Factors Affecting Population Dynamics of Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in a Mixed Landscape with Bt Cotton and Peanut.

In North America, weather and host-plant abundance drive the population dynamics of the migratory pest Helicoverpa zea. The objectives of this study were to (i) estimate monthly abundance of H. zea moths in Bt cotton and peanut fields, (ii) document the effects of weather on H. zea trap catches, and (iii) determine larval hosts supporting H. zea populations from 2017 to 2019. Year-round trapping of H. zea moths was conducted in 16 commercial fields in two regions of the Florida Panhandle using delta traps. H. zea moth catches were associated with temperature, rainfall, and relative humidity. Larval hosts were determined by isotopic carbon analysis. Our results showed year-round H. zea flights in both regions across two years, with the highest and lowest moth catches occurring from July to September and November to March, respectively. There was no difference in catches between traps set on Bt cotton and peanut. In the Santa Rosa/Escambia counties, weather explained 59% of the variance in H. zea catches, with significant effects of temperature, relative humidity, and rainfall. In Jackson County, weather explained 38% of H. zea catches, with significant effects of temperature and relative humidity. Carbon isotopic data showed that feeding on C3 plants, including Bt cotton, occurred over most of the year, although feeding on C4 hosts, including Bt corn, occurred during the summer months. Hence overwintering and resident populations of H. zea in the Florida Panhandle may be continually exposed to Bt crops, increasing the risk for the evolution of resistance.

Balclutha jafara (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae): integrative identification of a species introduced in the Western Hemisphere, and notes on other Balclutha.

Leafhopper specimens of the genus Balclutha Kirkaldy, found in southern Florida (Palm Beach and Collier Counties), United States, beginning in 2020, and in shipments of plant products originating from Colombia and entering the United States beginning in 2019, are identified as B. jafara Webb. This species was previously known only from the Seychelles and Aldabra Islands, which are parts of the Seychelles archipelago in the Indian Ocean east of mainland Africa. Identifications were made by comparison with type specimens, both morphologically and through molecular analysis. Specimens in Palm Beach Co. were swept from commercial rice (Oryza sativa L.) paddies. Mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) barcodes of specimens from Florida and Colombia were closely matched to each other and to partial barcodes obtained from paratype specimens of B. jafara. The COI barcodes also closely matched sequences from previously unidentified Balclutha specimens in the Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) from Kenya and South Africa, several of which were confirmed later morphologically as B. jafara. Previously unidentified museum specimens from South Sudan, Zambia, and Zimbabwe were determined as B. jafara. Together, these specimens show that B. jafara has a more widespread African distribution than was known previously, and that it arrived in the Western Hemisphere by 2019. Balclutha jafara is redescribed and illustrated. Further studies on the Balclutha fauna of Florida were performed. COI barcode data were generated for Floridian specimens of B. caldwelli Blocker, B. curvata Caldwell, B. flavescens (Baker), B. frontalis (Ferrari), B. incisa (Matsumura), and B. lucida (Butler). A phylogenetic analysis of COI data was conducted using publicly available sequences and those generated here. A key to the Balclutha species known from Florida is provided. The names that have been applied and mis-applied to Western Hemisphere species are discussed. To clarify the identity of some species, illustrations are given for: the female holotype and a male paratype of Eugnathodus virescens Osborn (=B. flavescens); the holotype of Nesosteles robustus Caldwell (=B. robusta); and the holotype of Balclutha curvata Caldwell. Additional barcoded specimens of Balclutha from Kenya and Pakistan were provided for examination by the BOLD research group and determined as B. sujawalensis Ahmed, previously known only from India and Pakistan, and this species is also illustrated here.

Pyrethroid Susceptibility in Field Populations of Picture-Winged Flies (Diptera: Ulidiidae) Infesting Fresh Market Sweet Corn in Florida.

Picture-winged flies (Diptera: Ulidiidae) are the most damaging insect pests of sweet corn (Zea mays L.) produced in Florida for the fresh market. Management of these pests, referred to as corn silk flies, relies on frequent pyrethroid applications targeting adults. In response to the need for an insecticide resistance management (IRM) program for corn silk flies in this highly intensive crop system, glass vial bioassays were conducted to determine the susceptibility of 12 corn silk fly populations to the pyrethroid beta-cyfluthrin. Two Euxesta eluta Loew and nine Euxesta stigmatias Loew populations were obtained by collecting infested ears in commercial and experimental fields in 2020 and 2021. One E. eluta laboratory colony was used as a susceptible reference population. The E. eluta reference colony was the most susceptible population, with an LC50 value of 0.01 µg/vial. The E. stigmatias field populations were generally less susceptible to beta-cyfluthrin than the E. eluta field populations, with the highest LC50 values attaining 3.51 µg/vial and 0.19 µg/vial, respectively. In addition, the five E. stigmatias populations from commercial sweet corn fields were as much as 17.6 times less susceptible than the four E. stigmatias populations from nontreated fields. Results suggest that E. stigmatias is less susceptible to pyrethroids than E. eluta. Results also suggest that corn silk flies in commercial sweet corn fields are selected for reduced pyrethroid susceptibility throughout the growing season. This study successfully used the glass vial bioassay method for corn silk flies, providing a new tool to initiate an IRM program.

Susceptibility to Chlorantraniliprole in Fall Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Populations Infesting Sweet Corn in Southern Florida.

Chlorantraniliprole susceptibility was determined in diet-incorporation bioassays for six fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), populations feeding on sweet corn, Zea mays L., in southern Florida between 2017 and 2019. The LC50 and LC90 values of these populations estimated using probit analyses ranged from 0.022 to 0.084 ppm and 0.112 to 0.471 ppm, respectively. Thus, susceptibility levels among the six field populations varied, but to a relatively small extent, with approximately fourfold differences in LC50 and LC90 values between the most and least susceptible populations. These field populations were all less susceptible than a reference population maintained in the laboratory without prior exposure to chlorantraniliprole, with RR50 values between 5.3 and 20.1 and RR90 values between 14.3 and 60.3. These results suggest reduced chlorantraniliprole susceptibility in S. frugiperda populations collected in Florida sweet corn relative to a reference laboratory population. However, field experiments in 2017 and 2019 showed that foliar applications of chlorantraniliprole reduced S. frugiperda injury and infestations to levels comparable to or lower than applications of indoxacarb, novaluron, or spinetoram. This study does not provide evidence of practical resistance to chlorantraniliprole in S. frugiperda infesting Florida sweet corn fields.

Sugarcane Aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on Sorghum. I. Population Characteristics and Dispersion Patterns in Relation to Different Sample Unit Sizes.

The sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner), has emerged as a serious pest of sorghum in the United States. Field trials were conducted in Louisiana and South Carolina in 2016-2018 to investigate its population characteristics and distribution patterns in relation to four sample unit sizes (three circular and one leaf based). Sugarcane aphid populations usually progressed through a phase of rapid rise followed by a phase of rapid decline within a span of 5-6 wk, with peak density determined by sorghum cultivars and climatic conditions. Peak population densities for susceptible cultivars were 1.9-14.9× that for resistant cultivars on a per plant basis. Melanaphis sacchari tended to concentrate on the lower green leaf nodes early in the infestation, with the distribution shifting toward higher green leaf nodes as the infestation progressed. Aphid densities per cm2 at the basal and middle sections were about twice as high as at the distal section of leaves. The proportions of infested sample units were fitted to the Wilson-Room binomial model that incorporates the effect of density on clumping pattern. For a specific sample unit size, clumping patterns were similar across cultivars, years, and leaf positions, but varied across infestation stages. For a fixed aphid density per sample unit, the proportion of infested sample units decreased with increasing sample unit size. For a fixed aphid density per cm2, proportion infested increased with increasing sample unit size, indicating less clumping with a larger sample unit size. Field sampling time and efficiency between samplers were quantified.

Investigating the use of aquatic weeds as biopesticides towards promoting sustainable agriculture.

Aquatic weeds such as muskgrass (Chara spp.), water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes), hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillate), filamentous algae (Lyngbya wollei), and duckweed (Lemna minor) thrive in farm canals within the Everglades Agricultural Area of South Florida. Their presence, particularly during the summer months is an environmental concern with regards to water quality, in addition to being a nuisance because of their ability to multiply and spread rapidly in open waters causing restricted drainage/irrigation flow and low dissolved oxygen levels. Chemical control is effective but can have undesirable off-target effects, so reduced herbicide use is desirable. Hence, need exists to discover ways in which these weeds could be best managed or utilized. The objective of this research was to evaluate the allelopathic effect of these weeds to determine their use as potential biopesticides. Six aqueous extracts were tested against 100 bacterial strains isolated from plants and soil to evaluate their antimicrobial activity. These extracts were also used to determine their insecticidal and antifeedant effects on fall armyworm (FAW, Spodoptera frugiperda). Both extracts and powder form of the aquatic weeds were tested for their herbicidal activity towards seed germination and growth of three common terrestrial weed species. At a dilution of 1:100 and 1:1,000, none of the aquatic weeds inhibited in-vitro growth of the bacterial strains, with one exception (filamentous algae extract at 1:100 reduced growth of one bacterial isolate by 54%). Water lettuce reduced the survival rate of FAW by 14% while hydrilla and duckweed caused 11% and 9% reduction of FAW growth, respectively. Powdered duckweed inhibited the growth of nutsedge by 41%, whereas filamentous algae powder and extract reduced germination of amaranth by 20% and 28%, respectively. Harvesting these weeds and converting them into useable compounds could not only eliminate the in situ farm canal and water quality problems but also result in development of new soil amendments or biopesticides.

Abundance of the Sugarcane Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) and Foraging Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Sugarcane Grown on Organic and Mineral Soils in Florida.

A study was conducted in Florida to determine sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.), injury and infestation levels in sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids), D. saccharalis parasitism rates, and ant foraging activity in 32 commercial fields as affected by soil type (shallow organic vs deep organic vs mineral). In 2017 and 2018, each field was sampled four times during the summer for D. saccharalis by inspecting 100 sugarcane stalks and for foraging ants using plastic tubes baited with hot dog at 12 locations. One non-parasitized D. saccharalis larva was collected in 2017 and in 2018 out of 12,100 and 12,600 stalks sampled, respectively. Additional sampling of 50 stalks per field in October showed that 0.6% (2017) and 0.1% (2018) of the sugarcane stalks had bored internodes, and one Cotesia flavipes (Cameron) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) cocoon mass was observed. Seven ant species foraged in sugarcane fields, including the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, which was the most abundant ant. Solenopsis invicta was not affected by soil type; however, sugarcane fields on shallow organic soils might represent a more suitable environment. The third most abundant foraging ant, Nylanderia bourbonica (Forel), was more abundant in mineral soil fields than in shallow and deep organic soil fields. Results suggest that D. saccharalis population levels in Florida sugarcane are extremely low under current production conditions regardless of soil type. In addition, the observation of C. flavipes, S. invicta, and six other ant species suggest that biological control contributes to these low D. saccharalis population levels.

The Sugarcane Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) Infests Rice at Low Population Levels in Florida.

The sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.), rice stalk borer, Chilo plejadellus Zincken, and Mexican rice borer, Eoreuma loftini (Dyar), are stem borers (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) that infest rice (Oryza sativa L.) in the southern United States. A 2-yr study was conducted to determine stem borer injury, infestation, and parasitism levels in Florida. Thirty commercial rice fields were selected during the 2017 and 2018 growing seasons throughout the rice production region in southern Florida. Sampling for stem borer injury and infestations was conducted in each field between the milk and early maturation stages by observing plants at 10 locations, with three 1-m2 quadrats per location. In addition, monitoring for E. loftini adults was conducted using one pheromone trap adjacent to each field. In 2017, the number of rice tillers exhibiting stem borer injury averaged 0.024 tillers/m2 and infestation levels averaged 0.008 stem borers/m2, with only D. saccharalis being observed. In 2018, injury and infestation levels averaged 0.062 injured tillers/m2 and 0.023 D. saccharalis larvae or pupae/m2, respectively. The solitary parasitoid Alabagrus stigma Brullé (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) parasitized 33 and 40% of the collected D. saccharalis in 2017 and 2018, respectively. In addition, pheromone traps did not capture E. loftini adults. This study shows that D. saccharalis infests rice in Florida but at relatively low levels not threatening production and that rice fields are habitats for D. saccharalis parasitoids. This study also suggests that C. plejadellus and E. loftini do not occur in southern Florida.

Population Distribution and Range Expansion of the Invasive Mexican Rice Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in Louisiana.

The Mexican rice borer, Eoreuma loftini (Dyar) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), is an invasive pest that was first introduced into southern Texas in 1980 and has been expanding its range eastward along the United States Gulf Coast. The pest attacks rice (Oryza sativa L.), sugarcane (Saccharum spp.), corn (Zea mays L.), and other graminaceous crops, and its establishment in Louisiana is expected to have severe economic impacts on crop production. Range expansion and population distribution of E. loftini were monitored with a network of 77 pheromone traps throughout southwestern Louisiana from 2013 to 2015. Eoreuma loftini was ubiquitous throughout the study region, with male moths captured in every habitat sampled. Spatial analysis revealed the population is characterized by high and low density clusters, with the greatest trap captures occurring in southeastern Calcasieu Parish and southern Jefferson Davis Parish. Trap captures in more northern regions of the study were lower than in southern parishes. Trap captures in areas where the pest has been established for >3 yr were greatest in rice habitats. The weighted mean population center moved eastward at a rate of ∼11 km per year. Human-aided movement of E. loftini was probably not involved in the eastward expansion documented during this study. Seasonal population peaks were detected in March-April, July-August, and October-November. This study indicates this species is continuing its spread eastward along the United States Gulf Coast and will likely become established throughout Louisiana within the next 20 yr.

The Active Space of Mexican Rice Borer Pheromone Traps.

The Mexican rice borer, Eoreuma loftini (Dyar) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), is an invasive pest of sugarcane, Saccharum spp., rice, Oryza sativa L., and other graminaceous crops in the United States. Traps baited with the synthetic female sex pheromone of E. loftini are used for monitoring and management of this invasive pest. However, the active space, or radius of attraction, of these traps is not known. Two field experiments examined the effect of intertrap distance on trap captures with hexagonal arrays of traps deployed in rice stubble habitat in Texas (2011) and Louisiana (2013). Trap capture increased with increasing intertrap distance. Trap interference occurred at intertrap distances ≤50 m in the 2011 experiment. Results from the experiment conducted in 2013 indicate that trap interference occurs at intertrap distances of 50 m, but not at distances ≥100 m. These results suggest that under field conditions, E. loftini pheromone traps attract males from distances of 50-100 m. The active space of pheromone traps also was examined under controlled wind conditions by direct observation of male response to detection of the female sex pheromone. Eoreuma loftini males responded to the pheromone blend by becoming active, fanning their wings, and rapidly walking in circles. The mean distance from the pheromone source at which males responded was 47.6 m. This work provides the first documentation of active space for traps baited with female sex pheromone for a crambid species, and these data will improve pheromone trap deployment strategies for E. loftini monitoring and management.

A Relative Resistance Ratio for Evaluation of Mexican Rice Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) Susceptibility Among Sugarcane Cultivars.

The Mexican rice borer, Eoreuma loftini (Dyar), is a major pest of sugarcane (hybrids of Saccharum spp.) in Louisiana and Texas. Resistance to E. loftini was evaluated in 51 commercial and experimental cultivars of sugarcane, energycane (hybrids of Saccharum spp.), and sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench and hybrids of Sorghum spp.] in four replicated small plot field experiments from 2009 to 2012. A relative resistance ratio was developed to compare levels of susceptibility among cultivars based on the percentage of bored internodes and survival to adulthood. This index was able to separate cultivars into five resistance categories and provides a new method for comparing levels of resistance among cultivars. E. loftini pest pressure in 2009 was among the highest recorded with injury ranging from 55 to 88% bored internodes. Commercial sugarcane cultivar HoCP 85-845 was identified as resistant in three of four experiments, whereas HoCP 04-838 was identified as susceptible in all experiments. Of the five sugarcane cultivars in commercial production in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, only TCP 87-3388 was categorized as resistant. Of the cultivars with potential for bioenergy production, all of the energycane cultivars demonstrated higher levels of resistance than high-biomass and sweet sorghum cultivars. Continued evaluation of cultivar resistance to E. loftini is important to development of effective integrated pest management strategies for this pest.

Activity of chlorantraniliprole and thiamethoxam seed treatments on life stages of the rice water weevil as affected by the distribution of insecticides in rice plants.

BACKGROUND: The systemic insecticides chlorantraniliprole (CAP) and thiamethoxam (TMX), applied to rice as seed treatments, may affect multiple life stages of the rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus. Effects of CAP and TMX on adult survival, egg-laying and first- and late-instar survivals were determined by infesting plants treated as seeds with different rates of insecticides. The biological activity was related to insecticidal concentrations in leaves, shoots and roots. RESULTS: CAP did not affect adult survival but decreased egg numbers and reduced the survival of the first and late instars. The greatest reduction in weevil population occurred in late instars feeding on roots. In contrast, TMX reduced adult survival and egg and larval numbers. The high biological activity of CAP on root-feeding stages was consistent with the accumulation of CAP in roots, whereas in TMX-treated plants the high activity on adults correlated with high concentrations of TMX in leaves and stems. CONCLUSIONS: The differential activity of insecticides on adults suggests poor inherent potency of CAP as an adulticide and/or its limited systemicity in foliage. The distribution of insecticide in specific plant parts can be attributed to the different physicochemical properties of CAP and TMX. The field implications of this research on management of L. oryzophilus are discussed.