Abstract European earwigs are predators of woolly apple aphid (Eriosoma lanigerum [Hausmann]) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and pear psylla (Cacopsylla pyricola [Foerster]) (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), 2 pests that are difficult to control with insecticides. Standard orchard pesticide programs in the Pacific Northwest United States region can suppress European earwig populations to undetectable levels, and low dispersal precludes substantial natural European earwig population growth within a season when the resident population is low. Therefore, workshops were conducted to teach orchardists how to transport European earwigs (Forficula dentata F. = F. auricularia L. sensu lato) (Dermaptera: Forficulidae) for biocontrol of apple and pear pests. The workshops emphasized European earwig inoculation alongside transition to integrated spray programs. Most workshop attendees reported intent to conduct their own collection and transportation, but few did the next year. Calculations of materials and labor costs indicate the per acre expenses of European earwig transportation should not be a major barrier to adoption, but the technique requires special planning and training, and it is only useful in specific circumstances. Transportation guidelines, cost estimates, and survey data in this article could be used by researchers and managers to plan more effective European earwig research and applications.
Abstract Integrated pest management (IPM) programs help farmers manage pest risk, reduce unnecessary pesticide use, improve decision timing, and support economically viable production systems. Public IPM programs operate through research, extension, and online decision-support infrastructure. Their long-run contribution often appears across many crops, practices, years, and information channels. This study develops an economic analysis framework to estimate the documented program-linked agricultural benefits associated with the Cornell IPM Program in New York State from 1985 to 2025. The primary estimate is the inflation-adjusted value of documented crop-practice benefits from available New York evidence. Across 19 crop-practice observations, documented benefits total $143.7 million in 2024 dollars. Cumulative agricultural program funding totals $65.5 million. The full-attribution scenario gives a benefit–cost baseline of 2.19. The 75% attribution scenario gives a baseline of 1.65. The 50% attribution scenario gives a baseline of 1.10. The lower 25% and 10% attribution scenarios give baselines of 0.55 and 0.22. The adoption sensitivity analysis indicates that about 45.6% of the estimated potential benefit must be realized for documented benefits to equal cumulative agricultural program funding. We evaluate digital information resources separately as time-use proxies. Using a one-third New York wage assumption, 2025 use of Cornell IPM online resources and the Network for Environment and Weather Applications gives a time-use proxy of about $210,000. The full New York wage assumption gives an upper sensitivity of approximately $632,000. These digital estimates measure user engagement with IPM information resources. The results show that documented agricultural IPM benefits exceed public funding baselines under 50%, 75%, and 100% attribution scenarios. The benchmark depends on adoption, attribution, benefit overlap, and the available evidence base.
Abstract Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum [L.]) growers make a number of management decisions to avoid yield losses caused by a range of insect pests, including several thrips species, tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), a complex of stink bug species, and, more recently, the newly invasive two-spot cotton leafhopper, Amrasca bigutulla (Ishida). Given the range of management practices available for these pests, our goal was to document growers’ perceptions of pest status, management practices, and their reasons for implementation. We surveyed 398 growers across seven US states, with questions on the use of seed treatments, foliar or in-furrow insecticide applications for thrips, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) transgenic cotton, thresholds to manage stink bugs, and insecticide for two-spot cotton leafhopper. Growers’ decisions on thrips management varied among states, with in-furrow and foliar insecticides being the most common practices. Growers reported managing stink bugs primarily with insecticide applications based on thresholds or week of bloom. Plant bugs were managed by most growers using foliar insecticide sprays, with fewer growers planting ThryvOn® cotton. Most growers reported planting cotton expressing three Bt toxins to manage bollworm, and an additional foliar insecticide application for this pest was made in some states. The two-spot cotton leafhopper made a greater impact in Georgia and South Carolina compared to other states surveyed. Grower perceptions and management choices varied with local pest pressure and perceived risk. Improving Extension support, sampling tools, thresholds, and emerging pest recommendations may increase IPM adoption and reduce unnecessary insecticide use.
Abstract The Colorado potato beetle (CPB), Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say, is a major insect pest of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) in the United States (USA). Native to the Rocky Mountains of the USA, CPB has successfully expanded its range throughout much of the potato-growing regions of North America, Europe, and Asia. Both larvae and adult CPB feed on foliage and have the capacity to defoliate plants completely and cause significant yield loss if unmanaged. CPB management is difficult due to their ability to evolve insecticide resistance rapidly, having successfully developed insensitivity to almost every major class of registered insecticide. Effective management relies on integrated pest management (IPM) techniques, including cultural practices that disrupt colonization and overwintering success, and use of selective insecticides informed by scouting and decision support systems. Emerging management strategies highlight efficient rotations of both insecticide active ingredients and field locations. Resistance-related challenges posed by CPB have driven innovation within the modern insecticide industry, prompting continuous development of novel active ingredients, new modes of action, and increasingly targeted management tools. In addition, the readily available reference genome and associated genomic resources allow in-depth investigations of the molecular mechanisms underlying insecticide resistance in this species, as well as offer insight into resistance risk assessment in other species. Despite many advances in our understanding of CPB life history and biology, sustainable management remains difficult. Successful CPB management will require coalescence of foundational science and practical applications to further strengthen relationships between growers, researchers, and extension professionals.
Scorpions represent an ecologically important arthropod lineage, yet their diversity, biology, and management in the United States remain incompletely synthesized. With origins more than 430 million years ago, scorpions have diversified into roughly 24 families and over 2,900 species worldwide, occupying habitats from deserts to forests. In US ecosystems, scorpions function as both predators and prey, regulating arthropod communities while supporting higher trophic levels. Although research on venom biology, taxonomy, and human-scorpion interactions has expanded, national-scale treatments of scorpion systematics, distributions, ecology, conservation, and management are lacking. Here, we document 109 scorpion species in 22 genera in 6 families in the United States: Anuroctonidae, Buthidae, Diplocentridae, Hadruridae, Superstitioniidae, and Vaejovidae, and summarize family-level morphology, species richness, habitat associations, and geographic ranges, highlighting patterns of endemism, restricted distributions, and ongoing taxonomic change. We review key aspects of scorpion ecology, behavior, and venom severity, and outline identification features useful for natural resource professionals and the public. We discuss stings by scorpions and human health, as well as management and conservation considerations, including habitat alteration, human-wildlife interactions, and the need for updated distributional and ecological data. This synthesis aims to improve awareness of scorpion diversity and ecological roles in the United States and support future research and management efforts.
