The Entomological Society of NSW

The Entomological Society of NSW

The Entomological Society of NSW

Contents Vol. 31

GENERAL AND APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY

The Journal of the Entomological Society of New South Wales Inc.

VOLUME 31 CONTENTS

BISHOP, A.L., MCKENZIE, H.J., HARRIS, A.M. and BARCHIA, I.M. Late-season spraying for lucerne flea, Sminthurus viridis (Linnaeus) (Collembola: Sminthuridae), control in the next season ……..…………………………………………………………….…………1

The potential of late-season spraying with insecticide to break the seasonal cycle of the lucerne flea, or to reduce damage in the next season, was evaluated in 1999-2000.  Significant reductions in numbers of individuals capable of producing over-summering eggs were achieved with one and three sprays in 1999.  This effect was carried over as lower numbers of all stages during the 2000 establishment and damaging phases.  However, although the single spray reduced lucerne flea density by 40 to 50% at the next-season peak, it did not prevent or delay numbers exceeding damaging levels relative to an unsprayed treatment.  The three late-season sprays followed by an early spray in the next season prevented lucerne flea damage.  Further study to optimise the effect of spraying late in the season is warranted.

General and Applied Entomology 31: 1-5

CANNARD, M.P., SPOONER-HART, R.N. and MILNER, R.J. Pathogenicity of water and oil based suspensions of Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin and Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin to citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri (Risso) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)………………………………………………………………….…..….75

Laboratory bioassays compared the pathogenicity of six isolates of Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana against second instar citrus mealybugs, Planococcus citri under conditions of 26 +/- 1°C, and 85 +/- 1% RH in 24 hour darkness.  All isolates exhibited pathogenicity. M. anisopliae isolate FI-1248 was the most virulent isolate in both water and oil suspensions with LC50 values of 6.4 x 105 conidia/mL and 3.4 x 104 conidia/mL respectively.  M. anisopliae isolate FI-0985 was found to be the least virulent.

General and Applied Entomology 31: 75-79

CARTHEW, K.D., TAYLOR, M.P. and DRYSDALE, R.N. Aquatic insect larval constructions in tropical freshwater limestone deposits (tufa): preservation of depositional environments …………………………………………………………………….…..… 35

Tufas are known worldwide as useful archives of palaeoenvironmental information.  Recognition of structures within tufas that preserve depositional environments will ensure maximum information is obtained from fossil tufa sequences.  Here we document distinctive characteristics that allow recognition of aquatic insect larval constructions within tufa deposits and the depositional environments under which each develops.  In tufas from the Gregory River (NW Qld, Australia), fixed-dwelling tubes built by larval midges (Diptera: Chironomidae) represent tufa deposition under flowing or standing water conditions.  In thin sections of chironomid tufa, the tubes appear as rings approximately 600 mun in diameter composed of micrite and organic matter.  A combination of chironomid tufa and larval caddis-fly (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae) fixed retreats and nets is a common tufa dam fabric, and indicates deposition in flowing water.  The hydropsychid retreats are preserved as 2 mm diameter rings of calcite arranged in a lacework pattern.  Tufas formed under spray hydraulic conditions on pool banks near waterfalls contain marquees built between cyanobacteria colonies by larval moths (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae).  In thin section, these marquees appear as a calcite encrusted silken sheet up to 5 mm long.

General and Applied Entomology 31: 35-41

DALBY-BALL, G. and MEATS, A. The role of foliage in differential landing of the Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt)(Diptera: Tephritidae) on odoriferous and odourless fruit models ………………………….………..29

Experiments testing the landing response of mature Queensland fruit flies, Bactrocera tryoni, on fruit models used odourless and odoriferous models with iso-amyl acetate or cuelure (4-(3-oxobutyl) phenyl acetate) as baits.  Models were either surrounded or not, by artificial foliage.  Adjacent foliage increased the landing rate of B. tryoni on odourless models by up to three fold.  Foliage also played a role in allowing flies to discriminate at close range between odourless and odoriferous fruit models.  Very local odour gradients (within 50 mm) can be used as cues to the direction of the source of an odour.  Flies discriminated between closely placed visually identical models that differed only with respect to the presence or absence of an odour source.  In the case of a fruit odour (iso-amyl acetate) only females did this and only to a slight (but significant) extent and only when aided by the presence of surrounding foliage that provided a platform for discrimination prior to a short approach flight.  In the case of the male attractant, cuelure, male flies discriminated strongly between models on the basis of odour source and could do so regardless of whether the approach flight was short (from adjacent foliage) or long (when adjacent foliage was absent).  Females appeared to be largely repelled by cuelure and only a few landed on the baited and unbaked models.

General and Applied Entomology 31: 29-34

DOMINIAK, B.C., SUNDARALINGAM, S., JESSUP, A.J. and BARCHIA, I.M. Pupal weight as a key indicator for quality mass produced adult Queensland fruit fly Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) (Diptera: Tephritidae) in 1997/1998 .………………………………….………….17

Quality parameters at the Camden sterile fruit fly production facility during the 1997/98 season were examined, particularly in their relationship with pupal weight.  Percent emergence was positively related to pupal weight while lifespan was negatively related.  There was no relationship between flight ability and pupal weight.  The Flight Ability Index was adversely affected by irradiation.  These results were compared with field reports and overseas information, which largely agreed with the facility data.  The possible impact on sterile release programs is discussed.

General and Applied Entomology 31: 17-24

HERRON, G.A. and ROPHAIL, J. Failure to control Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) on apples associated with Acaban® (Fenpyroximate) resistance ……………………………………………………….….…..25

Two populations of two-spotted mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch were tested for fenpyroximate resistance following field control failure.  Results of susceptible discriminating concentration bioassays suggested that both strains contained high proportions of resistant mites.  This is the first Australian report of fenpyroximate failure to control T. urticae due to resistance.

General and Applied Entomology 31: 25-26

IL’ICHEV, A.L., GUT, L.J., WILLIAMS, D.G., HOSSAIN, M.S. and JERIE, P.H. Area-wide approach for improved control of oriental fruit moth Grapholita molesta (Busck) (Lepidoptera: Torticidae) by mating disruption ……………………………………….…….….….. 7

An area-wide mating disruption approach was employed to improve the protection of pome and stone fruit orchards against migration, edge damage and outbreaks of oriental fruit moth.  The experiment started in the 1997-98 season, with an area of over 800 hectares comprised of 18 orchards treated with mating disruption in northern Victoria, Australia.  The treated area was expanded in the 1998-99 season to encompass an area of over 1,100 hectares comprised of 40 orchards.  Mating disruption dispensers were applied to every fruit tree in the area including not only peach and nectarine orchards disrupted in previous years, but also pear, apple, apricot and plum orchards where growers had not previously used mating disruption.  Detailed monitoring of oriental fruit moth population and shoot tip and fruit damage indicated that application of area-wide mating disruption during two consecutive seasons provided sufficient control of oriental fruit moth.  The areawide mating disruption program in the first year helped growers to reduce the number of insecticide sprays by half and in the second year, most of the growers did not spray against oriental fruit moth.  Hot spots and edge infestations of oriental fruit moth were reduced or eliminated through use of the area-wide approach.

General and Applied Entomology 31: 7-15

IL’ICHEV, A.L. and SEXTON, S.B. Reduced application rates of mating disruption for effective control of oriental fruit moth Grapholita molesta (Busck) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) on pears ………………….. …………….. 47

Successful control of oriental fruit moth (OFM) Grapholita molesta (Busck) has previously been achieved by application of mating disruption in an area-wide basis in Victoria, Australia.  To make an area-wide mating disruption less costly, applications using a reduced rate of polyethylene tubing dispensers (Isomate OFM Rosso) on pears bordering disrupted stone fruit orchards were investigated.  The results showed that when the initial catches of OFM in pears was low to medium (about 5-10 OFM/trap/week), growers can reduce the cost of mating disruption by applying a half of the registered rate of Isomate OFM Rosso.  This treatment was able to reduce the number of OFM caught in all experimental pear blocks, and gave similar results to mating disruption with the full registered rate of Isomate OFM Rosso.

General and Applied Entomology 31: 47-51

LEVOT, G.W. and SALES, N. New high level resistance to diflubenzuron detected in the Australian sheep blowfly, Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) …………. ………………………………..……… 43

Diflubenzuron normally protects sheep from flystrike by susceptible blowflies (Lucilia cuprina Diptera: Calliphoridae) for 12 weeks.  Recently however, we tested blowfly larvae collected at Tara (Queensland) from lambs found flystruck less than one week after thorough treatment with a diflubenzuron based jetting product.  Resistance was 790 times greater than the reference susceptible strain.  Previously the highest reported resistance in L. cuprina was 24 fold.  This represents a new extreme level of resistance that could have serious pest control implications to the Australian wool industry.

General and Applied Entomology 31: 43-45

LIU, Z.M. and BEATTIE, G.A.C. Effect of a horticultural mineral oil on oviposition by two-spotted mite Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) ………………………………………………….…………..….……. 65

MEATS, A., CLIFT, A.D. and PEREPELICIA, N. Performance of permanent and supplementary traps for Mediterranean and Queensland fruitflies in South Australia 1975-2001: Comparison of male lure and food lure traps ..……..….…….53

The performance of male lure traps and traps based on food lures were compared using data from trap arrays in South Australia.  These traps were used to monitor infestations of the Mediterranean and Queensland fruit flies between 1975 and 2001.  For the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), the efficiency of the food lure traps relative to male lure traps declined when yeast bydrolysate was replaced with yeast autolysate.  When the ‘3-component trap’ replaced the yeast-based trap, the situation was essentially restored.  Male lure (Capilure) traps caught eight times as many males as 3-component traps, with the latter catching four times as many females as the former.  For the Queensland fruit fly Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt), the male lure (cuelure) traps were consistent over time, despite changes in design, but caught very few females.  When the food lure traps were based on yeast hydrolysate they caught mainly females (at about a quarter of the rate that the cuelure traps caught males) but they trapped very few flies of either sex after the change to yeast autolysate.

General and Applied Entomology 31: 53-58

WALKER, J. and HANGAY, G. A new distribution record for Laxta granicollis (Saussure 1862), (Blattodea: Blaberidae) from Norfolk Island ……………………………………………………………………. ..……..….…….27

During a fieldtrip to Norfolk Island in 1996 a small number of cockroaches, representing five species, were collected.  Three of these were known to occur on the island (Smithers 1998), however three adult female specimens of Laxta granicollis (Saussure 1862) which were also collected, provide a new distribution record for this species.  These are lodged in the Australian National Insect Collection, Canberra.  The fifth species belongs to the family Blattellidae but was not determined beyond this level.

General and Applied Entomology 31: 27

XUE, Y.G., WATSON, D.M., NICETIC, O. and BEATTIE, G.A.C. Impact of nC24 horticultural mineral oil deposits on oviposition by greenhouse whitefly Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) ……………. ..……..….…….59

The impact of nC24 horticultural mineral oil deposits on oviposition by greenhouse whitefly on tomato leaves was determined in laboratory choice and no-choice tests.  The deposits significantly suppressed oviposition.  No eggs were laid on leaves treated with aqueous emulsions of 20 mL of oil/L of water in the choice test and on the leaves treated with 10 and 20 mL of oil/L in the no-choice test.  The relationships between oviposition and oil concentration (0, 2.5, 5, 10 and 20 mL of oil/L) in sprays in the choice test suggested that deposits of sprays containing > 11 mL of oil/100 L of water would completely suppress oviposition for 2 d after the application of spray.  In the no-choice test, deposits of sprays containing 5 mL of oil/L reduced oviposition by 97% over 2 d.

General and Applied Entomology 31: 59-64

XUE, Y.G., WATSON, D.M., NICETIC, O. and BEATTIE, G.A.C. Impact of nC24 horticultural mineral oil deposits on the behaviour of Frankliniella schultzei (Trybom) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) ……………………………………………. ..……..….…….69

The impact of nC24 horticultural mineral oil deposits on oviposition by tomato thrips (Frankliniella schultzei) on French bean pods and tomato seedlings was determined in four laboratory experiments.  The results showed that deposits on dipped bean pods repelled adult tomato thrips and significantly reduced oviposition.  The impact of the deposits was similar for aqueous emulsions with oil concentrations ranging from 2.5 to 15 mL of oil/L of water.  The effect of deposits did not decline significantly as the oil deposits aged over the 5 day period.  On tomato seedlings, sprays containing 10 mL of oil/L of water significantly reduced oviposition but 5 mL/L sprays had no significant effect.  The results for 15 and 20 mL/L sprays were affected by unexpected oil induced phytotoxicity.

General and Applied Entomology 31: 69-73

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