Exposure to ionizing radiation is currently the method of choice for rendering insects reproductively sterile for area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) programmes that integrate the sterile insect technique (SIT). Gamma radiation from isotopic sources (mainly cobalt-60 or decreasingly caesium-137) is commonly used, but high-energy electrons and X-rays are other practical options. Recently, the development of self-contained low-energy X-ray irradiators for insect sterilization is being encouraged because they only require access to electricity and cooling water, and avoid the complex and costly shipment of radioactive sources across international borders. Insect irradiation is safe and reliable when established safety and quality-assurance guidelines are followed. The key processing parameter is absorbed dose, which must be tightly controlled to ensure that treated insects are sufficiently sterile in their reproductive cells and yet able to compete for mates with wild insects. To that end, accurate dosimetry (measurement of absorbed dose) is critical. Data from more than 5300 studies on irradiation since the 1950s, covering more than 360 arthropod species (IDIDAS database), indicate that the dose needed for sterilization of arthropods varies from less than 5 Gy for the acridid Schistocerca gregaria (Forskal) to 400 Gy or more for some lyonetiid, noctuid, and pyralid moths. Factors such as oxygen level, insect age and stage during irradiation, and many others, influence both the absorbed dose required for sterilization and the viability of irradiated insects. Consideration of these factors in the design of irradiation protocols can help to find a balance between the sterility and competitiveness of insects produced for programmes that release sterile insects. Some programmes prefer to apply "precautionary" radiation doses to increase the security margin of sterilization, but this overdosing often lowers competitiveness to the point where the overall induced sterility in the wild population is reduced significantly.

In principle, the sterile insect technique (SIT) is applicable to controlling a wide variety of sexually reproducing insect pests, but biological factors, interacting with socio-economic and political forces, restrict its practical use to a narrower set of pest species and situations.This chapter reviews how the biology and ecology of a given pest affect the feasibility and logistics of developing and using the SIT against that pest insect.The subjects of pest abundance, distribution, and population dynamics are discussed in relation to producing and delivering sufficient sterile insects to control target populations.Pest movement and distribution are considered as factors that influence the feasibility and design of SIT projects, including the need for population-or area-wide management approaches.Biological characteristics, that affect the ability of sterile insects to interact with wild populations, are presented, including the nature of mating systems of pests, behavioural and physiological consequences of mass production and sterilization, and mechanisms that males use to block a female's acquisition and/or use of sperm from other males.An adequate knowledge of the biology of the pest species and potential target populations is needed, both for making sound decisions on the suitability of integrating the SIT into an area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) programme, and on the efficiency and effectiveness of applying the technique.

In response to the confirmed detection of the light brown apple moth, Epiphyas postvittana, in California, approximately 53,000 pheromone-baited Jackson traps were deployed and more than 246,000 males were caught (February 2007–February 2010). Approximately 46,000 manually entered catch records were corrected for errors and converted into catch per trap per day. As empty trap data (zeros) were not recorded, we added zeros between first and last catch for each trap based on the stated servicing period (~30,000), before analyzing for trends. Residual data error rate was estimated as 1.5 %. San Francisco and Santa Cruz counties had relatively high trap catches immediately upon trap set, and remained the leading population centers, while most other counties showed a more general trend of a slow build-up in catch over time (12 counties). An exponential increase in trap catch was observed in four counties with sufficient data. The pattern of spread indicated natural, as well as anthropogenic-assisted spread rates, with populations appearing well ahead of the invasion front. This jump dispersal is probably due to movement of host plants, unsurprising since eggs of this polyphagous moth are readily laid on foliage. There was evidence of seasonality in spread, probably linked to the phenology of the insect. There was a positive relationship between catch and known host tree preference, suggesting that trap placement in preferred hosts could add sensitivity to future surveys. Recommendations include the improved provision of data acquisition by telecommunications, standardization of data input, more archiving, and frequent analysis of trap catches. The rapid rate of population growth demonstrated in two counties and spread across many others supports the hypothesis of the recent arrival of E. postvittana in California.

As the emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), spreads throughout the range of North American ash species, better tools are needed for the detection and delimitation of new infestations. Two field assays, comparing paints and plastics, were performed to determine the optimal color for EAB traps.

1. Understanding why invading populations sometimes fail to establish is of considerable relevance to the development of strategies for managing biological invasions. 2. Newly arriving populations tend to be sparse and are often influenced by Allee effects. Mating failure is a typical cause of Allee effects in low-density insect populations, and dispersion of individuals in space and time can exacerbate mate-location failure in invading populations. 3. Here we evaluate the relative importance of dispersal and sexual asynchrony as contributors to Allee effects in invading populations by adopting as a case study the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.), an important insect defoliator for which considerable demographic information is available. 4. We used release-recapture experiments to parameterize a model that describes probabilities that males locate females along various spatial and temporal offsets between male and female adult emergence. 5. Based on these experimental results, we developed a generalized model of mating success that demonstrates the existence of an Allee threshold, below which introduced gypsy moth populations are likely to go extinct without any management intervention.

Anoplophora glabripennis Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) is a pest of hardwoods in its native range of China. While the host range of this pest has been studied extensively, its mechanisms for host selection are still unknown. Our goal was to study the factors influencing movement and orientation of adult ALB in order to determine if beetle behavior can be exploited to enhance survey and control efforts. Studies were performed near Qintongxia, Ningxia A.R., P.R. of China using potted trees. In 2002, Chinese (Populus alba and P. nigra var. thevestina) and American hosts (Acer platanoides and A. saccharum) were compared with an artificial tree. Marked beetles were observed hourly, and an exponential decay model (y=e-at; where represented the rate of departure from hosts) a was fit to the data. ALB remained on the North American maples to the Chinese poplars and the artificial tree. In 2004, a similar study was conducted with an Asian maple host, A. mono, P. nigra, A. platanoides and an artificial tree. Significantly more ALB remained on the maples than on the poplar or the artificial tree, but there was no significant difference in retention on the maples. In 2005, we wanted to determine if population density played a role in ALB flight propensity. We placed ALB adults in one of four groups on potted P. nigra var. thevestina: 2/tree, 4/tree, 8/tree and 16/tree. Again, marked beetles were observed hourly, and an exponential decay model (y=e-at; where a represented the rate of departure from hosts) was fit to the data. While there was no difference in the 4/tree, 8/tree and 16/tree groups, ALB in these three groups were more likely to fly than those in the a 2/tree group.

Improved survey tools are essential for accurately delimiting the infestation of emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) and for detecting new infestations. Current survey methods including visual surveys for damage, girdled trap trees, and trunk dissections are less than ideal because newly infested trees typically do not display external symptoms and trap trees and trunk dissections are destructive and labor intensive. Here we present a summary of research conducted by scientists from several organizations on the development of efficacious trapping techniques for A. planipennis. Studies included the identification of host attractants and testing responses by A. planipennis in the laboratory, field trapping experiments evaluating different trap designs and baits, and trap tree studies comparing girdling, baiting, and different colored bands.

Mark-recapture experiments were run from 2002 to 2004 to assess factors that influence capture of male gypsy moths, Lymantria dispar (L.), in traps baited with (+)-disparlure. Two plot designs were used. One was a center-release design: six and twelve traps were evenly spaced along two concentric circles with radii of 40 and 80 m, respectively, and moths were released at the center of the circles. The second was a center-trap design: males were released from 12 points around a single trap; i.e., at three distances in each of four cardinal directions. For the center-trap study, several combinations of release-to-trap distances were used (12.5, 25 & 50 m; 50, 100 & 150 m; 50, 150 & 250 m). Laboratory-reared males (NJSS strain) were marked with Day-Glo powder (and, if needed, Sharpie on forewing) and released on the day of emergence. For six replicates of the center-trap plot (all 50, 100 & 150 m), males were released on three consecutive days, but the trap was not put into place until just after the third day?s release.

Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Joseph A. Francese, Victor C. Mastro, Jason B. Oliver, David R. Lance, Nadeer Youssef, Stephen G. Lavallee; Evaluation of Colors for Trapping Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae). Journal of Entomological Science 1 January 2005; 40 (1): 93–95. doi: https://doi.org/10.18474/0749-8004-40.1.93 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest Search

The risk associated with spread of Asian longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky), from infested areas in New York City to the wide array of landfills across the eastern United States contracted by the city since 1997 was unknown, but of great concern. Landfills, some as far as South Carolina, Virginia, and Ohio, occupied forest types and climates at high risk of Asian longhorned beetle establishment. The city proposed a separate waste wood collection known as the "311 System;" this was estimated to cost federal and state agencies $6.1 to $9.1 million per year, including the cost of processing and disposal of the wood. Pathway analysis was used to quantify the probability that Asian longhorned beetle present in wood waste collected at curbside would survive transport, compaction, and burial to form a mated pair. The study found that in seven alternate management scenarios, risks with most pathways are very low, especially given existing mitigations. Mitigations included chemical control, removal of infested trees, and burial of wood waste in managed landfills that involved multiple-layering, compaction, and capping of dumped waste with a 15-cm soil cover at the end of each day. Although the risk of business-as-usual collection and disposal practices was virtually nil, any changes of policy or practice such as illegal dumping or disposal at a single landfill increased the risk many thousandfold. By rigorously maintaining and monitoring existing mitigations, it was estimated that taxpayers would save $75 to $122 million dollars over the next decade.