Journal of Applied Entomology最新文献

Spatial interpolation represents a fundamental approach in applied insect ecology, offering insight into species distributions and supporting biodiversity analysis, pest management and disease vector mapping. Insects—including important pollinators—face escalating threats due to habitat loss, climate change and anthropogenic pressures. As data-driven decisions become more critical in addressing these ecological challenges, spatial interpolation techniques such as kriging and regression-based models have become essential for estimating insect abundance in unsampled areas. This paper offers an in-depth review of both geostatistical and non-geostatistical methods employed in insect ecology, including ordinary kriging, universal kriging and machine learning-based methods such as random forests and maximum entropy. We present a structured overview of their applications in pest management, disease vector mapping and biodiversity monitoring, and we provide practical guidelines for selecting appropriate spatial interpolation methods. In addition, we present several datasets that can support case studies in spatial modelling for insect ecology. Our findings underscore the advantages of integrating geostatistical approaches with environmental variables to enhance the accuracy of species distribution models. This review serves as a resource for entomologists and researchers seeking to advance ecological monitoring and management through spatial interpolation techniques.

Since the invasion of the fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) into new regions, studies have oriented toward low-cost management tools and methods. This study assessed the effects of volatile scents that are naturally emitted by essential oil (EO) plants on the severity of FAW and populations of its natural enemies. Plants of Cymbopogon citratus, C. nardus, C. schoenanthus (Poales: Poaceae), Mesosphaerum (Hyptis) suaveolens, Ocimum gratissimum, O. citriodorum and O. basilicum (Lamiales: Lamiaceae) were planted alongside maize during three on-station experiments. Egg mass and larval densities, damaged leaves and plants, damage scores and abundance of parasitoids and predators were assessed on maize plots. Although no significant difference was observed for egg masses, maize plants next to C. citratus, C. schoenanthus, O. gratissimum and O. citriodorum recorded lower larval densities. However, percent damaged plants and damage scores were lower on maize plants next to C. schoenanthus and O. citriodorum, and larvae collected from maize next to these plants recorded the highest parasitism rates. These two plants were also among the four treatments that recorded the highest parasitism of egg masses. The natural enemies collected included one egg parasitoid, one egg-larval parasitoid, three larval parasitoids and seven predator species. Plant age was negatively correlated with egg mass and larval densities, and parasitism rates were positively correlated with egg mass and larval densities. C. schoenanthus and O. citriodorum mitigate fall armyworm damage while promoting natural enemy populations.

Deployment of poisoned trap trees/logs is an efficient suppressive method to fight Ips typographus (L., 1758) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), a calamity pest of spruce stands in the European area during the gradation period. Logs from Picea abies (L.) H. Karst., 1881 (Pinales: Pinaceae) laid as traps were baited with IT Ecolure pheromone and were treated with Forester insecticide containing cypermethrin as the active substance. Catching frames were placed under the pheromone trap to gather dead imagines. Behaviour of imagines was observed directly in the field and recorded by camera; video records were evaluated in the laboratory. Higher mean air temperature affected favourably the flight activity of Ips typographus and increased the frequency of arrival on and departure from the surface of poisoned trap trees; the imagines stayed on the trap trees for a shorter time. The numbers of dead imagines under the trap trees did not depend on the temperature. The increasing number of live imagines on poisoned trap trees/logs correlated with the increasing proportion of caught dead imagines, decreasing length of live imagines staying on the trap tree, and increasing frequency of arrival to and departure from the trap tree. The presence of pheromone lure and insecticide treatment induced rectilinear and uninterrupted flight towards and away from the pheromone lure. No attempt was observed to gnaw an entrance hole. Mortality on the poisoned trap tree ranged from 18% to 21%; 40%–60% of poisoned imagines died later due to the contamination.

Current control of the invasive pest Drosophila suzukii relies primarily on insecticides, including the incorporation of phagostimulant baits. The impact of insecticidal bait sprays on beneficial insects in crops is largely unknown. In a laboratory and field trial, we exposed non-target insects to insecticides with or without bait and compared these to non-insecticide controls. In laboratory arena tests, we assessed the impact on mortality. In the subsequent commercial raspberry field trial, 1 m width spray bands of bait were applied weekly, using alternating 25% or 50% field rates of spinosad and cyantraniliprole respectively. Results from the laboratory assays separated the insects into three categories: (1) adult Eupeodes corollae, Forficula auricularia, and Orius laevigatus, (2) adult Drosophila melanogaster and (3) larval Chrysopa sp. and Adalia bipunctata. In the first group, bait + spinosad or spinosad alone were equally detrimental to the life expectancy of insects. For D. melanogaster, bait + spinosad was faster acting than spinosad without bait. No detrimental impact of the treatments was observed on the third group of larval predators. Baits alone did not increase insect mortality. In the raspberry crop, there were no observed impacts of baits with insecticides on the abundance of insect pollinators or natural enemies compared to the full foliar applications of insecticides. This study is the first to test a range of non-target insects for toxicity to low dose insecticides combined with baits. Further field testing in commercial crops should explore the placement of bait droplets for optimal D. suzukii control, whilst minimising further impacts on non-target insecticides.

The Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly, Ceratitis capitata [Wiedemann]) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is a significant pest causing sizeable economic burden and fruit damage to crops worldwide, especially in the Mediterranean area. In deciduous orchards, monitoring the population of Mediterranean flies is an intensive and expensive process. This study aimed to explore alternatives to optimise the time and effort-intensive practice of medfly field monitoring, and promote site-specific management strategies, such as targeted pesticide applications or mass trapping, which could be implemented in high-density areas identified within orchards. In our previous work, the medfly population was found to begin infestation in small locations (few trees) within the orchard. This dynamic often precedes the infestations in the rest of the orchard. This study aims to characterise the differences between these locations (termed ‘hot spots’) and areas representing the rest of the orchard (termed ‘cold spots’). We examined differences in microclimate conditions (temperature, humidity and leaf area index) in apple orchards and quantified fruits nutrient level. The results characterised hot spots (HS) with a higher leaf area index, lower temperatures and higher humidity than cold spots. In addition, the fruits in the HS had higher nitrogen levels. To deepen our investigation, we also used remote sensing validation with thermal images to assess its potential for future hotspot detection. The differences we found can help to identify HS in other orchards and provide guidelines for using this knowledge to optimise pest control.

Currant, and in particular blackcurrant, Ribes nigrum, is widely grown in Europe. It is the host of a number of pest insects, but their occurrence and the damage they cause vary geographically. In northern Europe, three lepidopteran species, the currant shoot borer (Lampronia capitella), the currant clearwing (Synanthedon tipuliformis), and the currant bud moth (Euhyponomeutoides albithoracellus), are particularly damaging and sometimes cause decreased plant vigour and drastic yield losses. With fewer insecticides approved for use and with an increased interest in organic production of currants, the need for alternative methods to control these moths is urgent. We here applied pheromone-based mating disruption in small and sometimes well isolated plantations in Finland, Norway and Sweden against the three pests using 15–25 g of active ingredients and 300 dispensers per ha. A strong trap shutdown effect, up to 100%, was recorded for the currant clearwing and the currant bud moth, but no effect on the most widespread species, the currant shoot borer, was noted. After 1 year of treatment, however, it was not possible to detect any significant effect on the damage level or on the future adult population size of the pests. We conclude that for the currant clearwing and the currant bud moth, mating disruption is likely to work with higher pheromone doses or modified dispenser density, whereas the reason behind the lack of effect on the currant shoot borer needs to be addressed by new experiments and observations of behaviour.