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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Invasive Insect Biocontrol & Behavior Laboratory » Research » Research Project #447481

Research Project: Optimizing Predator and Prey Pheromones: Manipulating Tritrophic Interactions to Manage Colorado Potato Beetle

Location: Invasive Insect Biocontrol & Behavior Laboratory

Project Number: 8042-22000-315-034-R
Project Type: Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Sep 1, 2024
End Date: Aug 31, 2025

Objective:
Insect pests are the source of large quantity and quality crop losses in vegetable crops. Colorado potato beetle (CPB) is among the most important vegetable pests in North America, and alternatives are needed for its control because of the high pesticide input which has often resulted in evolution of insecticide resistance by CPB. Development of an attract-and-kill method for potato beetles as part of potato crop integrated pest management (IPM) would make possible reduction in pesticide use and corresponding reduced risk to non-target beneficial insects as well as growers and consumers. Objectives of the proposal are to 1) to address how the community of pests and natural enemies of herbivores is affected by the predator (spined soldier bug) pheromone and whether the amplification of the non-consumptive effect is compatible with conservation or augmentative biocontrol; Objective 2 will investigate, what is the spatial scale of the predator pheromone’s effect on Colorado potato beetles, and what is the relative importance of direct detection or changes in plant resistance. Objective 3 will test whether the deterrent predator pheromone can be combined with attractive beetle pheromone to change beetle behavior and concentrate them at field margins, by a push-pull behavioral control tactic.

Approach:
A combination of field and lab experiments will address the three objectives. Objective 1.We will establish field plots where we will measure the effect of predator pheromone on the abundance of economically important herbivores: CPB, leaf hoppers, aphids, and natural enemies including Podisus, Perillus, Pardosa, Lebia, and lady beetles. This experiment will be conducted using the same methods in New York and Maryland to take advantage of regional differences in the community of insects on potato plants. To test if the consumptive effect of spined soldier bug on Colorado potato beetle oviposition and larval survival is affected by the augmented non-consumptive effect. Will measure the additional mortality caused by the predator in the cages with the aggregation pheromone compared to cages without. Objective 2: The relative importance and spatial scale of the direct and indirect pathways of predator pheromone on Colorado potato beetle will be investigated by greenhouse experiments to determine the direct and indirect (plant-mediated) pathways that can drive effects on beetle performance, measured by adult oviposition and larval feeding on plants. The spatial distance of the effect of the predator pheromone will be tested using different concentrations; we will place pheromone dispensers at different distances and with different amounts of pheromone and measure the effects on adult movement and oviposition behavior. Objective 3: Using small plot studies, we will determine how the predator pheromone changes the attractiveness of the beetle pheromone. We will also test whether the plant responds to the CPB pheromone. Finally, will we test at field scale, how do CPB pheromone and the predator pheromone combine in the field to affect control Colorado potato beetles? This experiment will test the effect of the predator and beetle pheromone on beetle abundance and potato yield in field plots with naturally colonizing beetles over the course of the season in Maryland and New York.