Comparison of two different box styles for mass rearing of Sasajiscymnus tsugae (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), a biological control agent of hemlock woolly adelgid (Hemiptera: Adelgidae)

2005 ◽  
Vol 137 (5) ◽  
pp. 622-629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huge E. Conway ◽  
Karen B. Burton ◽  
Carolyn A. Hendrix ◽  
LayLa W. Burgess ◽  
Joseph D. Culin

AbstractThe hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), Adelges tsugae Annand, is the number one threat to hemlock (genus Tsuga Carr.; Pinaceae) forests in eastern North America. Sasajiscymnus tsugae (Sasaji et McClure), an introduced coccinellid from Japan, is a promising biological control agent for HWA. In mass rearing of S. tsugae, the main goals are to maximize adult beetle production, reduce the amount of human labor, and minimize production costs. Significantly higher adult S. tsugae production and survivorship from egg to adult were observed in a modified rearing box compared with a conventional rearing box. The 30 modified boxes produced 4400 more beetles than the 30 conventional boxes. Over time, egg to adult survivorship decreased because of larval cannibalism at densities above 1650 larvae per rearing box. Additionally, warmer weather conditions increased the number of insect and spider predators incidentally introduced via HWA-infested hemlock twigs. There was no significant difference in the time required to prepare modified and conventional boxes for initial introduction of eggs, but significantly less time was required to add water, honey, and HWA-infested twigs to the modified boxes. The additional cost and time required to add modifications to each box was compensated for by the increased number of adult S. tsugae produced and the time saved during the 35 days of scheduled maintenance as eggs hatched and larvae developed to adults.

Insects ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 426
Author(s):  
Ashley Toland ◽  
Holly Wantuch ◽  
Donald Mullins ◽  
Thomas Kuhar ◽  
Scott Salom

The hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae Annand, is an invasive insect that threatens hemlock species in eastern North America. Several species from the genus Laricobius are predators of A. tsugae in its native areas of Asia and the western United States. Two Laricobius species have been released as biological control agents: Laricobius nigrinus Fender, and Laricobius osakensis Montgomery and Shiyake. Laricobius rubidus LeConte is an adelgid predator native to the Eastern United States, where it can feed and complete development on A. tsugae opportunistically. Laboratory assays were conducted to assess the cold hardiness of these three Laricobius species, including two distinct populations of L. osakensis, by measuring the supercooling points of each species from November 2016 through March 2017. This information may be useful for choosing the best-suited biological control agent for a particular region to control A. tsugae. There was a significant difference between the overall mean supercooling point of L. rubidus compared to the other Laricobius spp. There were also significant differences of supercooling points between L. rubidus and both strains of L. osakensis in January, and significant differences between L. rubidus and all other strains in February. L. rubidus appear better adapted to cold extremes in the eastern U.S. than imported Laricobius spp.


Forests ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley Toland ◽  
Carlyle Brewster ◽  
Katlin Mooneyham ◽  
Scott Salom

The hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) is an invasive insect species native to Japan causing significant hemlock mortality in the eastern United States. Laricobius spp. have been targeted as biological control agents because they are adelgid specialists. Laricobius osakensis Montgomery and Shiyake is native to the same region of Japan from which the strain of HWA found in the eastern United States originated. Studies in Japan found that it is phenologically synchronous with HWA. Following approval to release L. osakensis from quarantine in 2010, approximately 32,000 were released at a total of 61 sites starting in 2012. In winter of 2014 and 2015, periods of extreme cold temperatures throughout the eastern USA, as well as the polar vortex, resulted in extensive mortality to HWA, which likely delayed the establishment of L. osakensis. The ability of the beetle to survive and establish in the eastern United States is reported here. In the first year of this study (2015–2016), limited numbers of L. osakensis were recovered, as HWA populations were still rebounding. In the second year (2016–2017), 147 L. osakensis were collected at 5 of 9 sites sampled, coinciding with rebounding HWA populations. Larval recovery was much greater than adult recovery throughout the study. HWA density was directly correlated with warmer plant hardiness zones and recovery of Laricobius beetles was significantly correlated with HWA density. Our results suggest that L. osakensis is successfully establishing at several of the sampled release sites and that the best predictor of its presence at a site is the HWA density.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremiah R Foley ◽  
Thomas J McAvoy ◽  
Seth Dorman ◽  
Kyle Bekelja ◽  
Timothy J Kring ◽  
...  

Abstract Hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), Adelges tsugae Annand, is a highly destructive non-native pest lethal to eastern hemlock, Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carrière, and Carolina hemlock, T. caroliniana Engelmann. Fifty years following the first observation of HWA in eastern North America, a predatory beetle, Laricobius nigrinus Fender, was evaluated, approved, and released as a biological control agent. Efforts were made to mass rear L. nigrinus with the goal of redistributing the beetles on public lands, typically in forest ecosystems, as a secondary option to silvicultural and chemical controls. The majority of L. nigrinus releases has occurred on public lands. Herein, we report the observation of L. nigrinus within the urban environment outside of known release locations. Two towns, Blacksburg and Radford, were divided into 0.40 km2 grids. A total of 27 and 19 grids were randomly selected from each town, respectively. Hemlocks were present in 44 and 42% of the grids surveyed in Blacksburg and Radford, respectively. In Blacksburg and Radford, 86 and 100% of the grids with hemlocks were infested with HWA, and of those infested hemlocks, Laricobius spp. was present in 100 and 75% of grids, respectively. A total of 154 Laricobius spp. (98% L. nigrinus and 2% Laricobius rubidus) adults were collected between each town. While it is unclear the level of control L. nigrinus has on reducing HWA's impact, the establishment of this biological control agent in the urban environment is an additional level of predation, that would otherwise not be present, for homeowners with HWA-infested trees.


2020 ◽  
Vol 113 (4) ◽  
pp. 1735-1740
Author(s):  
Md Arefur Rahman ◽  
Souvic Sarker ◽  
Eunhye Ham ◽  
Jun-Seok Lee ◽  
Un Taek Lim

Abstract The polyphagous predator Orius species is a dominant predator of thrips, mites, and aphids. Orius laevigatus (Fieber) is a well-known commercialized and effective biological control agent, whereas Orius minutus (L.) distributed widely over the world has not been commercialized. To assess potentials of developing O. minutus as a commercial biological control agent, we compared the biological parameters of O. minutus with O. laevigatus when reared on mixed stages of Tetranychus urticae Koch at 27.5°C. Nymphal development of O. laevigatus was shorter (11.30 d) than that of O. minutus (12.25 d), but there was no significant difference in survivorship between the two species. Also, no significant difference was found in either the preoviposition or oviposition periods, lifetime fecundity, or longevity between the two species. However, O. minutus eggs had a higher hatch rate (0.77) than O. laevigatus (0.71). In life table analysis, no difference was found in any parameters, i.e., R0, rm, λ, T, and DT, between O. laevigatus and O. minutus in two-tailed t-tests. In a predation bioassay, O. minutus consumed 1.39 times more adult T. urticae in 24 h than did O. laevigatus, although the predation rate on T. urticae eggs was similar between the two species. These results suggest that O. minutus native to Korea could be developed as a biological control agent against T. urticae.


2003 ◽  
Vol 135 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.M.G. Zilahi-Balogh ◽  
L.M. Humble ◽  
A.B. Lamb ◽  
S.M. Salom ◽  
L.T. Kok

AbstractLaricobius nigrinus Fender, native to the Pacific Northwest, is being evaluated as a potential biological control agent of the hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae Annand, in the eastern United States. Members of the genus Laricobius feed exclusively on adelgids. Adelges tsugae is found on hemlocks (Tsuga sp.) in North America and Asia, but is considered only a pest of eastern [Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carrière] and Carolina (Tsuga caroliniana Engelmann) hemlocks in eastern North America. This is the first detailed study of the life history of L. nigrinus and its interaction with A. tsugae. Results of a 2-year field study conducted in a seed orchard in British Columbia on the seasonal abundance of L. nigrinus and its prey, A. tsugae, revealed that (i) the sistens generation of A. tsugae matures 2-3 months earlier than previously reported in Virginia and Connecticut, (ii) no A. tsugae sexuparae were observed, which differs from findings in Virginia and Connecticut, (iii) L. nigrinus adults undergo an aestival diapause that coincides with diapausing first instar A. tsugae sistens, and (iv) oviposition and subsequent larval development of L. nigrinus coincides with oviposition by the A. tsugae sistens adults, indicating good synchrony between L. nigrinus and suitable prey stages of A. tsugae.


HortScience ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 262-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ken K. Ng ◽  
Leslie MacDonald ◽  
Zamir K. Punja

The efficacy of Tilletiopsis pallescens Gokhale, a naturally occurring ballistosporeforming yeast isolated from mildew-infected leaves, was evaluated as a biological control agent against rose powdery mildew [Sphaerotheca pannosa (Wallr.:Fr.) Lév. var. rosae Woronichin]. Two trials were conducted on potted rose (Rosa sp.) plants (1-year-old cv. Cardinal Pink) under commercial greenhouse-growing conditions during the summer (June to September) when mildew was most severe. Mildew-infected plants were subjected to one of four treatments: a T. pallescens spore suspension applied three times (3–4 d apart), distilled water (applied three times), one application of T. pallescens spore suspension, or one application of culture filtrate without spores. Two weeks after treatment began, mildew development was evaluated by enumerating conidial density on sampled leaflets. Sporulation was significantly reduced (by 97%–98%) on plants treated with three applications of T. pallescens spore suspension, compared to a 47%–57% reduction on plants treated with three applications of distilled water. There was no significant difference in conidial density between plants treated with one application of T. pallescens spore suspension and plants treated with one application of its culture filtrate, with a 78%–94% reduction in conidia, which was significantly higher than for the water treatment. The mode(s) of action of T. pallescens appears to be eradicant and associated with enzymes or metabolites produced in the culture filtrate. The results from this study demonstrate the potential for biological control of rose powdery mildew under commercial growing conditions in British Columbia.


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