Halyomorpha halys (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) is an insect pest native to Asia that has spread over the last two decades to most of the North America, parts of South America, Europe and North Africa. ...Its impact is significant as it can feed on more than 300 host plants, rendering affected fruits and vegetable crops unsellable or of lower quality. Various chemical and biological methods have been used to control this pest, with varying degrees of success. The sterile insect technique (SIT) is a pest control method involving the sterilization of insects via ionizing radiation and their subsequent mass release into the field. In the present contribution, the spermiogenesis of H. halys was studied from an ultrastructural point of view in both irradiated and non-irradiated adult males. In both cases, we observed ultrastructural characteristics typical of hemipteran sperm cells: bridges connecting the mitochondrial derivatives and the axonemal microtubules, the absence of accessory bodies, and the presence of two or three crystalline inclusions within the mitochondrial derivatives, an acrosome composed of tightly packed tubules, and an atypical, plaque-shaped microtubular organizing center (MTOC) in the centriolar region. Moreover, in the same region, we seldom observed the presence of two centrioles in the spermatids, one of which disappeared at a later stage of maturation. This feature is a novelty for insect spermiogenesis. The cysts of irradiated adults were not all uniformly affected by the radiation. However, irradiated cysts sometimes exhibited a general disorganization of sperm arrangement, incomplete divisions of sperm cells resulting in multiple copies of the same organelle within the same cell, failure to reabsorb the cytoplasm, and the lack of axonemes. Finally, rod-shaped viruses or virus-like particles were observed in vasa deferentia independently of irradiation.
Live Traps for Adult Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs Suckling, David Maxwell; Levy, Mary Claire; Roselli, Gerardo ...
Insects (Basel, Switzerland),
10/2019, Letnik:
10, Številka:
11
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Surveillance for detection of the brown marmorated stink bug,
, is reliant on sticky panels with aggregation pheromone, which are low cost, but very inefficient (est. 3%). Trapping for adults was ...conducted in Italy with novel live (or lethal) traps consisting of aggregation pheromone-baited cylinders with a wind vane, with the upwind end covered by mesh and the downwind end sealed by a removable entry-only mesh cone, admitting the attracted bugs. The novel traps caught up to 15-times more adult
than identically-baited sticky panels in two weeks of daily checking (n = 6 replicates) (the new live traps were, in Run 1, 5-, 9-, 15-, 13-, 4-, 12-, 2-fold; and in Run 2, 7-, 1-, 3-, 7-, 6-, 6-, and 5-fold better than sticky traps, daily). The maximum catch of the new traps was 96 live adults in one trap in 24 h and the average improvement was ~7-fold compared with sticky panels. The rotating live traps, which exploit a mesh funnel facing the plume downwind that proved useful for collecting adults, could also be used to kill bugs. We expect that commercially-available traps could replace the crude prototypes we constructed quickly from local materials, at low cost, as long as the principles of a suitable plume structure were observed, as we discuss. The traps could be useful for the sterile insect technique, supporting rearing colonies, or to kill bugs.
The bagrada bug, Bagrada hilaris, is an invasive insect pest in the family Brassicaceae that causes economically important damage to crops. It was originally present in Asia, the Middle East, and ...Africa, and was reported as invasive in the southwestern part of the US, in Chile, and on a few islands in the Mediterranean Basin. In its native range, B. hilaris is controlled by several egg parasitoid species that are under consideration as potential biological control agents. This research evaluated the impact of gamma irradiation on life history parameters, e.g., the fecundity, fertility, and longevity of B. hilaris, as a critical step towards assessing the feasibility of using the sterile insect technique against this recent invasive pest. Newly emerged adults of a laboratory colony originally collected from the island of Pantelleria (Italy) were gamma-irradiated. Life history parameters were evaluated at nine different doses, ranging from 16 Gy to 140 Gy. The minimal dose to approach full sterility was 100 Gy. Irradiation up to a maximum of 140 Gy apparently did not negatively impact the longevity of the adults. Even if both genders are sensitive to irradiation, the decline in fecundity for irradiated females could be exploited to release irradiated males safely to apply the SIT in combination with classical biological control. The data presented here allow us to consider, for the first time, the irradiation of bagrada adults as a suitable and feasible technique that could contribute to guaranteeing a safe approach to control this important pest species in agro-ecosystems. More research is warranted on the competitive fitness of irradiated males to better understand mating behavior as well as elucidate the possible mechanisms of sperm selection by polyandric B. hilaris females.
The brown marmorated stink bug,
, is a pentatomid bug of Eastern Asian origin that became an economically relevant pest in the Eurasian and American continents. Management of this species is limited ...to use of chemical insecticides: an inefficient method due to the strong adaptability of the target pest. The sterile insect technique (SIT) is potentially a valid tactic in the search for nontoxic alternatives. In this work, we investigated the suitability of mass-trapped overwintering males, collected during the aggregation phase before the winter diapause, for their release as competitive sterile males in an SIT programme. Differently from previous studies, irradiation was applied with a linear accelerator device that produced high-energy photons. Following a similar scientific protocol with newly emerged irradiated males, the effects of X-ray irradiation on physiological parameters (longevity, fecundity and fertility) were assessed. In addition, behavioural bioassays were carried out in no-choice conditions to evaluate if irradiation interferes with mating processes. The results are very encouraging; the effects of the irradiation at 32 Gy did not differ from the controls in the longevity or fecundity of the exposed overwintering adults. The hatching rate of the eggs laid by the fertile females that had mated with the irradiated males was less than 5%. The results of behavioural bioassays showed that the irradiation did not cause a significant impact on the quality of the sterile males. More research is warranted to evaluate the mating competitiveness of sterile males in semi-field and field conditions.
The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB),
, is a phytophagous invasive pest native to south-eastern Asia, and it is now distributed worldwide. This species is considered to be one of the most damaging ...insect pests in North America and in Europe. In agriculture, the predominant approach to managing BMSB is based on the use of insecticides, specifically pyrethroids and neonicotinoids. Unfortunately, the biology of the species and its facility to develop mechanisms of resistance to available pesticides has induced farmers and scientists to develop different, least-toxic, and more effective strategies of control. In a territorial area-wide approach, the use of a classical biological control program in combination with other least-toxic strategies has been given prominent consideration. Following exploratory surveys in the native range, attention has focused on
, a small scelionid egg parasitoid wasp that is able to oviposit and complete its larval development in a single egg of
. A common method for detecting egg parasitoids in the native range involves the placement of so-called 'sentinel' egg masses of the pest in the environment for a short period, which are then returned to the laboratory to determine if any of them are parasitized. Outside of the area of origin, the use of fertile sentinel eggs of the alien species may lead to the further release of the pest species; an alternative is to use sterile sentinel eggs to record the presence of new indigenous egg parasitoids or to detect the dispersal of alien species (in this case,
) released in a new environment to control the target insect pest species. This study evaluated the performance of three types of sterile sentinel eggs as a suitable substrate for the oviposition and larval development of the egg parasitoid
in a context of combining classical biological control with a Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) approach.
The sterility of eggs and nymphs from gamma-irradiated male
was investigated to determine the potential for the sterile insect technique (SIT). Males irradiated at 0, 16, 24 and 32 Gy were placed ...with untreated virgin females, and egg sterility was determined, showing 54.3% at 16 Gy. The percentage of sterility from irradiation was 26 percent lower than previous results from the USA and the variance was very high. Competitive overflooding ratio trials between irradiated virgin males and fertile virgin males at a 5:1 ratio resulted in the expected egg sterility, indicating competitive performance by irradiated males. By July and August, older, irradiated overwintered males were significantly less competitive than similar, non-irradiated males. There is a need to revisit the irradiation delivery method to achieve proper precision around the paternal dose required for an expected >80% egg sterility and subsequent ~99% endpoint sterility estimated at adult emergence in the F
phase. These results suggest that the mating competitiveness and competency of males after irradiation at 16 Gy is not limiting to the sterile insect technique for suppression. A wild harvest of overwintering males using the aggregation pheromone, followed by irradiation and male release, might replace rearing. Mass-collected, sterilized bugs could be transported from an area of high
density and shipped for release to enable suppression or eradication elsewhere. This concept is under development but further work is needed now to understand the difference in results between the US and Italian irradiators and increase the reliability of dosimetry.
Controlling alien insect pests in cropping systems with no use of chemicals has always been challenging. Here, the first research studies to evaluate the use of irradiation to determine the ...feasibility of the sterile insect technique (SIT) approach to controlling the bagrada bug, Bagrada hilaris, are described. This work complements investigations on biological control for some of the major pentatomid pests, e.g., the brown marmorated stinkbug, the southern green stink bug, or the bagrada bug, using specific egg parasitoids. The complete sterility of males and females was reached with a minimum of 100 Gy gamma irradiation dose. This study documented how various irradiation doses impact the life history parameters of the bagrada bug, such as fertility, fecundity, and longevity. The results warrant further research to test the SIT directly on bagrada bug populations in the field or combine the SIT with a classical biological control program. The bagrada bug, Bagrada hilaris, is an invasive insect pest in the family Brassicaceae that causes economically important damage to crops. It was originally present in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, and was reported as invasive in the southwestern part of the US, in Chile, and on a few islands in the Mediterranean Basin. In its native range, B. hilaris is controlled by several egg parasitoid species that are under consideration as potential biological control agents. This research evaluated the impact of gamma irradiation on life history parameters, e.g., the fecundity, fertility, and longevity of B. hilaris, as a critical step towards assessing the feasibility of using the sterile insect technique against this recent invasive pest. Newly emerged adults of a laboratory colony originally collected from the island of Pantelleria (Italy) were gamma-irradiated. Life history parameters were evaluated at nine different doses, ranging from 16 Gy to 140 Gy. The minimal dose to approach full sterility was 100 Gy. Irradiation up to a maximum of 140 Gy apparently did not negatively impact the longevity of the adults. Even if both genders are sensitive to irradiation, the decline in fecundity for irradiated females could be exploited to release irradiated males safely to apply the SIT in combination with classical biological control. The data presented here allow us to consider, for the first time, the irradiation of bagrada adults as a suitable and feasible technique that could contribute to guaranteeing a safe approach to control this important pest species in agro-ecosystems. More research is warranted on the competitive fitness of irradiated males to better understand mating behavior as well as elucidate the possible mechanisms of sperm selection by polyandric B. hilaris females.
Halyomorpha halys is an alien stink bug species native to south-eastern Asia, and is now widely distributed and very invasive worldwide. Management of this pest by chemical insecticides is not very ...effective because of the high mobility of the pest species and its innate ability to develop resistance to most of the synthetic insecticides applied. For this reason, classical biological control has been considered, with attention focused on co-evolved egg parasitoids, which oviposit and complete their larval development within a single egg of the host. The detection and collection of the egg parasitoid species is often conducted by exposing newly oviposited egg-masses of the stink bug pest in the field for a few days as sentinels, which can then be parasitized by the egg parasitoids. In newly invaded areas, limiting factors in the use of sentinel eggs include the short amount of time that they are a suitable substrate for the oviposition of the egg parasitoid and the risk of the unintentional release of additional pests from unparasitized eggs. A valid potential alternative is to use sterile sentinel eggs of the pest species. This study focused on the evaluation of the performance of three types of sterile sentinel eggs for the oviposition and the larval development of the egg parasitoid Trissolcus japonicus. The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys, is a phytophagous invasive pest native to south-eastern Asia, and it is now distributed worldwide. This species is considered to be one of the most damaging insect pests in North America and in Europe. In agriculture, the predominant approach to managing BMSB is based on the use of insecticides, specifically pyrethroids and neonicotinoids. Unfortunately, the biology of the species and its facility to develop mechanisms of resistance to available pesticides has induced farmers and scientists to develop different, least-toxic, and more effective strategies of control. In a territorial area-wide approach, the use of a classical biological control program in combination with other least-toxic strategies has been given prominent consideration. Following exploratory surveys in the native range, attention has focused on Trissolcus japonicus, a small scelionid egg parasitoid wasp that is able to oviposit and complete its larval development in a single egg of H. halys. A common method for detecting egg parasitoids in the native range involves the placement of so-called ‘sentinel’ egg masses of the pest in the environment for a short period, which are then returned to the laboratory to determine if any of them are parasitized. Outside of the area of origin, the use of fertile sentinel eggs of the alien species may lead to the further release of the pest species; an alternative is to use sterile sentinel eggs to record the presence of new indigenous egg parasitoids or to detect the dispersal of alien species (in this case, T. japonicus) released in a new environment to control the target insect pest species. This study evaluated the performance of three types of sterile sentinel eggs as a suitable substrate for the oviposition and larval development of the egg parasitoid T. japonicus in a context of combining classical biological control with a Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) approach.
Improvements to current brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB),
, surveillance and killing systems are needed to improve detection sensitivity and to reduce pesticide use. Detection of BMSB in New Zealand ...with traps is reliant on sticky panels with aggregation pheromone, which are low cost but inefficient compared with beating foliage. Trapping for BMSB adults and nymphs was conducted daily with lethal traps consisting of an aggregation pheromone-baited-coat hanger covered with dark-colored long-lasting insecticide-treated mesh, we termed "The Nazgȗl", based on its sinister appearance. A deep tray lined with white plastic was attached centrally at the base for collecting the dead BMSB. The lethal traps killed and caught up to 3.5-fold more nymphs and adult BMSB than identically-baited sticky panels in the 3 weeks of deployment, and provided a snapshot of phenology by instar. We expect that lure-and-kill stations could contribute to the suppression of a delimited population and could be included as part of a semiochemical-based eradication program. Attracting and killing females and nymphs, thus removing future offspring, could contribute to population suppression during an eradication.
The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is an invasive phytophagous species native to eastern Asia. Due to its wide host plant range, it is ...considered among the most harmful agricultural pests in the invaded areas, including Europe, North and South America. In addition to its impact on crops, this insect causes a nuisance in urban areas, by invading buildings for overwintering using their aggregation pheromones and emitting an unpleasant smell when disturbed. The current management of this species is mainly based on the use of chemical insecticides, which show efficacy when applied frequently, with consequent negative impact on beneficial insects in the agroecosystems. As a result, there is a desire for more environmentally friendly solutions for the management of BMSB. A valid alternative is the use of exotic and coevolved biocontrol agents, for instance, the Samurai wasp, Trissolcus japonicus (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), which is already showing promising medium and long-term results against BMSB in classical biocontrol projects. Within the frame of the least-toxic alternatives, the use of the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) in an Area-Wide management approach is potentially a valid strategy to be included in integrated control and eradication programs. ;
The main objective of this research, therefore, was to develop a SIT for potential use in the eradication of BMSB in newly introduced areas and/or as an additional tool to reduce its impact in areas where invasive populations have been already established. However, the effective use of SIT requires producing a high number of insects, and mass rearing for such a species is considered too complicated and expensive. To overcome this limitation, we evaluated a harvest, irradiation, and release strategy using wild overwintering adults. New live traps baited with high-load pheromones have been developed for mass trapping, exploiting the natural phenomenon ruled behaviour of aggregation of BMSB in preparation for overwintering. The captures of the new pheromone traps were compared with those of identically baited sticky panels through daily services lasting 2 weeks. Following winter diapause, the collected males were irradiated with high-energy photons at four different dosages: 16, 24, 32 and 40 Gy. The effects of irradiation on the biology i.e., fertility, longevity, and mating behaviour of overwintering BMSB males were evaluated with respect to unirradiated males. To encourage the use of SIT, a linear accelerator from a hospital facility was used for irradiation instead of the classical method involving radioactive materials. A second control 0 Gy was adopted to evaluate the possible negative effects on the biology (longevity, fertility, and fecundity) of insects due to the preparation for the irradiation. ;
Moreover, as part of an integrated pest management (IPM) strategy, the combined use of the egg parasitoid T. japonicus and SIT was considered. The suitability of sterile eggs as oviposition substrate for T. japonicus was evaluated by comparing irradiated BMSB eggs at 40 Gy, eggs obtained by fertile female mated with sterile males irradiated at 50 Gy, and refrigerated sterile eggs currently used for laboratory rearing and field monitoring. ;
The results of the research are encouraging for SIT applications in IPM approach. 1) The new traps caught up to 15-times more adult BMSB than the sticky panels in the two weeks of collections. 2) The developed irradiation protocol that involved a 6 MV medical linear accelerator has allowed the achievement of a high level of sterility of overwintering males (over 95%) already at 32 Gy without compromising males’ longevity and mating behaviour (in no-choice conditions). No adverse effects due to the irradiation preparation protocol were observed. 3) Sterile eggs obtained by mating sterile irradiated males and fertile females (SIT eggs), showed a higher parasitoid emergence rate (%) than both those directly irradiated and refrigerated. The difference in the emergence rate is even more evident when the eggs are 20 days old, with a parasitoid emergence rate of (75.56 %) for SIT eggs compared to those irradiated (44.68 %) and refrigerated (37.57%). ;
In conclusion: 1) the new live traps are effective in mass trapping, 2) wild harvested males of BMSB can be used in SIT, 3) the use of linear accelerators for irradiation of BMSB is a feasible alternative to classical radioactive sources and 4) sterile eggs obtained by mating sterile males and fertile females are a valid substrate for T. japonicus oviposition, supporting the potential use of SIT on BMSB.
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