Location: Invasive Insect Biocontrol & Behavior Laboratory
Project Number: 8042-22000-315-020-R
Project Type: Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2021
End Date: Aug 31, 2025
Objective:
Insect pests are the source of large quantity and quality crop losses in vegetable crops. Cucumber beetles are among the most important vegetable pests in North America, and alternatives are needed for their control in the bee-pollinated cucurbit crops (squash, cucumbers, pumpkin, and melons) which they damage by feeding and vectoring of plant pathogens. Development of an attract-and-kill method for cucumber beetles as part of cucurbit crop integrated pest management (IPM) would make possible reduction in pesticide use and corresponding reduced risk to essential pollinators. Objectives of the proposal are to 1: Identify the combination of plant volatiles and pheromones that synergize attraction of cucumber beetles (CBs), and what trap types are most efficaceous in capturing adults in different crop stages and systems, and 2: Experimentally test a push-pull strategy integrating attractive lures with crops varying in CB preference, to defend the desired crop against pest damage.
Approach:
Insect pests are the source of large quantity and quality crop losses in vegetable crops. Cucumber beetles are among the most important vegetable pests in North America, and alternatives are needed for their control in the bee-pollinated cucurbit crops (squash, cucumbers, pumpkin, and melons) which they damage by feeding and vectoring of plant pathogens. Development of an attract-and-kill method for cucumber beetles as part of cucurbit crop integrated pest management (IPM) would make possible reduction in pesticide use and corresponding reduced risk to essential pollinators.
Objective 1: Identify the combination of plant volatiles and pheromones that synergize cucumber beetle attraction.
Rationale: Although data suggests that a few volatile chemicals elicit orientation behavior in SCB, attract-and-kill approaches necessitate a potent stimulus to outcompete the crop for colonizing pests. Behavioral studies strongly indicate that cucurbit HIPVs and aggregation pheromone are likely to synergize aggregation when presented simultaneously. However, this hypothesis needs to be evaluated in the field using synthetic compounds to quantify the release rates maximizing attraction. In addition, far better data is needed on how these attractants extend beyond striped cucumber beetle to other pests; most notably, their congener in the west (A. trivittatum), the spotted cucumber beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata), and other co-occurring species (e.g., squash bug, Anasa tristis). Given the importance of pollination in cucurbits, it is critical that these volatiles do not distract managed or wild bees, particularly through the use of lures mimicking floral odors. Thus, an important part of this objective will fine-tune blends to optimize CB attraction without unintentionally trapping pollinators in the process.
