NOT E Interference of Boll Weevil Trapping by Spiders
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NOT E Interference of Boll Weevil Trapping by Spiders (Araneida) and an Evaluation of Trap Modification to Reduce Unwanted Arthropods1 J. Scott Armstrong2 and David B. Richman3 USDA-ARS, Beneficial Insect Research Unit, 2413 East Highway 83, Weslaco, Texas 78596 USA J. Entomol. Sci. 42(3): 392-398 (July 2007) Key Words trap design, Anthonomus grandis grandis, cotton Boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis grandis Boheman, eradication is nearing comple tion throughout the U.S. as all cotton-producing regions are in active or posteradica tion maintenance, with most of the active eradication occurring in Texas. The success of eradication is almost entirely based on boll weevil traps baited with grandlure and a weekly trap capture threshold of 1 weevil per trap per week used in active eradi cation zones (Dickerson et al. 2001, Cotton Foundation, Memphis, TN, 627 p.). The Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation uses a standard 10 mg grandlure dis penser (Scentry Biologicals, Billings, MT) and an impregnated kill-strip of 10% (wtwt) dichlorovos DDVP ([2,2,-dichlorovinyl dimethyl phosphate]; Heron Environmental, Emigsville, PA) to kill boll weevils in the trap and prevent their escape (Suh et al. 2003, J. Econ. Entomol. 96: 348-351). Even when a DDVP kill-strip is used in a boll weevil trap in South Texas, a significant impedance to trapping efficiency can be the predation of boll weevils by insects and spiders that enter the capture area of the trap. Spiders have been implicated as a significant factor in interfering with trapping effi ciency by preying on boll weevils or, more importantly, by webbing the entrance of the trap making it impossible for weevils to enter the capture container (Armstrong and Richman 2006, Proc. Beltwide Cotton Conf.). From 1024 boll weevil trap inspections made in the Rio Grande Valley in 2004 and 2005, a total of 239 (23%) were affected by webbing or predation from spiders or other arthropods, even when a DDVP kill strip was used in the trap (Armstrong et al. 2006, J. Econ. Entomol. 99: 323-330). A diverse group of spiders inhabiting the ground, cotton plants, and even boll weevil traps has been documented in Central Texas by Dean et al. (1982, J. Arachnol. 10: 251-260) and in the New Mexico cotton landscape (Bundy and Smith 2005, Proc. 1Received 21 August 2006; accepted for publication 21 January 2007. 2Address inquiries (e-mail: [email protected]). 3New Mexico State University, Department of Entomology, Plant Pathoiogy and Weed Science, Las Cruces, NM 88003 USA. 392 ARMSTRONG AND RICHMAN: Spider Species in Boll Weevil Traps 393 Beltwide Cotton Conf.). There is no doubt that spiders play an invaluable role in the predation of cotton pests (Pfannenstiel 2004, Proc. Beltwide Cotton Conf.); however, the influence of spiders on preying or webbing the entrance hole to boll weevil traps has not been investigated. As boll weevil eradication progresses through South Texas, a boll weevil trap that is efficient in capturing low densities of weevils will be important in the successful completion of the eradication program. In addition, the most efficient trap available also will aid in detecting and preventing low numbers of weevils from reentering cotton production areas that are deemed functionally eradicated. The objective of this study was 2-fold. One, we wanted to determine the arthropod taxa that inhabit and interfere with boll weevil traps. Two, we evaluated a trap that was modified by adding a funnel treated with a sticky adhesive on the support poll in reducing arthropod interference in boll weevil trapping. A Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation (TBWEF) trap (Technical Precision Plastics, Mebane, NC) was supported by a 1 m x 1.5 cm diam conduit pole and baited with a standard 10 mg grandlure (Scentry Biologicals, Billings, MT). Other traps were A B Boll weevil Trap .-- Support Pole .-- Inverted Funnel Iii Fig. 1. A typical boll weevil trap and support poll (A) versus a modified trap (B) with I a funnel placed 0.3-m from ground level, and the inside of the funnel treated with sticky adhesive to prevent unwanted arthropods from climbing and en II, tering the trap. I: I 394 J. Entomol. Sci. Vol. 42, NO.3 (2007) ~ 60 • TBEF+ Funnel ....c.:l !ISl TBEF Trap A 50 ~ fI) 140 30 :g >- 20 :ii: ~ :> 10 s::: ~ o 4 c. ....e B o c 1 March 7 March 14 March 21 March Fig. 2. Mean (SE±) number of spiders (A), boll weevils (B), and obstructed traps from weekly inspections of boll of standard and modified boll weevil traps, operated near San Benito, Cameron County TX, March 2004. ARMSTRONG AND RICHMAN: Spider Species in Boll Weevil Traps 395 Table 1. Spider taxa collected from boll weevil traps February 23 to March 21, 2004, near San Benito, Cameron County, TX !;I Adult Adult Total Obstruction Taxa 00 '?'? Immature spiders frequency' Anyphaenidae 25 6.2 Hibana futilis (Banks) 7 4 13 24 6.2 Hibana sp. 1 Araneidae 146 41.2 Araneid 19 20 5.0 Araneid undetermined 2 2 Araneus sp. 2 2 Eustala anastera (Walckenaer) 6 3 9 Eustala bifida f. O. P.-Cambridge 1 1 Eustala brevispina Gertsch & Davis 1 Eustala sp. 1 1 Larinia directa (Hentz) 6 2 4 12 Metazygia sp. 3 3 Metazygia wittfeldae McCook 12 4 5 21 Metazygia zilloides (Banks) 13 12 11 36 7.5 Metepeira minima Gertsch 1 1 Neoscona arabesca (Walckenaer) 12 15 4 31 26.0 Larinia sp. 2 4 Scoloderus sp. 2 2 Undetermined Family Clubionoid 1 Gnaphosidae 1 Micaria sp. 1 Linyphiidae 5 Ceraticellus sp. 1 Eperigone sp. 4 4 Lycosidae 26 7.5 Pardosa delicatula Gertsch & Davis 6 8 Allocosa cf. floridana (Chamberlin) 1 1 Pardosa sp. 14 15 Pirata sp. 2 2 Miturgidae 6 Cheiracanthium inclusum (Hentz) 3 2 6 J. Entomol. Sci. Vol. 42, No.3 (2007) 396 Table 1. Continued. Adult Adult Total Obstruction Taxa 00 'i''i' Immature spiders frequency' oxyopidae Hamataliwa unica Brady Philodromidae 11 Tibel/us sp. 11 11 Pholcidae Pholcid Pisauridae Dolomedes sp. 1 Salticidae 36 6.3 Habronattus sp. 2 2 Marpiss pikei (Peckham & Peckham) 1 Maevia poultoni (Peckham & Peckham) 2 Messua Iimbata (Banks) 2 3 Pelegrina galathea (Walckenaer) 2 2 5 Pelegrina sp. 1 Phidippus audax (Hentz) 12 12 Thiodina sp. 3 3 Salticid sp. 6 6 Zygobal/us sexpunctatus (Hentz) 1 Tetragnathidae Tetragnatha pal/escens Cambridge Tetragnatha sp. 10 12 Theridiidae 1 Undetermined 1 Thomisidae 12 Misumenops californicus (Banks) 1 1 Misumenops sp. 2 7 9 Misumenops dubius (Keyserling) 1 Synema viridens (Banks) 1 Males/Females/lmmatures/ Total spiders 92 46 149 287 * Obstruction frequency was calculated by dividing the number of times a spider family or specie was caught in a boll weevil trap impaired by spider webbing of the entrance hole by 80, the number of trap inspections made during the study. Only those with a frequency >5% are presented. ARMSTRONG AND RICHMAN: Spider Species in Boll Weevil Traps 397 modified by inserting the support pole through a 2-L funnel, leaving a distance of 0.3 m from the ground surface to the funnel (Fig. 1). The inside of the funnel was sprayed with Tangle-Trap® (Tangle Foot, Grand Rapids, MI), an aerosol-formulated adhesive. This modification was made to reduce or prevent arthropods from climbing the sup port pole and interfering with the boll weevil trap captures. Ten paired replicates of the 2 trap types (20 total traps) were spaced 50 m apart and 100 m from the next pair on the Russell Plantation near San Benito, TX, and operated from 23 February to 22 March 2004. The trapping was established along brush-lined drainage canals ori ented to the east and west. The trapping site is typical for south Texas cotton pro duction, with brush and cover along the channel canals enhancing boll weevil trap captures (Armstrong et al. 2006). Traps were inspected weekly and contents were emptied into 20-ml vials using a funnel that screwed onto the vials. Each trap was examined for spider webbing that blocked the entrance of the boll weevil trap. The collected weevils and any other arthropods on the inside of the trap catch-container were transported to the laboratory, counted, and determined to be dead or alive. Weekly collections of all weevils and other arthropods were made for 4 consecu tive wks as described for insects and arthropods. However, all arthropods collected on or under the traps (Le., outside the catch container) were collected by placing the entire trap in a 2-L sealable plastic bag where all arthropods, including spiders, could be caught and placed in 70% ETOH and shipped to New Mexico State Univ., De partment of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Weed Science (DBR) for identification. Boll weevils and spiders captured from standard and modified traps were analyzed using the PROC MIXED statement of SAS (2001, Cary, NC), where treatment (trap type), week of capture, and block (2 paired traps = 1 block) were the fixed effects. LSMEANS were compared by week of capture using the pdiff-all statement (ex = 0.05) (SAS 2001). The proportions of traps with the entrance to the trap blocked by spider webbing were compared with traps that were not obstructed using the Student Newman-Keuls test (ex = 0.05; SAS 2001). Because spiders were the dominant ar thropods found associated with boll weevil traps, the adults were identified and sexed, immatures were identified to the lowest taxonomic level as possible, and all data tabulated. The frequency of a spider family or species that was associated with obstructing the entrance hole of a boll weevil trap was calculated by dividing the number of times the spider was caught in a webbed trap by the number of trap inspections (80) made during the trapping study.