Management of Insect Pests: Nuclear and Related Molecular and Genetic Techniques PROCEEDINGS OF A SYMPOSIUM VIENNA 19-23 OCTOBER 1992 JOINTLY ORGANIZED BY IAEA AND FAO PROCEEDINGS SERIES MANAGEMENT OF INSECT PESTS NUGLEAR AND RELATED MOLECULAR AND GENETIC TECHNIQUES PROCEEDINGS OF AN INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON MANAGEMENT OF INSECT PESTS: NUCLEAR AND RELATED MOLECULAR AND GENETIC TECHNIQUES JOINTLY ORGANIZED BY THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY AND THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS AND HELD IN VIENNA, 19-23 OCTOBER 1992 INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY VIENNA, 1993 Permission to reproduce or translate the information contained in this publication may be obtained by writing to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Wagramerstrasse 5, P.O. Box 100, A-1400 Vienna, Austria. © IAEA, 1993 VIC Library Cataloguing in Publication Data International Symposium on Management of Insect Pests : Nuclear and Related Molecular and Genetic Techniques (1992 : Vienna, Austria) Management of insect pests : nuclear and related molecular and genetic techniques : proceedings of an International Symposium on Management of Insect Pests : Nuclear and Related Molecular and Genetic Techniques jointly organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and held in Vienna, 19-23 October 1992. — Vienna : The Agency, 1993. p. ; 24 cm. — (Proceedings series, ISSN 0074-1884) STI/PUB/909 ISBN 92-0-000293-5 Includes bibliographical references. 1. Insect pests—Biological control. 2. Insect radiosterilization. I. International Atomic Energy Agency. II. Food and Agriculture Organi­ zation. III. Title. IV. Series: Proceedings series (International Atomic Energy Agency). VICL 93-00066 Printed by the IAEA in Austria September Í993 STI/PUB/909 FOREWORD The balance of the relationship between people and insects is quite un­ acceptable in many regions of the world. The incidence of malaria, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, is far greater today than thirty years ago, when the A n o p h e le s vectors were being suppressed strongly with DDT and other organo- chlorines in a co-ordinated global campaign. At that time, many hoped that the mosquitoes that transmit malaria would be reduced to such low numbers that this deadly disease would be eradicated from large sections of the globe. Subsequently, the programmes against these vectors lost their effectiveness and there has been a widespread resurgence of the disease. Similarly in Africa, ground has been lost against tsetse flies and trypanosomiasis in livestock and man. Tropical fruit flies des­ troy fruit and vegetables and they are a serious barrier for exports from developing countries to markets in several industrialized countries. Some major fruit fly pests have spread to other continents and threaten to spread even more widely as interna­ tional travel continues to increase. Intermittently, locusts and other acridids devastate crops in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The dreaded cotton boll, weevil expanded its range into the cotton growing areas of Brazil, where it has resulted in widespread economic losses. The populations of more than six hundred species of insects have developed resistance to insecticides, still the major weapon used to combat them. The severity of certain insect pests, such as the whitefly, has increased as older insec­ ticides have been replaced with synthetic pyrethroids, which decimate some of the natural enemies that have hitherto effectively kept some of these pests under a modicum of control. Yet there are substantial grounds for optimism, based on some major and last­ ing advances against certain dangerous pests, and on very promising developments in science and technology. Thus, the New World screwworm has been eradicated by means of the sterile insect technique (SIT) from all of Mexico and the United States of America, and this campaign is rapidly advancing toward Panama. This deadly parasite was also eradicated from the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, where it posed a tremendous threat to the livestock, wildlife and people of Africa and the Mediterra­ nean region. The SIT was also used to eradicate both the melon fly and the Oriental fruit fly from Japan. The greatest single achievement in classical biological control occurred recently in Africa, where the ravages of the cassava mealybug were brought under lasting control throughout the cassava growing zone extending over 34 sub- Saharan countries. This was accomplished by mass rearing its natural enemy, an encyrtid wasp from South America, and distributing it over this vast region. In Indonesia, the brown plant hopper and other insects on rice were controlled by fostering the resurgence of their natural enemies, brought about by strongly limiting the excessive use of insecticides. Progress has been made during the past decade in overcoming many of the impediments of biologically based methods of pest management. The reliability and economy of mass rearing many insects have been improved significantly. Significant advances have been made in formulating naturally occurring compounds, such as pheromones and biological control agents. It has become possible to develop robust genetic sexing strains of insects, so that only sexually sterile males can be released. This will definitely increase the effectiveness and economy of SIT. A topic of particular importance, dealt with at length in these Proceedings, concerns the advances made in the field of molecular technology and biotechnology. DNA probes and other molecular techniques are being used to identify cryptic species and individual insects with genes for resistance to insecticides. Bacteria and several crops have been genetically engineered to express the Ô endotoxin of B a c illu s thuringiensis for effective insect control on a commercial basis. The excessively narrow host range of some nuclear polyhedrosis viruses and other biological control agents is being overcome through genetic engineering. However, many of the major benefits from such approaches will not be realized until practical technology for the genetic transformation of economically important arthropods has been developed. The presentations in this Symposium focused on advances and trends in insect control and eradication, genetic engineering and molecular biology, insect genetics, operational SIT programmes, Fj sterility and behaviour, biocontrol, tsetse fly R&D and quarantine. The Symposium was attended by 83 participants from 36 countries and 3 international organizations. Sixty papers and four posters were presented and are included in these Proceedings. The Symposium participants expressed their desire to preserve in memory the life and work of the late André Van Der Vloedt. Dr. Van Der Vloedt pioneered in the development and use of the sterile insect technique in the combat of tsetse fly vectors of trypanosomiasis. He became ill while on a mission in the United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia and died in Vienna, after a brief illness, on 31 December 1991. Dr. Van Der Vloedt was an outstanding leader, teacher and researcher. His infectious enthusiasm and boundless good will enabled him to reach across the chasms of race and culture and to stimulate scientific advancement on several continents. EDITORIAL NOTE The Proceedings have been edited by the editorial staff of the IAEA to the extent considered necessary for the reader’s assistance. The views expressed remain, however, the responsibility of the named authors or participants. In addition, the views are not necessarily those of the governments of the nominating Member States or of the nominating organizations. Although great care has been taken to maintain the accuracy of information contained in this publication, neither the IAEA nor its Member States assume any responsibility for consequences which may arise from its use. The use of particular designations of countries or territories does not imply any judge­ ment by the publisher, the IAEA, as to the legal status of such countries or territories, of their authorities and institutions or of the delimitation of their boundaries. The mention of names of specific companies or products (whether or not indicated as registered) does not imply any intention to infringe proprietary rights, nor should it be construed as an endorsement or recommendation on the part of the IAEA. The authors are responsible for having obtained the necessary permission for the IAEA to reproduce, translate or use material from sources already protected by copyrights. Material prepared by authors who are in contractual relation with governments is copyrighted by the IAEA, as publisher, only to the extent permitted by the appropriate national regulations. CONTENTS OPENING (Session 1) Advances and trends in managing insect pests (IAEA-SM-327/1) ................. 3 R.L. Ridgway, M:N. Inscoe, K.W. Thorpe Biotechnological prospects for managing insect pests (IAEA-SM-327/2) ...... 17 J. Oakeshott, P. Christian, P. W. Atkinson Genetic engineering of insects and applications in basic and applied entomology (IAEA-SM-327/5) ............ ........................................ 33 J.M . Crampton Eradication of the melon fly from Okinawa, Japan, by means of the sterile insect technique (IÁEA-SM-327/4) .................................................. 49 M. Yamagishi, H. Kakinohana, H. Kuba, T. Kohama, Y. Nakamoto, Y. S o k e i, K . K in jo GENETIC ENGINEERING AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (Session 2) Advances in the preservation of insect germplasm (IAEA-SM-327/27)