Research Project: Mitigation of Invasive Pest Threats to U.S. Subtropical Agriculture

Location: Subtropical Horticulture Research

2022 Annual Report

Accomplishments
1. Repellents for pest ambrosia beetles. Redbay ambrosia beetle and tea shot-hole borer are vectors of laurel wilt and Fusarium dieback, respectively, two fungal diseases of avocado, woody ornamentals and native forest trees. Incorporating a repellent into pest management programs may reduce the incidence of these diseases. ARS researchers in Miami, Florida, identified piperitone as a new beetle repellent and compared its efficacy to two other repellents, verbenone and a-farnesene. Beetle captures in traps baited with lures were compared to captures in traps containing lures plus a repellent (a push-pull design). Farnesene was ineffective; however, piperitone and verbenone were equally effective, reducing captures by 50-70% for 10-12 weeks. Since piperitone is less expensive than verbenone, the standard beetle repellent, these studies identify an economical alternative for management of both pests in commercial avocado groves.

2. Risk assessment of Hass avocado and Mexican laurels for attack by redbay ambrosia beetle. Redbay ambrosia beetle vectors the pathogen that causes laurel wilt, a lethal disease of avocado and other U.S. trees in the laurel family. First detected in Georgia in 2002, the wood-boring pest has since spread to 12 southeastern states. With time, it will likely enter Mexico, threatening native forest species and the Mexican avocado industry based on the Hass cultivar. In advance of an incursion, ARS researchers in Miami, Florida, and the Instituto de Ecología (Veracruz, Mexico) conducted research to assess the potential risk. Freshly cut wood from Hass avocado and 8 native laurels (collected from Veracruz) was shipped to Florida to determine the beetle’s boring preferences in lab bioassays and relative attraction in field tests. Results indicated that Hass avocado, Persea schiedeana, and Ocotea sp. are highly attractive species susceptible to beetle attack. These findings emphasize the need for effective, early detection systems for redbay ambrosia beetle to prevent severe economic and ecological impact of laurel wilt in Mexico.

3. Functional roles of tea shot-hole borer symbionts. Tea shot-hole borer (TSHB) vectors a fungus that causes Fusarium dieback, a destructive disease of avocado trees. Current lures contain quercivorol, an attractant produced by the beetle’s fungal symbionts. The lure contains a mixture of compounds, so the exact attractant is unknown. The beetle also carries multiple symbionts, and the function of each symbiont is unknown. ARS researchers in Miami, Florida, in collaboration with the University of Florida, conducted research with pure cultures of six symbionts to address these questions. A study of the fungal volatile emissions revealed that trans-p-menth-2-en-ol and limonene are beetle attractants. Another study identified which symbionts provide nutrition for beetle development, and which ones were most pathogenic to Florida avocado trees. This information will direct future research in development of improved management programs for TSHB and Fusarium dieback disease.

4. Nitric oxide (NO) fumigation for postharvest pest control. Postharvest pest control needs safe and effective alternative treatments due to the phase out of methyl bromide. NO is a newly discovered fumigant that has been demonstrated efficacious against a variety of insect pests and safe to fumigated products. ARS researchers in Miami, Florida, and Salinas, California, in collaboration with Kansas State University, developed fumigation protocols using NO to control ham mites, Tyrophagus putrescentiae, on ham meat under ultra-low oxygen conditions. The results showed that complete control was achieved for all mite life stages; eggs were the most tolerant stage, but 100% mortality was obtained after 48 and 24 h treatments at 0.5 and 1.0% NO concentrations, respectively. NO fumigation, a safe and effective treatment, provides a potential alternative to methyl bromide fumigation for postharvest pest control.

5. Insecticide resistance mechanisms of Diamondback moth. The diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella, is a destructive pest of cruciferous crops. Due to extensive use of chemical controls, DBM has evolved resistance to diamide insecticides, including chlorantraniliprole. To better understand the resistance mechanisms of DBM, ARS researchers in Miami, Florida, in collaboration with the Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Science (Guangdong, China) used a comparative transcriptomic approach to analyze the genes associated with insecticide resistance. The study identified 21 metabolism-related genes associated with resistance development to chlorantraniliprole and Bacillus thuringiensis insecticides. This research provides a better understanding of DBM resistance mechanisms, facilitating design of new insecticide combinations for improved pest management.

Review Publications
Shabbir, M.N., Yang, X., Yin, F., Batool, R., Kendra, P.E., Li, Z. 2021. Bacillus thuringiensis and Chlorantraniliprole trigger the expression of detoxification-related genes in the larval midgut of Plutella xylostella. Frontiers in Physiology. 12:780255. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2021.780255.
Revynthi, A.M., Cruz, L.F., Cannon, M.A., Crane, J.A., Kendra, P.E., Mannion, C., Carrillo, D. 2022. Evaluation of abamectin as a potential chemical control for the lychee erinose mite (Acari: eriophyidae), a new invasive pest in Florida. Florida Entomologist. 105(1):1-5. https://doi.org/10.1653/024.105.0101.
Kurtca, M., Tumen, I., Keskin, H., Tabanca, N., Yang, X., Demirci, B., Kendra, P.E. 2021. Chemical composition of essential oils from leaves and fruits of Juniperus foetidissima and their attractancy and toxicity to two economically important tephritid fruit fly species, Ceratitis capitata and Anastrepha suspensa. Molecules. 26(24):7504. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26247504.
Yang, X., Liu, Y., Singh, R., Phillips, T.W. 2022. Nitric oxide fumigation for control of ham mite, Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Sarcoptiformes: Acaridae). Journal of Economic Entomology. 115(2):501-507. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toac014.
Revynthi, A.M., Velazquez Hernandez, Y., Canon, M.A., Greene, D.A., Vargas, G., Kendra, P.E., Mannion, C.M. 2021. Biology of Anthonomus testaceosquamosus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae): a new pest of tropical hibiscus. Insects. 13(1):13. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13010013.
Kendra, P.E., Cruz, L.F., Tabanca, N., Menocal, O., Schnell, E.Q., Carrillo, D. 2022. Volatile emissions and relative attraction of the fungal symbionts of tea shot hole borer (coleoptera: curculionidae). Biomolecules EISSN 2218-273X. 12(1):97. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom12010097.
Menocal, O., Kendra, P.E., Padilla, A., Chagas, P.C., Chagas, E.A., Crane, J.H., Carrillo, D. 2022. Influence of canopy cover and meteorological factors on the abundance of bark and ambrosia beetles (coleoptera: curculionidae) in avocado orchards affected by laurel wilt. Agronomy. 12(3):547. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12030547.
Yusufoglu, H.S., Alqarni, M.H., Salkini, M.A., Tabanca, N., Demirci, B., Kendra, P.E. 2021. Chemical composition of essential oils of Pulicaria species growing in Saudi Arabia and activity for Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata. Phytochemistry Letters. 46:51-55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytol.2021.08.021.
Sen-Utsukarci, B., Kessler, S.M., Akbal-Dagistan, O., Estep Iii, A.S., Tabanca, N., Kurkcuoglu, M., Demirci-Kayarian, S., Eroglu-Ozkan, E., Gul, Z., Bardacki, H., Becnel, J.J., Kiemer, A.K., Mat, A., Husnu Can Baser, K. 2021. Chemical composition and biological activities of valeriana dioscoridis sm. roots. South African Journal of Botany. 141:306-312. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2021.05.007.
Kilic, M., Orhan, I., Eren, G., Okudan, E., Estep Iii, A.S., Becnel, J.J., Tabanca, N. 2021. Insecticidal activity of forty-seven marine algae species from the Mediterranean, Aegean and Sea of Marmara in connection with their cholinesterase and tyrosinase inhibitory activity. South African Journal of Botany. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2021.06.038.
Roh, G., Kendra, P.E., Cha, D.H. 2021. Preferential attraction of oviposition-ready oriental fruit flies to host fruit odor over protein food odor. Insects. 12(10). Article 909. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12100909.
Wheeler, G.S., Kendra, P.E., David, A.S., Lake, E.C., Sigmon, J., Palacios, J.N. 2021. Community of bark and ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) infesting Brazilian peppertree treated with herbicide and the volatile tree response. Environmental Entomology. 50(6):1311–1321. https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvab096.
Park, M., Lee, B., Yang, J., Kim, B., Roh, G., Kendra, P.E., Cha, D.H. 2021. Ethyl formate as a methyl bromide alternative for fumigation of citrus: Efficacy, fruit quality, and workplace safety. Journal of Economic Entomology. 114(6):2290-2296. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toab175.
Demiray, H., Estep III, A.S., Tabanca, N., Becnel, J.J., Demirci, B. 2022. Chemical constituents from Rheum ribes shoots and its insecticidal activity against Aedes aegypti. Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43450-021-00224-8.
Tsikolia, M., Tabanca, N., Kline, D.L., Demirci, B., Yang, L., Linthicum, K., Bloomquist, J.R., Bernier, U.R. 2022. Studies on the volatiles composition of stored sheep wool, and attractancy toward Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Insects. 13(2):1-9. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13020208.