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Research Project: IPM Methods for Insect Pests of Orchard Crops

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Title: A phagostimulant blend for the Asian citrus psyllid

Author
item Lapointe, Stephen
item Hall, David
item George, Justin

Submitted to: Journal of Chemical Ecology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/29/2016
Publication Date: 8/19/2016
Citation: Lapointe, S.L., Hall, D.G., George, J. 2016. A phagostimulant blend for the Asian citrus psyllid. Journal of Chemical Ecology. 42(9):941-951

Interpretive Summary: Chemical odors that attract or repel the Asian citrus psyllid are of great interest because it is the primary vector of the causal pathogen of citrus greening disease. We used advanced statistical methods to identify and optimize a blend of three components that increased feeding activity by the psyllid. The challenge ahead is to determine how this phenomenon might be used to improve a trap, design an attract-and-kill product, or enhance other means of control of Diaphorina citri.

Technical Abstract: Chemical cues that condition orientation by the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae), are of great interest because it is the primary vector of the causal pathogen of citrus greening disease. Previous work in our lab identified a blend of formic and acetic acids as stimulatory to feeding attempts by Diaphorina citri (D. citri). We applied geometric mixture designs and response surface modeling to identify and optimize a 3-component blend that resulted in increased feeding attempts by D. citri on a wax substrate containing 3.5:1.6:1 blend of formic acid:acetic acid:p-cymene. Inclusion of ethyl butyrate and/or myrcene had negative effects on probing. No evidence was found for orientation by D. citri adults at a distance from phagostimulant blends. Increased probing in response to the presence of phagostimulants in a wax substrate only occurred after alightment on the substrate. Yellow wax beads always attracted more D. citri and received more probes compared with white wax beads. Yellow beads containing the 3-component blend were probed by D. citri 2 to 3 times more often compared with yellow beads alone. The challenge ahead is to determine how this phenomenon might be used to improve a trap, design an attract-and-kill product, or enhance other means of control of D. citri.