A novel attract-and-kill device for strengthening the management of Asian citrus psyllid

Authors: SETAMOU, MAMOUDOU - Texas A&M University; CHOW, ANDREW - Texas A&M University; Patt, Joseph - Joe; GRAFTON-CARDWELL, BETH - University Of California; TOFANGSAZI, N - University Of California; CZOLAJLO, DEREK - Alpha Technologies

Submitted to: International Research Conference on Huanglongbing
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/1/2016
Publication Date: 1/1/2017
Citation: Setamou, M., Chow, A., Patt, J.M., Grafton-Cardwell, B., Tofangsazi, N., Czolajlo, D. 2017. A novel attract-and-kill device for strengthening the management of Asian citrus psyllid. International Research Conference on Huanglongbing. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2cr0f2kc.

Interpretive Summary: Control methods that take advantage of the behavior of Asian citrus psyllid will lead to sustainable management practices of this economically important pest. The Asian citrus psyllid is active during the daytime and strongly responds to yellow and green objects. We developed an attract-and-kill device (AK) mimicking a the young growing shoots of citrus trees. The AK is lime-green in color and impregnated with a potent insecticide, called a pyrethroid, that quickly kills the psyllid after contact. Our strategy is to lure adult psyllids onto AK devices and to quickly kill individuals that contact these devices. In laboratory bioassays, AK devices caused greater than 95% adult psyllid mortality after a 5 to 10 second exposure time. The AK devices were placed in citrus trees and they remained potent for up to 12 weeks after exposure to weathering in the citrus tree canopy. In greenhouse studies, a caged-potted citrus tree baited with one AK device resulted in a 70% reduction of psyllid populations. Similarly, deployment of 20 to 200 AK devices per residential citrus tree led to a 5 to 76% decrease in psyllid population relative to untreated trees. We determined that 20-50 AK devices per tree was the best number to place in each tree. We are testing different deployment strategies of these AK devices in citrus groves and in residential landscapes to reduce psyllids within a given area.

Technical Abstract: Control strategies that exploit the behavior of Asian citrus psyllid will lead to sustainable management practices of this economically important pest. Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) is a diurnal insect that strongly responds to visual cues. We developed an attract-and-kill device (AK) mimicking a citrus flush shoot that is lime-green in color and impregnated with a potent pyrethroid. Our strategy is to lure adult psyllids onto AK devices and to quickly kill individuals that contact these devices. In laboratory bioassays, AK devices induced >95% adult psyllid mortality after 5 to 10 sec exposure time. The AK devices remained potent for up to 12 weeks after exposure to weathering in citrus tree canopy. In greenhouse studies, a caged-potted citrus tree baited with one AK device resulted in 70% reduction of psyllid populations. Similarly, deployment of 20 to 200 AK devices per residential citrus tree led to 5-76% decrease in psyllid population relative to untreated trees. However, there was no density-dependent response in reduction of psyllid population relative to AK deployment densities. We determined that 20-50 AK devices per tree was the optimal deployment density. We are testing different deployment strategies of these AK devices at the grove and landscape levels to strengthen psyllid area-wide management strategies.