Foreign invasive species have caused considerable economic damage in fruiticulture during the past decade. Consequently, commercial fruit production is facing major, new challenges. Reasons for the spread of those pest insects are manifold. Appropriate control measures for the containment of invasive species depend on several years of experience with diverse fruit cultures and in-depth-knowledge of the insects & PRIME;behaviour. For Spotted Wing Drosophila, first efficient mechanisms for the control of fruit infestation were identified and are in use. Moreover, broad knowledge of biology, ecology, and genetics of this species is available and can be applied for the development of further control strategies. Research on invasive stink bugs is currently undertaken at different locations. Effective means for their population regulation are developed in those research projects.

The European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi (Diptera: Tephritidae), is a univoltine species that undergoes obligatory summer-winter diapause at pupal stage in the soil (2-5 cm) beneath host trees. To study the effects of photoperiod and relative humidity on diapause termination and post-winter developmental duration of R. cerasi, pupae collected from Dossenheim (Germany) were exposed to different photoperiod or relative humidity regimes during a chilling period ranging from 2 to 8.5 months. Specifically, pupae were exposed to four photoperiod regimes: (a) light conditions (24L:00D), (b) dark conditions (00L:24D), (c) short photoperiod (08L:16D) and (d) long photoperiod (16L:08D), as well as to three relative humidity regimes: (a) low (40% RH), (b) medium (60% RH) and (c) high (70-80% RH). Data revealed that relative humidity is not a significant predictor of diapause termination, but it affects the post-winter developmental period. Higher relative humidity promotes post-winter pupae development. On the other hand, photoperiod significantly affected both diapause termination and post-winter development of R. cerasi pupae. Light conditions (24L:00D) accelerate adult emergence, particularly for females. Regardless of the photoperiod (24L:00D, 00L:24D, 08L:16D), rates of adult emergence were high (>75%) for chilling intervals longer than 6.5 months. Nonetheless, exposure to a long day photoperiod (16L:08D), during chilling, dramatically reduced the proportion of adult emergence following 6 months exposure to chilling. Our findings broaden the understanding of factors regulating diapause responses in European cherry fruit fly, local adaptation and synchronization of adult emergence with the ripening period of major hosts.

This chapter provides an overview of the most important cherry pests, taking into account their destructiveness, distribution and regularity of occurrence. The main approaches and trends in their management are also discussed.

Wolbachia is a maternally inherited and ubiquitous endosymbiont of insects. It can hijack host reproduction by manipulations such as cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) to enhance vertical transmission. Horizontal transmission of Wolbachia can also result in the colonization of new mitochondrial lineages. In this study, we present a 15-year-long survey of Wolbachia in the cherry fruit fly Rhagoletis cerasi across Europe and the spatiotemporal distribution of two prevalent strains, wCer1 and wCer2, and associated mitochondrial haplotypes in Germany. Across most of Europe, populations consisted of either 100% singly (wCer1) infected individuals with haplotype HT1, or 100% doubly (wCer1&2) infected individuals with haplotype HT2, differentiated only by a single nucleotide polymorphism. In central Germany, singly infected populations were surrounded by transitional populations, consisting of both singly and doubly infected individuals, sandwiched between populations fixed for wCer1&2. Populations with fixed infection status showed perfect association of infection and mitochondria, suggesting a recent CI-driven selective sweep of wCer2 linked with HT2. Spatial analysis revealed a range expansion for wCer2 and a large transition zone in which wCer2 splashes appeared to coalesce into doubly infected populations. Unexpectedly, the transition zone contained a large proportion (22%) of wCer1&2 individuals with HT1, suggesting frequent intraspecific horizontal transmission. However, this horizontal transmission did not break the strict association between infection types and haplotypes in populations outside the transition zone, suggesting that this horizontally acquired Wolbachia infection may be transient. Our study provides new insights into the rarely studied Wolbachia invasion dynamics in field populations.

BACKGROUND:The European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi, is the major insect pest of sweet and tart cherries. Its management is becoming increasingly difficult in many countries as formerly effective but broad-spectrum insecticides are removed from the market. With the objective of identifying suitable and environmentally safe alternatives, we investigated bait sprays containing two families of plant-derived insecticides: azadirachtins (NeemAzal-T(®) and NeemAzal-T/S(®) ) and pyrethrins (Spruzit Neu(®) ).RESULTS:In 12 semi-field trials conducted within cages, weekly applications of 0.0001 or 0.0005% neem in a bait formulation effectively reduced fruit infestation. However, addition of 0.000125-0.001% pyrethrins did not improve the efficacy of the neem formulations, and when used alone pyrethrins were less effective than neem alone. Two years of field trials were also conducted within orchards wherein an insecticidal barrier of treated trees excluded immigration of fertile R. cerasi from elsewhere. In blocks treated with 0.0005% neem in a bait formulation, we observed 94% (2011) or 86% (2012) reduction of fruit infestation over control blocks.CONCLUSION:Bait sprays containing neem are a promising alternative for the management of R. cerasi, especially where the risk of immigration of fertilized females is low, as in isolated orchards or as part of area-wide treatments.

The widespread occurrence of Wolbachia in arthropods and nematodes suggests that this intracellular, maternally inherited endosymbiont has the ability to cross species boundaries. However, direct evidence for such a horizontal transmission of Wolbachia in nature is scarce. Here, we compare the well-characterized Wolbachia infection of the European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi, with that of the North American eastern cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cingulata, recently introduced to Europe. Molecular genetic analysis of Wolbachia based on multilocus sequence typing and the Wolbachia surface protein wsp showed that all R. cingulata individuals are infected with wCin2 identical to wCer2 in R. cerasi. In contrast, wCin1, a strain identical to wCer1 in R. cerasi, was present in several European populations of R. cingulata, but not in any individual from the United States. Surveys of R. cingulata from Germany and Hungary indicated that in some populations, the frequency of wCin1 increased significantly in just a few years with at least two independent horizontal transmission events. This is corroborated by the analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase II gene that showed association of wCin1 with two distinct haplotypes in Germany, one of which is also infected with wCin1 in Hungary. In summary, our study provides strong evidence for a very recent inter-specific Wolbachia transmission with a subsequent spatial spread in field populations.

To understand the evolution of local adaptation, the interplay between natural selection and gene flow should be considered. Rhagoletis cerasi L. (Diptera: Tephritidae) is a patchily distributed, stenophagous species of the temperate zone, and the geographical structure of its populations reveals substantial variation in gene flow rates across its distribution range. We studied the demographic components of R. cerasi adults from Greek and German populations by estimating the variability in fitness traits among allopatric populations, as well as among geographically discrete populations, with gene flow. Assuming that body size may exert a profound effect on adult fitness, both thorax and head sizes were considered as covariates in our analyses. Our data demonstrated that females were larger than males in all populations, and adult size varied significantly among populations within groups. Significant differences in a suite of life-history traits of R. cerasi adults were detected among populations with gene flow, whereas there were no consistent differences among allopatric populations. Therefore, the genetic differences among R. cerasi populations, driven mainly by geographical isolation, are poor predictors of variation in the life-history traits of adults. (c) 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 107, 137-152.

The American eastern cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cingulata, a pest of cherries in the western hemisphere, invaded Europe in 1983, and since then dispersed to several European countries. Information on the genetics and cytogenetics of this pest is very scarce. The mitotic karyotype and detailed photographic maps of the salivary gland polytene chromosomes of R. cingulata are presented here. The mitotic metaphase complement consists of six pairs of chromosomes with the sex chromosomes being very small and similar in size. The analysis of the salivary gland polytene complement shows a total number of five long chromosomes (10 polytene arms), which correspond to the five autosomes of the mitotic nuclei and an extrachromosomal heterochromatic mass, which corresponds to the sex chromosomes. The banding patterns and the most characteristic features and prominent landmarks of each polytene chromosome are presented and discussed. Chromosomal homologies between R. cingulata, R. completa and R. cerasi are also proposed, based on the comparison of chromosome banding patterns. Furthermore, the detection and characterization of Wolbachia pipientis in the R. cingulata population studied is presented and the potential correlation with the asynaptic phenomena found in its polytene complement is discussed. In addition, 10 out of 24 microsatellite markers developed for other Rhagoletis species are cross-amplified, evaluated and proposed as useful markers for population and genetic studies in R. cingulata.

Genetic and cytogenetic information is an essential basis for understanding the biology of insect pests, as well as for designing modern control strategies. The walnut husk fly, Rhagoletis completa (Cresson) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is an important pest of walnuts (Juglans spp.) in North America and has invaded Europe in the early 1990s. Studies on the genetics and cytogenetics of R. completa are scarce. The mitotic karyotype and detailed photographic maps of the salivary gland polytene chromosomes of this pest species are presented here. The mitotic metaphase complement consists of six pairs of chromosomes, the sex chromosomes being very small and similar in size, The analysis of the salivary gland polytene complement shows a total number of five long chromosomes (10 polytene arms) that correspond to the five autosomes of the mitotic nuclei and a heterochromatic mass corresponding to the sex chromosomes. The banding pattern as well as the most characteristic features and prominent landmarks of each polytene chromosome are presented and discussed.

Entomologia Experimentalis et ApplicataVolume 132, Issue 3 p. 283-288 Substantial progress made in the rearing of the European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi Kirsten Köppler, Corresponding Author Kirsten Köppler *E-mail: kirsten.koeppler@jki.bund.deSearch for more papers by this authorThomas Kaffer, Thomas Kaffer Julius Kühn-Institut, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant Protection in Fruit Crops and Viticulture, Schwabenheimer Street 101, 69221 Dossenheim, GermanySearch for more papers by this authorHeidrun Vogt, Heidrun Vogt Julius Kühn-Institut, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant Protection in Fruit Crops and Viticulture, Schwabenheimer Street 101, 69221 Dossenheim, GermanySearch for more papers by this author Kirsten Köppler, Corresponding Author Kirsten Köppler *E-mail: kirsten.koeppler@jki.bund.deSearch for more papers by this authorThomas Kaffer, Thomas Kaffer Julius Kühn-Institut, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant Protection in Fruit Crops and Viticulture, Schwabenheimer Street 101, 69221 Dossenheim, GermanySearch for more papers by this authorHeidrun Vogt, Heidrun Vogt Julius Kühn-Institut, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant Protection in Fruit Crops and Viticulture, Schwabenheimer Street 101, 69221 Dossenheim, GermanySearch for more papers by this author First published: 14 August 2009 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1570-7458.2009.00889.xCitations: 15Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume132, Issue3September 2009Pages 283-288 RelatedInformation

This article documents the addition of 512 microsatellite marker loci and nine pairs of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) sequencing primers to the Molecular Ecology Resources Database. Loci were developed for the following species: Alcippe morrisonia morrisonia, Bashania fangiana, Bashania fargesii, Chaetodon vagabundus, Colletes floralis, Coluber constrictor flaviventris, Coptotermes gestroi, Crotophaga major, Cyprinella lutrensis, Danaus plexippus, Fagus grandifolia, Falco tinnunculus, Fletcherimyia fletcheri, Hydrilla verticillata, Laterallus jamaicensis coturniculus, Leavenworthia alabamica, Marmosops incanus, Miichthys miiuy, Nasua nasua, Noturus exilis, Odontesthes bonariensis, Quadrula fragosa, Pinctada maxima, Pseudaletia separata, Pseudoperonospora cubensis, Podocarpus elatus, Portunus trituberculatus, Rhagoletis cerasi, Rhinella schneideri, Sarracenia alata, Skeletonema marinoi, Sminthurus viridis, Syngnathus abaster, Uroteuthis (Photololigo) chinensis, Verticillium dahliae, Wasmannia auropunctata, and Zygochlamys patagonica. These loci were cross-tested on the following species: Chaetodon baronessa, Falco columbarius, Falco eleonorae, Falco naumanni, Falco peregrinus, Falco subbuteo, Didelphis aurita, Gracilinanus microtarsus, Marmosops paulensis, Monodelphis Americana, Odontesthes hatcheri, Podocarpus grayi, Podocarpus lawrencei, Podocarpus smithii, Portunus pelagicus, Syngnathus acus, Syngnathus typhle,Uroteuthis (Photololigo) edulis, Uroteuthis (Photololigo) duvauceli and Verticillium albo-atrum. This article also documents the addition of nine sequencing primer pairs and sixteen allele specific primers or probes for Oncorhynchus mykiss and Oncorhynchus tshawytscha; these primers and assays were cross-tested in both species.