Battling the Evil Weevil – Recent Advances in the War on Diaprepes Abbreviatus by Robin J
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Battling the Evil Weevil – Recent advances in the war on diaprepes abbreviatus By Robin J. Stuart and Michael E. Rogers Diaprepes Diaprepes abbreviatus he root weevil, , insect could contribute to novel management strategies. was first detected in Florida more than 40 years Recent investigations indicate that entomopathogenic ne - ago and continues to be a major cause of tree de - matodes are much more abundant on the Ridge than in the cline and death in certain citrus growing areas Dflaiatwproeopdess and exert a much higher level of natural control on Tacross the state (Fig. 1). Its persistence as an important pest larvae PonhytthoepRhtihdogrea (Larry Duncan, UF-IFAS). can be attributed to various factors: The incidence of also differs with Ridge and • the broad range of crop, ornamental, and weedy plants well-drained flPat.wnoicoodtsiagnraoe ves more likely to be infested by it utilizes for adult feeding, egg lay - (Fig. 3) whereas poorly drainePd . ing and larval development; pflaaltmwiovoodrsa groves are more likely to harbor • its often asynchronous, highly (Jim Graham, UF-IFAS). variable and complex life history; SOIL VARIABILITY • a relatively large and long-lived larval stage that can cause severe Even within groves, the distribution of damage to major tree rPohoytst;ophthora root weevils can be heterogeneous, and stud - • the facilitation of Di - aiepsreapreesaddressing relationships between infection by larval feeding; abundance and soil characteristics • the ineffectiveness of many (Fig. 4). In a poorly drained citrus grove in pesticides against soil-dwelling Central Florida, Hong Li and Jim Syvertsen larvae; Di - (aUprFe-pIFeAs S) found that the abundance of • and the limited, often patchy Fig. 1. Adult Diaprepes abbreviatus adults was highest in high elevation distributions of important natural (photograph by Robin Stuart) areas and was negatively correlated with soil enemies. Mg and Ca. The results suggest that soil Here we provide an update on some liming, site elevation, soil flooding, and of the current research contributing to Diaprepes rain or waterDeiraopsrieopnesmight be factors our battle against which influencing distributions might soon reduce this evil weevil to lit - within sites. tle more than a benign and occasionally A study in an east coast grove by viewed visitor to Florida citrus groves. Bob Adair (FLARES), Jim Graham (UF- ECONOMIC IMPACT VARIES IFAS) and Arnold Schumann (UF-IFAS) ACROSS REGIONS showed that soil electro-conductiDvii t-y awparsepreelsated toPhspytaotipahltphaotrtaerns of Fortunately, in certain areas of the and populations, state, most notaDbliyapcreerptaeis n parts of the and to decline of Swingle citrumelo and Central Ridge, populations Cleopatra mandarin rootstocks. generally appear to be under good natu - Fig. 2. A citrus grove in Central Florida ral control, probably by an array of nat - with a heavy Diaprepes infestation and ROOTSTOCK TOLERANCE ural enemies. However, off the Ridge in many trees in decline (photograph by Ian Research by Jude Grosser and Jim Jackson) finer tDexiatuprreedpeasnd less well-drained Graham (UF-IFAS) is directed toward soils, continues to be a major problem (Fig. 2). Research efforts to identify and charac - terize problem areas, and to develop and test new strate - gies or combinations of strategies to suppress the weevil and maintain grove productivity, are continuing. DiaApnreaprees a-wide survey of the seasonal abundance of adult at six sites in different regions of Florida by DStieavpereFpuetsch (UF-IFAS) found that population densities of were five times higher in orchards growing on shallow soils in the coastal and central flatwoods than in orchards on the deep sandy soils of the CenDtriaalpRreidpgees . These results agree with regional trends in abundance reported by researchers andDciiatrpursepgersowers. The causes of regional variation in abun - dance are unknown but merit research because the feasi - Fig. 3. A tree showing symp - Fig. 4. A teneral adult Dia- bility of most tactics to manage the insect is directly toms of Phytophthora nico - prepes in its pupal cell in the related to pest pressure. Moreover, the determination of tianae infection (Photograph by soil (photograph by Ian the factors that regulate or limit the abundance of the Jim Graham) Jackson) CITRUS INDUSTRY • September 2006 developing new rootsDtoiackpsretpheast are able to recover from Phyftoeepdh - tihnogrdaanmicaogtei,aanraee resistPa.nptatolmivora and , and can grow into productive trees in a wide range of soils, especially those high in clay and calcareous materials that characterize the flatwoods. Trifoli - ate orange hybrids, such as Swingle citrumelo and CarrPiz.onicciotrtaianngaee, with good resistance to , are P. pnaoltmshivoowraing adequate resistance to Fig. 5. An emergence or cone trap (left) Fig. 6. An adult Diaprepes with bee . Therefore, emphasis is and a Tedders trap (right) (photograph by tag and paint marking (photograph by being placed on non-trifoliate based Ian Jackson) Robin Stuart) somatic and sexual hybrids. ENTOMOPATHOGENIC In field trials on a high pH calcare - that vigoPrhoyutsoprohothtsotroa cks with resist - NEMATODES Douiaspsriteeptehs at is heavily infested with ance to can better toler - , two pummelo-based so - ate high weevil populations, Commercially produced ento - matic hybrids are outperforming other especially when assisted by strategic mopathogenic nematodes have been material. These hybrids apparently do pesticide use to suppress adult wee - used by Florida growers to help control not share the usual problems associ - vils during critical periods. A limited root weevils for more than 15 years and ated with the use of diploid pummelos pesticide program such as this could are the only recommended control for as rootstocks (i.e., excessively large be cost effective and is likely to be Diaprepes lSatrevinaerfneeemdiangrionbrtareve roots but poor yielding trees). The results less destructive to natural enemies. in the soil. has suggest the potential for pummelo-de - MOVEMENT proven to be one of the best entomo- rived material as an alternative to sour AND LONGEVITY pathogenic nemDatioadperespfeosr use in appli - orange (which has been lost due to Diaprepes cations against , but until CTV qDuiicakprdeepcelis ne) in areas with Although was first de - recently, only a single strain of this heavy pressure. Intensive tected in Florida in 1964, and was species was known. This original strain efforts during the past four years have considered a pest in the Caribbean for was isolated in the Rio Grande Valley generated a large amount of geneti - many years previously, there are still of Texas and Clay McCoy (UF-IFAS), cally diverse material, and the screen - important gaps in our knowledge of Robin Stuart (UF-IFAS), and David ing of this material in greenhouse and the biology of this insect. For exam - Shapiro-Ilan (USDA-ARS) revisited field trials is continuing. ple, we have little idea as to what ex - that area, took soil sampSl.ersi,oabnrdavieso - Diaprepes lated 10 new strains of . STRATEGIC PESTICIDE tent adults move in citrus groves, or how long adults normally Laboratory tests demonstrated that APPLICATIONS ENHANCE some of the new strains were signifi - ROOTSTOCK TOLERANCE Dliviaepurnedpers field conditions. Since Diaprepes adults are highly polypha- cantly more virulent to lar - An ongoing long-term field study gous and prefer citrus flush to older vae than the previous strain. If this in a Central Florida grove on a fine- leaves, they would be expected to increased virulence carries over to field trials, then the new strains might im - textured soil heavily infested with move in response to food availability Dia-prepe prove current nematode products. s has shown that both root - and flushing cycles within groves, Recently, Biocontrol Systems, Inc., perhaps migrating to and from groves stock selection and a limited pesti - (Greendale, IN) licensed two of the in response to food availability. cide application program can be new strains for further product devel - Some observations suggest that important for maintainingDciiatrpursepes opment for citrus and other crops. Ad - adults might move a great deal, espe - grovPeshyutnodpehrthsotrreassnifcromtianae ditional studies by Larry Duncan and (Clay cially at night, and laboratory data in - (UF-IFAS) are examining how nema - McCoy, Robin Stuart, Bill Castle and dicate that adults might sometimes tode applications impact natural wee - live for more than a year (Herb Nigg, MichaelPRhyotgoeprhs,thUoFra-IFAS). In this vil control by endemic nematodes, and grove, resistant root - UF-IFAS). In a current study by how physical habitats and natural ene - stocks such as Swingle citrumelo and Robin Stuart and Michael Rogers mies affect nematode abundance in C35 citrange are outperforming more (UF-IFAS), young weevils are different parts of the state. susceptible rootstocks such as trapped in cone traps (Fig. 5) as they Naturally occurring nematode com - Cleopatra mandarin. Moreover, pesti - emerge from soil, individually munities appear to provide sigDniifaic- ant cide applications with activity against marked using numbered, color-coded Diaprepes plerveepless of biological control of the egg and adult stages of bee tags and paint marks (Fig. 6), and in certain areas but not in oth - applied twice during the weevil’s released back into the grove at the ers, and it might be possible to develop spring emergence peak effectively site of emergence. The weevils are new strategies to increase nematode