Abstract

Cotton, Gossypium hirsutum (L.), is an economically important crop in the United States that is plagued by a complex of insect pests. Two key pests of cotton in the midsouthern United States are the tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois) (Hemiptera: Miridae), and bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). A suite of highly effective synthetic insecticides is typically used for control of these pests. However, it is unclear how the combined management of these two insect pests with biological insecticides impacts the economics of cotton production. To address this shortcoming, we conducted a field experiment in the Mississippi Delta over 2 yr to study the effects of synthetic and biological insecticides for control of the tarnished plant bug and bollworm on cotton yield. The results indicated the control of tarnished plant bug with synthetic insecticides had the most significant impact on cotton yield and net returns. The conventional tarnished plant bug treatment also significantly increased bollworm density and damage, but these increases did not significantly alter yield or net return in non–Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) or Bt cottons. The economic benefit of a conventional approach to tarnished plant bug control with synthetic insecticides was US$438.07/ha in non-Bt and $700.88/ha in Bt cotton relative to those treated with a biological insecticide. The biological insecticides used for this study were ineffective at significantly altering yield or net return. However, for insect management in cotton to be sustainable, alternatives must be found to complement conventional synthetic insecticides.

Abstract

Following the emergence of Melanaphis sorghi (Theobald) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) as a new pest of sorghum in the United States, research was conducted to identify tools and techniques successful at reducing populations and preventing economic losses in grain sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of seed- and foliar-applied insecticide treatments for management of M. sorghi. Small plot experiments were replicated at two locations to evaluate residual activity of neonicotinoid seed treatments and foliar insecticides. Natural enemy presence was recorded in each of these trials to determine which predator and parasitoid species were using M. sorghi as prey. All seed treatments suppressed M. sorghi populations below a treatment threshold of 75 aphids per plant for 30% of plants for >6 weeks after planting. Foliar insecticides including flupyradifurone, sulfoxaflor, and thiamethoxam provided 3–4 weeks of population suppression, irrespective of M. sorghi pressure. Fifteen natural enemy species were identified in this study, and community structure varied temporally and geographically. In general, natural enemy species richness was correlated with aphid abundance. We identified the most efficacious insecticides available for management of M. sorghi and determined that they should be compatible with biological control and integrated pest management programs.

Abstract

Accurate identification and classification of insect species, especially those with significant economic and ecological implications, have historically presented challenges. Migratory locusts, Locusta migratoria manilensis (Meyen) (Orthoptera: Acrididae), are notorious for their destructive impact on crops. Traditional morphological methods often face limitations in distinguishing closely related species and require taxonomic expertise. However, the emergence of DNA barcoding as a powerful tool for species identification has revolutionized the field of entomology. DNA barcoding utilizes a standardized DNA sequence, a molecular barcode, which serves as a distinct genetic signature for rapid and accurate species identification. In this study, DNA barcoding techniques were employed to identify and differentiate the migratory locust subspecies manilensis, in both its solitary and gregarious forms, as well as to determine its phylogenetic relationship with other related species within the Acrididae family. GenBank reference sequences were used to identify the locusts at the molecular subspecies level. Although the COI marker did not exhibit significant differences between the solitary and migratory forms, it was valuable in resolving the identification of L. migratoria subspecies. This lack of significant differences may be attributed to limited genetic variation of COI at the subspecies level and substantial genetic similarities between the solitary and migratory forms, likely stemming from a recent common ancestor. Nonetheless, using COI remains beneficial for subspecies identification in migratory locusts.

The tropical fire ant, Solenopsis geminata F. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), is an important invasive species worldwide (CABI Compendium 2022, doi.org/10.1079/cabicompendium.50568; Sanchez-Peña et al. 2005, Entomol. News 116: 363–366). It is also a key predator of pests in agroecosystems such as maize (Zea mays L.) (Risch and Carroll 1986, J. Ecol. 67: 1319–1327), tropical orchards (Eskafi and Kolbe 1990, Environ. Entomol. 19: 148–153), and rice (Oryza sativa L.) (Way and Heong 2009, Bull. Entomol. Res. 99: 503–512) and can provide substantial reductions in populations of specific pests. Herein, we report on the population changes, as indicated

Relationship Between Frankliniella occidentalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) Population Density and Three of Its Natural Enemies in Commercial Lemon Orchards in Mexico¹

Saúl Pardo-Melgarejo,

Filemón Morales-Hernández,

Jaime González-Cabrera,

Mario A. Miranda-Salcedo,

Juan Carlos Álvarez-Hernández,

J. Concepción Rodríguez-Maciel,

Alejandra Mondragón-Flores,

Bismarck Aguilar-Garzón, and

Karen Vianey Díaz Arias

Field Evaluation of Biological and Conventional Insecticides for Managing Multiple Insect Pests in Cotton¹

Abstract

Foliar- and Seed-Applied Insecticides for Management of Melanaphis sorghi (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in Alabama¹

Abstract

DNA Barcoding of Locusta migratoria manilensis (Orthoptera: Acrididae) Reveals Insights into the Species and Subspecies Differentiation¹

Abstract

Host Plant Feeding and Ovipositional Preferences of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) under Laboratory Conditions¹

Abstract

Species Diversity and Conservation of Typhlocybinae (Heteroptera: Cicadellidae) in China¹

Abstract

Laboratory Study of Repellent Property of Bhut Jolokia Chilli against Sitophilus oryzae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Stored Wheat¹

Abstract

Residual Effect of the Insecticides Flonicamid and Spiromesifen against Aphis craccivora (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and Persistence Dynamics in Faba Bean¹

Abstract

Susceptibility of Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Adult Populations to Imidacloprid in Georgia, USA¹

Abstract

Evaluation of Ethanol Extract of Magnolia alejandrae (Magnoliales: Magnoliaceae) against Tetranychus merganser (Acari: Tetranychidae)¹

Abstract

Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) Aggregation in Underground Artificial Overwintering Sites¹

Demise and Recolonization by the Tropical Fire Ant and Other Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in a Melon Field in Mexico¹

Relationship Between Frankliniella occidentalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) Population Density and Three of Its Natural Enemies in Commercial Lemon Orchards in Mexico¹

A Review of the Host Plant Records of Phthorimaea absoluta (=Tuta absoluta) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)¹

Carabidae (Coleoptera: Harpalinae: Harpalini: Harpalina) from an Upper Cretaceous Rock Deposit at Orapa Diamond Mine in Botswana¹

Chemical Mechanism of Exogenous Jasmonic Acid-Induced Resistance in Rose Against Spodoptera exigua (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)¹

Interference with Fatty Acyl-CoA Reductase Reduces Wax Secretion and Influences the Development of Male Ericerus pela (Hemiptera: Coccoidae) Nymphs¹