Genotypic Variation and Phenotypic Plasticity in Gene Expression and Emissions of Herbivore-Induced Volatiles, and their Potential Tritrophic Implications, in Cranberries.

Herbivorous insects are important problems in cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) production. The use of chemical pesticides is common practice, but beneficial insects such as natural enemies of herbivores (e.g. predators and parasitoids) could be affected as well. Therefore, we studied the defensive mechanisms that cranberry plants use to combat pests, focusing on herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs), which can be used to recruit predators and parasitoids foraging for prey or hosts. Then, we used synthetic HIPVs to test the attraction of natural enemies. In a greenhouse, we assessed nine cranberry genotypes for expression of genes involved in HIPV biosynthesis and/or emission of HIPVs. In an experimental field, we assessed whether baiting traps with individual or combinations of HIPVs increased attractiveness to natural enemies. The results showed that different cranberry genotypes vary in their emission of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes but not in their expression of two genes associated with terpene biosynthesis, α-humulene/ß-caryophyllene synthase and (3S,6E)-nerolidol/R-linalool synthase. Induction with methyl jasmonate or herbivore (gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar L.) feeding increased the expression of these genes and emission of HIPVs. The HIPV methyl salicylate (MeSA), alone or in combination with other HIPVs, increased syrphid attraction by 6-fold in the field, while (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate and MeSA repelled ladybeetles and megaspilids, respectively. Linalool and ß-caryophyllene elicited no behavioral responses of natural enemies. Elucidating the mechanisms of pest resistance, as well as experimentally augmenting plant defenses such as HIPVs, may contribute to the development of more sustainable pest management practices in crops, including cranberries.

Comparison of Trap Types, Placement, and Colors for Monitoring Anthonomus musculus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Adults in Highbush Blueberries.

The cranberry weevil, Anthonomus musculus Say (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is a key (univoltine) pest of highbush blueberries in the northeast United States. To date, however, no trapping system has been developed to successfully monitor this pest. In 2012-2014, studies were conducted in commercial highbush blueberry farms in New Jersey to 1) evaluate the efficacy of various commercially available traps, designed for other weevil species (e.g., pepper weevil, plum curculio, boll weevil, red palm weevil, and black vine weevil), in capturing A. musculus adults; 2) test whether the relative location of traps within the blueberry canopy affects adult captures and 3) determine the effects of different colored (yellow, white, green, red, blue, brown, and black) sticky traps on weevil captures. For a comparison with existing techniques, we also monitored the number of overwintered adult weevils on blueberry bushes using beat sheet sampling. Of all traps and colors tested, the most A. musculus adults were caught on yellow sticky traps and more adults were captured when these traps were placed at the bottom half of the blueberry canopy, i.e., 0.5-1.0 m above ground. Most weevils were caught on colored traps late in the season (i.e., during bloom), which corresponds mostly to the second (summer) adult generation. Thus, number of overwintered adults caught on traps did not correlate with those on bushes. Although our study identified traps that can be used to capture A. musculus adults, these traps alone (i.e., without semiochemicals) have so far limited applicability for monitoring overwintered adult weevils in highbush blueberries.

The abundance and diversity of fruit flies and their parasitoids change with elevation in guava orchards in a tropical Andean forest of Peru, independent of seasonality.

Lower elevations are generally thought to contain a greater abundance and diversity of insect communities and their natural enemies than higher elevations. It is less clear, however, how changes in seasons influence this pattern. We conducted a 2-year study (2013‒2014) in guava orchards located in a tropical Andean forest of Peru to investigate differences in fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) and their parasitoid communities at two elevations and over two seasons. Fruit fly traps were installed, monitored, and guava fruits were sampled from eight orchards at low (800-950 m above sea level) and high (1,700-1,900 m above sea level) elevations and during the dry and rainy seasons. At each orchard, adult fruit fly trap captures and emergence of fruit flies and their parasitoids from guava fruit were quantified to determine their abundance and species composition. There was a greater abundance and species richness of fruit flies captured in traps at lower elevations, as well as higher abundance and species evenness of fruit flies that emerged from fruit, indicating that lower elevations are associated with larger fruit fly populations. The abundance, species richness and diversity of parasitoids were also greater at lower elevations. Consequently, guava fruit infestation and fruit fly parasitism rates were also greater at lower elevations. Seasonality also influenced fruit fly populations with a greater number of flies emerging from guava fruit and more fruit infested in the rainy season. However, seasonality had no effect on parasitoid population parameters or rate of parasitism, nor did it interact with elevation as an influence of populations of fruit flies or their parasitoids in guava orchards. This study highlights the importance of examining both elevation and seasonality for a better understanding of the population dynamics of fruit flies and their parasitoids in tropical agroecosystems.

Interactive Effects of an Herbivore-Induced Plant Volatile and Color on an Insect Community in Cranberry.

Synthetic herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) could be used to monitor insect populations in agroecosystems, including beneficial insects such as natural enemies of herbivores. However, it is unknown whether insect responses to HIPVs are influenced by visual cues, e.g., color. We hypothesized that the HIPV methyl salicylate (MeSA) interacts with color to affect insect captures on sticky traps. To test this, we conducted a 5 × 2 factorial field experiment in a commercial cranberry farm to monitor numbers of insect predators, parasitoids, and herbivores by using five colored sticky traps that were either baited with a MeSA lure (named 'PredaLure') or unbaited. At the community level, PredaLure increased captures of predators. At the individual-taxon level, captures of the hoverfly Toxomerus marginatus (Diptera: Syrphidae) and thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) were higher on PredaLure-baited traps. However, only captures of T. marginatus on PredaLure-baited traps interacted significantly with color such that the numbers of this hoverfly on yellow and white traps were 2-4 times higher when baited with PredaLure. This study is the first to document the interactive effects of synthetic HIPVs and color on an insect community. Our findings have implications for optimal selection of HIPV-baited colored traps to monitor natural enemy populations in agroecosystems.

Methyl Salicylate Increases Attraction and Function of Beneficial Arthropods in Cranberries.

Methyl salicylate (MeSA) is an herbivore-induced plant volatile (HIPV) known to attract the natural enemies of herbivores in agro-ecosystems; however, whether this attraction leads to an increase in natural enemy functioning, i.e., predation, remains largely unknown. Here, we monitored for 2 years (2011-2012) the response of herbivores and natural enemies to MeSA lures (PredaLure) by using sticky and pitfall traps in cranberry bogs. In addition, European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis, egg masses were used to determine whether natural enemy attraction to MeSA leads to higher predation. In both years, MeSA increased adult hoverfly captures on sticky traps and augmented predation of O. nubilalis eggs. However, MeSA also attracted more phytophagous thrips and, in 2012, more plant bugs (Miridae) to sticky traps. Furthermore, we used surveillance cameras to record the identity of natural enemies attracted to MeSA and measure their predation rate. Video recordings showed that MeSA lures increase visitation by adult lady beetles, adult hoverflies, and predatory mites to sentinel eggs, and predation of these eggs doubled compared to no-lure controls. Our data indicate that MeSA lures increase predator attraction, resulting in increased predation; thus, we provide evidence that attraction to HIPVs can increase natural enemy functioning in an agro-ecosystem.

Cascading effects of combining synthetic herbivore-induced plant volatiles with companion plants to manipulate natural enemies in an agro-ecosystem.

BACKGROUND: Whether tactics to manipulate natural enemies in agro-ecosystems enhance their ecosystem function and services remains debatable. We conducted field experiments in 2015-2016 to test the hypothesis that attraction of natural enemies to herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs), alone or in combination with companion plants, increases crop productivity. Our treatments consisted of bean plants alone or baited with methyl salicylate (MeSA; an HIPV), or combined with coriander (a companion plant), or with both MeSA and coriander. Numbers of arthropods were visually sampled in each treatment. Sentinel aphids were used to measure ecosystem function (i.e. predation). Plant damage and biomass, and the number and weight of pods and seeds, were measured as a proxy for ecosystem services. RESULTS: MeSA and coriander, when alone or combined, increased the abundance of insect predators from six families, reduced herbivore (e.g. spider mite and thrips) populations, and increased aphid predation. MeSA and coriander also reduced damage by spider mites. MeSA with or without coriander did not, however, increase crop biomass or any yield parameters. CONCLUSIONS: MeSA alone or combined with coriander attracted different predator communities, altered pest communities, and reduced damage; however, these results did not cascade down to improve crop productivity. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Frugivory by Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) Alters Blueberry Fruit Chemistry and Preference by Conspecifics.

The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål), is an invasive pest from Asia that feeds on many agricultural crops in the United States, including blueberries. Yet, the effects of H. halys feeding on fruit chemistry and induced resistance to insects remain unknown. Here we hypothesized that frugivory by H. halys changes fruit chemical composition, which in turn affects insect feeding behavior. In field experiments, blueberry fruit was either mechanically injured or injured by 0 (control), 2, 5, or 10 H. halys Total soluble solids (°Brix) and anthocyanin and phenolic content in injured and uninjured fruits, as well as their effects on feeding behavior by conspecifics, were measured subsequently in the laboratory. Results showed lower °Brix values in injured fruit as compared with uninjured fruit. Fruit injured by 2 and 5 H. halys also had 32 and 20% higher total phenolics, respectively, than the uninjured controls. The proportions of the anthocyanins derived from delphinidin, cyanidin, and petunidin increased, whereas those from malvidin decreased, in fruit after mechanical wounding and frugivory by H. halys In dual-choice tests, H. halys fed more often on uninjured fruit than those previously injured by conspecifics. These results show that frugivory by H. halys reduces the amounts of soluble solids, alters anthocyanin ratios, and increases levels of phenolics, and, as a result, injured fruits were a less preferred food source for conspecifics. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the effects of frugivory on fruit chemistry and induced fruit resistance against a fruit-eating herbivore.

Toxicity of Insecticides on Various Life Stages of Two Tortricid Pests of Cranberries and on a Non-Target Predator.

Laboratory and extended laboratory bioassays were conducted to determine the residual toxicities of various insecticides against two key pests of cranberries, Sparganothis sulfureana and Choristoneura parallela (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), and their non-target effects on the predatory Orius insidiosus (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae). The effects of nine insecticides with different modes of action on S. sulfureana and Ch. parallela eggs, larvae, and adults were tested in the laboratory, while the efficacy of a post-bloom application on larval mortality and mass of these pests and on adult O. insidiosus was evaluated in extended laboratory experiments. The organophosphate chlorpyrifos and the spinosyn spinetoram provided long-lasting (seven-day) control against all stages of both pests. The growth regulator methoxyfenozide and the diamides chlorantraniliprole and cyantraniliprole had strong (1-7 days) larvicidal, particularly on young larvae, and growth inhibitory activity, but only the diamides were adulticidal. Among neonicotinoids, acetamiprid had stronger ovicidal and adulticidal activity than thiamethoxam, showing within-insecticide class differences in toxicities; however, both were weak on larvae. Lethality of novaluron and indoxacarb was inconsistent, varying depending on species and stage. Chlorpyrifos was most toxic to O. insidiosus. These results show species- and stage-specific toxicities, and greater compatibility with biological control, of the newer reduced-risk classes of insecticides than older chemistries.