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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Insect Behavior and Biocontrol Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #405841
Research Project: Managing Invasive Weeds and Insect Pests Using Biologically-Based Methods

Location: Insect Behavior and Biocontrol Research

Title: Evaluating real-time monitoring traps and standard surveys of cucumber moth and their parasites in vegetable crops

Author
item NURKOMAR, IHSAN - Muhammadiyah University Of Makassar
item HASEEB, MUHAMMAD - Florida A & M University
item Legaspi, Jesusa

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/23/2023
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The cucumber moth Diaphania indica (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is a pest of cucurbits in Florida. The larvae attack plants such as cucumber, melon, watermelon, squash, and others. Damage could reach 100 % in snake gourd and 40% in cucumber which could have economic and environmental impacts. The most devastating damage is in the fruits. Monitoring this pest and its natural enemies is an important tool to manage the cucumber moth in field crops. The advantages of using the real-time monitoring trap are the following: obtaining real time data combined with climate data using a mobile app and reduction of labor cost in field monitoring. This tool can be modified to monitor other pest species including natural enemies. The objectives of the study were to determine the infestation level of D. indica on several cucurbit plants and their associated natural enemies , and to develop a real-time monitoring system for D. indica. In fall 2022, in addition to the use of the real-time monitoring trap, we monitored the cucumber moth through visual sampling and collection of the cucumber moth larvae to determine parasitism rates in the laboratory. Three real-time monitoring traps were placed at each of the three cucurbit field sites: 1) USDA, ARS, CMAVE in Tallahassee, 2) University of Florida Research and Education Center, Quincy and 3) Florida A&M University Research and Extension Center, Quincy, all in Florida. Results indicated that infestation by the cucumber moth commenced when the plants were 2-3 weeks old. The highest infestation of D. indica was on winter squash. The most abundant parasite that emerged from the cucumber moth was the Apanteles sp. with a parasitism rate of 20% in cucumber & winter squash. Results are pending on the identification by a USDA taxonomist of another parasitoid species that was collected during the study. In summary, the use of the real-time monitoring trap method is a promising tool to provide timely information as part of an integrated pest management strategy to control the cucumber moth in cucurbit crops.