handling that improved moth quality and performance. USDA-APHIS and SAGARPA, Mexico continue to use these methods and tactics in the operational program that is part of an ongoing U.S.-Mexico bi-national campaign against this invasive pest to mitigate the further westward expansion or outbreak of pest populations.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Carpenter, J.E., Blomefield, T., Vreysen, M. 2012. A flight cylinder bioassay as a simple, effective quality control test for the codling moth, Cydia pomonella in the context of the sterile insect technique? Journal of Applied Entomology. DOI:10.111/j.1439-0418.2012.01771.x.
- Blomefield, T., Carpenter, J.E., Vreysen, M. 2011. Quality of mass-reared codling moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) after long distance transportation: 1. Logistics of shipping procedures and quality parameters as measured in the laboratory. Journal of Economic Entomology. 104(3):814- 822.
- Jezorek, H., Stiling, P., Carpenter, J.E. 2011. Ant predation on an invasive herbivore: Can an extrafloral nectar-producing plant provide associational resistance to Opuntia individuals? Biological Invasions. 13:2261-2273.
- Grasela, J.J., McIntosh, A.H., Ringbauer Jr, J.A., Goodman, C.L., Carpenter, J.E., Popham, H.J. 2012. Development of cell lines from the cactophagous insect: Cactoblastis cactorum (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and their susceptibility to three baculoviruses. In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology - Animals. 48:293-300.
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Progress 10/01/10 to 09/30/11
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416) 1. Improve performance of the sterile insect technique (SIT) as an integrated control tactic against invasive and established lepidopteran pests by developing techniques that accurately measure field performance of released sterile moths and evaluating various laboratory and semi- field bioassays for their ability to predict field performance of sterile moths. 2. Advance the ability to integrate and monitor SIT in abatement/eradication programs against exotic/invasive Lepidoptera pests by developing methods and techniques to survey for the presence and density of both genders of target pest species, and to measure overflooding ratios and interaction of released sterile insects and wild insects; improving trapping and survey technology by developing calibrations that accurately predict pest population densities, trap efficiency, and efficacy of early detection programs for exotic pests; and, evaluating various marking techniques for identifying irradiated, released, and sterile moths and their interaction with the wild population, and measuring invasive pest movement and dispersal. 3. Increase our understanding of factors that affect insect pest invasiveness and establishment by examining and comparing mortality factors and host plant assemblages present in the insect pests� native geographical range with the mortality factors and host plant assemblages present in the adventive geographical range and studying the ecology of invasive Lepidoptera pests to understand the role of voltinism, multiple strain introductions, flight propensity and capacity, and strain interaction with respect to dispersal and invasiveness. Approach (from AD-416) We will conduct laboratory, greenhouse, and field research to improve the performance of the SIT as an integrated control tactic against invasive and established lepidopteran pests, advance the ability to integrate and monitor SIT in abatement/eradication programs against exotic/invasive Lepidoptera pests, and Increase our understanding of factors that affect insect pest invasiveness and establishment. This research, which emphasizes collaboration with State, Federal, and international cooperators, will result in improved management strategies for invasive insect pests that threaten U.S. agricultural and horticultural crops and natural ecosystems. Invasive alien species are constantly threatening the abundant plant resources and the plant-based industries of the United States. Many of the most serious insect pests in the U.S. are introduced Lepidopterans. Action Agencies like the USDA-APHIS need pest control options and technologies such as the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) that are effective, environmentally-benign, and socially-acceptable in order to provide a rapid response to newly invasive lepidopteran species in agricultural, urban and environmentally-sensitive areas. The SIT has been a useful tactic for combating lepidopteran pest species; however, implementing the SIT against an invasive species requires a high level of organization, substantial funding, and a considerable knowledge of the biology and ecology of the invasive pest. Improved knowledge, control tactics, technologies, strategies and assays are needed to reduce the costs and increase the successful implementation of the SIT against invasive Lepidoptera. Research activities and experimental trials were conducted to optimize sterile insect technique (SIT) and inherited sterility tactics to manage/exclude invasive and exotic lepidopteran pest species. A significant effort was directed toward the improvement of a USDA-APHIS control/eradication strategy for the Argentine cactus moth, an invasive pest in the United States and a recently established pest on islands off the coast of Quintana Roo, Mexico. As a result of our research and cooperative partnerships with USDA-APHIS, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), North American Plant Protection Organization, Florida Division of Plant Industry, and SAGARPA, Mexico, we continued developing and testing quality control bioassays, continued field trials to improve the pheromone lure for monitoring pest presence and population levels, improved handling and irradiation procedures for the SIT, and improved interstate and international shipping protocols that would preserve the quality of sterile moths to be used in SIT releases. The initial findings from these studies have been incorporated into the U.S. - Mexico Bi- National Program against the cactus moth. These findings and activities have contributed to the further reduction of established populations of this pest on Mississippi and Alabama barrier islands, in Louisiana bayous, and along the northwest Gulf coast of Florida, mitigating the further westward expansion of pest populations along the Gulf of Mexico. Other research activities have included the completion of a multi-year field study to evaluate the quality of sterile moths for lepidopteran SIT programs following trans-hemisphere commercial shipments. The work was conducted in South Africa using the codling moth as a model system with the cooperation of the Agricultural Research Council of South Africa and the IAEA. Accomplishments 01 Control strategy mitigates the threat of the invasive Argentine cactus moth in the United States and eradicates the pest in Mexico. Subsequent its detection in south Florida in 1989, the Argentine cactus moth expand its range 50-100 miles per year along the Atlantic Coast and west along the Gulf Coast to the barrier islands of Mississippi and bayous of Louisiana, and has become an imminent threat to many Opuntia cactus species valued as a food, a forage, a wildlife habitat, and a major plan group contributing to ecosystem structure and biodiversity. Scientists from the USDA-ARS Crop Protection and Management Research Unit, Tifton, in collaboration with USDA-ARS-CMAVE in Tallahassee, FL and USDA-APHIS, improved and refined survey methods and control tactics using field sanitation combined with sterile insect releases (SIT) along the leading edge of the invasion and at new outbreak locations. With the cooperation of ARS, USDA-APHIS and SAGARPA, Mexico continue to adopt and implement these methods and tactics in the operational program that is part of an ongoing U.S.-Mexico bi-national campaign against this invasive pest. Following the successful eradication of this pest from islands off the coast of Quintana Roo, Mexico, these tactics have contributed to the further reduction of established populations of this pest on Mississippi and Alabama barrier islands, in Louisiana bayous, and along the northwes Gulf coast of Florida, mitigating the further westward expansion of pest populations along the Gulf of Mexico.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Carpenter, J.E., Bloem, S., Taggart, S. 2009. Effect of rearing strategy and gamma radiation on fecundity and fertility of codling moth Cydia pomonella (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Journal of Applied Entomology. 134:221-226.
- Blomefield, T.L., Bloem, S., Carpenter, J.E. 2009. Effect of radiation on fecundity and fertility of codling moth Cydia pomonella (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) from South Africa. Journal of Applied Entomology. 134:216-220.
- Hall, D.G., Shatters, R.G., Carpenter, J.E., Shapiro, J.P. 2010. Research toward an artificial diet for adult Asian citrus psyllid. Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 103:611-617.
- Jezorek, H., Stiling, P., Carpenter, J.E. 2010. Targets of an Invasive Species: Oviposition Preference and Larval Performance of Cactoblastis Cactorum on 14 North American Opuntioid Cacti. Environmental Entomology. 39(6):1884-1892.
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