Location: Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Unit
2016 Annual Report
Objectives
1: Discover, characterize, identify, evaluate the efficacy, and determine the ecological safety of exotic predators and parasitoids as classical biological control agents of invasive insect pests, including tarnished plant bug, brown marmorated stink bug, and spotted wing drosophila, and may include other new invasive species, such as kudzu bug.
Sub-objective 1A: Discovery
Sub-objective 1B: Characterization and identification
Sub-objective 1C: Evaluation and risk assessment
2: Develop an improved understanding of factors and processes that influence the successful establishment of introduced biological control agents, such as climate adaptation, release methodologies, genetic variation in source and founder populations, using natural enemies of current target pests as model systems.
Sub-objective 2A: Conduct retrospective analyses of current/past biological control programs (where appropriate).
Sub-objective 2B: Conduct laboratory and field studies of selected biological traits and ecological requirements relevant to the establishment and efficacy of the target biological control agents.
3: Prepare (with collaborators, when appropriate and necessary) petitions to regulatory agencies for field release of candidate agents, conduct field releases for establishment of new agents, and monitor and evaluate the impact of these natural enemies on target pest populations and on non-target species in the field.
Sub-objective 3A: Develop and submit a petition for release that describes the importance of the target pest and the efficacy and safety of the candidate biocontrol agent; and participate in the regulatory decision process as needed.
Sub-objective 3B: Conduct releases and post-release monitoring (with cooperators when necessary) of permitted natural enemies.
Approach
Classical (importation) biological control is a pest management technology that is environmentally safe and sustainable. This project focuses on discovery, evaluation, and establishment of classical biological control agents of selected agricultural pests in the U.S. Previous research continued into this project addresses as targets tarnished plant bugs, brown marmorated stink bug; and spotted wing drosophila. New targets may be added at any time according to national need.
To address objective (1) we will conduct foreign exploration in Asia and other regions as needed to discover, identify and evaluate the biology, ecology, and efficacy of exotic predators and parasitoids as classical biological control agents of the targeted pests. Agents discovered in exploration will be returned to our laboratory and identified using the best available morphological characters in conjunction with molecular sequence data, and evaluated in our quarantine facility for efficacy by measuring attack rates, reproductive output and development rates, and for host specificity by testing both close relatives to target hosts and progressively more distantly related species under choice and no-choice conditions.
Objective (2) will address the role of environmental factors such as climate and photoperiod or inherent genetic variability in determining establishment success. Using a parasitoid of tarnished plant bug that established in some regions of the US but not others as the model subject, we will characterize the genetic variability of populations established in the US and their relation to genetic source populations in Europe. Using parasitoids of any or all target pests, we will test the influence of differing environmental factors such as temperature, soil moisture and photoperiod regimes on parasitoid survival in environmental growth chambers and comparative field exposures.
To address objective (3) we will prepare petitions for field release of qualified candidate agents of all target pests determined to be both effective and safe, based on satisfactory results of evaluation studies. These will be submitted to technical advisory panels and APHIS, in collaboration with relevant project partners as necessary. Supplemental research will be conducted to provide additional information if requested by APHIS. Once permits are received we will participate with cooperators as needed in conducting releases and post-release monitoring of the natural enemies. Where possible the releases will be designed to compare different geographic populations or genetic accessions of the agent for differences in climate adaptation, efficacy or other behavioral characteristics.
Progress Report
Populations of the brown marmorated stink bug (H. halys) have developed into a significant pest in soybeans and various tree fruits in the eastern and western U.S. and are now reported in 42 states, where their impact continues to increase. Populations of east and west coast H. halys were shown to differ in genetic makeup, indicating that several independent introductions into the U.S. have occurred. ARS researchers in Newark, Delaware, provided technical support to cooperators for expanded sentinel surveys to monitor parasitism of H. halys by resident native stinkbug parasitoids in different crop systems, including survey protocols and identification of specimens. ARS researchers in Newark, Delaware, provided technical and quarantine laboratory support for new surveys in Pennsylvania by cooperators for indigenous natural enemies of spotted lantern fly, Lycorma delicatula, a new Asian invasive species found in Pennsylvania and a potential pest of grapes and tree fruit. Foreign exploration was conducted during the spring of 2016 in northern China for natural enemies of the lantern fly. Exploration was also conducted during the summer of 2016 in southern China for candidate agents of spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii, and live material was hand-carried to the ARS- Newark quarantine facility for further evaluation. Studies to determine the extent of Asian Trissolcus parasitoids of H. halys possible impacts on non-target species in the U.S. are in progress that are needed to support a potential release petition. These studies indicate that behavioral and ecological responses may moderate and reduce their potential impact. Field collections in Asia were made of parasitoids of other stink bug species to help determine the actual host stink bug range of Trissolcus in the native range, which have also contributed to the discovery of several other stink bug parasitoids new to science. Surveys were conducted to monitor the overwinter survival, establishment and spread of the Asian parasitoid of H. halys, Trissolcus japonicus, first discovered in the field in Maryland in 2014 and again in Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia, Delaware and Washington during 2015. This research addresses objective 1. Non-assistance cooperative agreements with Seoul National University and with the Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Science provide local assistance in Asia for foreign exploration for natural enemies of H. halys and Drosophila suzukii and fund continuing studies on natural enemies of these invasive pests in their native range. Through subordinate projects 8030-22000-030-01R (Biology, Ecology, and Management of Brown Marmorated Stink Bug in Orchard Crops, Small Fruit, Grapes, Vegetables and Ornamentals), 8030-22000-030-02R (Whole Farm Organic Management of BMSB and Endemic Pentatomids through Behavior-Based Habitat Manipulation) and 8010-22000-030-12I (Classical Biological Control of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug) extramural support was provided for ongoing host range evaluations for exotic and native natural enemies of the stink bug. 8010-22000-030-10R (Sustainable Spotted Wing Drosophila Management for United States Fruit Crops - Coordinated Agricultural Project) provides support for foreign exploration and host range testing of candidate natural enemies of spotted wing drosophila. This research addresses objective 1. Field surveys were made in Delaware and neighboring northeastern states to provide specimens of the previously established P. digoneutis in support of an ongoing retrospective population genetics study of its establishment (in conjunction with ARS European Biological Control Laboratory). Collections of Asian H. halys were made and provided to cooperators for new research to detect parasitic microsporidians and determine their impact on stink bug populations. This research addresses objective 2. A fifth consecutive annual workshop on identification of native and exotic Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) parasitoids was held to educate research collaborators, graduate students and local extension specialists. ARS researchers compiled and updated a master key for the identification of BMSB parasitoids commonly found in North America and contributed to ongoing taxonomic research on Asian Trissolcus. This research-related activity addresses objective 3. The overall impact of the research is that producers will have new biological control agents available that will help them manage key insect pests by reducing chemical pest management inputs, thereby maximizing profits and sustaining yield.
Accomplishments
1. Natural enemy identification tools for the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) Research community. The invasive brown marmorated stink bug native to northeast Asia, has become a principal agricultural pest in the U.S. and is responsible for crop failures on many mid-Atlantic farms. Its impact continues to increase in other states as well. Recent taxonomic research by ARS has provided the tools to characterize and conclusively identify indigenous and exotic stink bug parasitoids. To familiarize researchers participating in a multi-institution Specialty Crop Research Initiative project for integrated management approaches for the invasive stink bug and APHIS Farm Bill cooperators evaluating the safety and effectiveness of its natural enemies with these tools, a fifth consecutive annual training workshop on parasitic wasps that attack brown marmorated stink bug was organized for ARS and state collaborators. Held in conjunction with the BMSB-Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Workgroup meeting in June 2015, scientists, extension specialists and students attended this year’s workshop in New Jersey. Critical information was shared on native natural enemies of BMSB, their identification and biology, and hands-on training was provided to teach participants to identify specimens obtained in their studies, especially Trissolcus japonicus, a key species under evaluation in the U.S. which was discovered in the field in Maryland in 2014, and at additional sites in Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia, Delaware and Washington during 2015 and which is expected to spread to other regions. The workshop provided participants with valuable research tools for ongoing biological control and IPM programs.
None.
Review Publications
Rand, T.A., Morrill, W.L., Runyon, J.B., Hoelmer, K.A., Shanower, T.G., Littlefield, J.L., Weaver, D.K. 2015. Assessing phenological synchrony between the Chinese sawfly, Cephus fumipennis, its egg-larval parasitoid, Collyria catoptron, and the North American sawfly, Cephus cinctus: Implications for biological control. The Canadian Entomologist. 148(4):482-492. doi:10.4039/tce.2015.64.
Bon, M., Hoelmer, K.A., Pickett, C.H., Kirk, A.A., He, Y., Mahmood, R., Daane, K.M. 2016. Populations of Bactrocera oleae (Diptera: Tephritidae) and Its Parasitoids in Himalayan Asia. Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 109:81-91. doi: 10.1093/aesa/sav114.
Haye, T., Girod, P., Cuthbertson, A., Wang, X., Daane, K.M., Hoelmer, K.A., Baroffio, C., Zhang, J., Desneux, N. 2016. Current SWD IPM tactics and their practical implementation in fruit crops across different regions around the world. Journal of Pest Science. 89:643-651.
Daane, K., Wang, X., Biondi, A., Miller, B., Miller, J.C., Riedl, H., Shearer, P.W., Guerrieri, E., Giorgini, M., Buffington, M.L., Van Achterberg, K., Song, Y., Kang, T., Yi, H., Jung, C., Lee, D., Chung, B., Hoelmer, K.A., Walton, V.M. 2016. First foreign exploration for asian parasitoids of Drosophila suzukii. Journal of Pest Science. doi: 10.1007/s10340-016-0740-0.
Ogburn, E.C., Bessin, R., Dieckhoff, C., Dobson, R., Grieshop, M., Hoelmer, K.A., Mathews, C., Moore, J., Nielsen, A.L., Poley, K., Pote, J.M., Rogers, M., Welty, C., Walgenbach, J.F. 2016. Natural enemy impact on the invasive brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), in organic agroecosystems: A regional assessment. Biological Control. 101:39-51.
Cornelius, M.L., Dieckhoff, C., Hoelmer, K.A., Olsen, R.T., Weber, D.C., Herlihy, M.V., Talamas, E.J., Vinyard, B.T., Greenstone, M.H. 2016. Biological control of sentinel egg masses of the exotic invasive stink bug halyomorpha halys (Stål) in Mid-Atlantic USA ornamental landscapes. Biological Control. 103:11-20.
