ABSTRACT
The spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae), an invasive planthopper discovered in Pennsylvania, U.S. in 2014, has spread to many surrounding states despite quarantines and control efforts, and further spread is anticipated. A classical (importation) biological control program would contribute to the long-term management of L. delicatula in the eastern U.S. In its native range of China, Anastatus orientalis (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae), an egg parasitoid, causes significant mortality. Anastatus orientalis consists of multiple haplotypes that differ in important biological parameters. To delineate the physiological host range of A. orientalis Haplotype C, we completed no-choice and choice testing. No-choice testing of non-target eggs from 36 insect species spanning six orders and 18 families showed that physiologically this haplotype of A. orientalis can develop in a variety of host species eggs from the families Coreidae, Fulgoridae, Pentatomidae, and Saturniidae. Ten of the 16 species that were attacked in the no-choice tests were also attacked in the choice tests. The production of progeny on non-target egg masses was significantly lower than on the controls (L. delicatula egg masses run simultaneously) in the no-choice and choice tests. For the non-target species that were attacked and resulted in female wasp progeny, these females were able to produce their own progeny at the same rate as control females that were reared from the L. delicatula eggs. Larger host eggs corresponded to an increased female-biased sex ratio of the progeny, suggesting that gravid females select them for fertilized eggs. Results from these studies suggest that A. orientalis Haplotype C prefers to parasitize L. delicatula egg masses but is capable of developing in some non-target species.
ABSTRACT
Native and introduced bees were attracted to and captured in commercially available Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica Newman (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), traps baited with floral lure components: geraniol, eugenol, and phenethyl propionate [PEP] in Rhode Island, Ohio, and Tennessee. Studies in Rhode Island showed that Bombus impatiens Cresson (Hymenoptera: Apidae) was significantly more attracted to geraniol alone and as a component in floral lure blends than to either eugenol or PEP alone. Xylocopa virginica (L.) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) was more selective in being primarily attracted to traps baited with higher amounts of geraniol in 2016. Removing geraniol from the floral lure blend did not significantly reduce Japanese beetle captures in 2017 and 2018 in Rhode Island and Ohio but did significantly reduce bee captures in Rhode Island in 2017 and 2018. Green, black, brown, and red traps captured significantly fewer bees than clear or standard yellow vane and green cage traps in 2018 in Rhode Island and Tennessee; however, there were no significant differences between Japanese beetle captures in any of the colored or clear traps. Our results show that using all green traps with a lure composed of eugenol and PEP and the Japanese beetle female produced sex pheromone can effectively capture Japanese beetles while minimizing bycatch of bees.
