University of Alberta Sustainable management of the cereal leaf beetle, Oulema melanopus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), a new invasive insect pest of cereal crops in western Canada by Swaroop Vijay Kher A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Science Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science ©Swaroop Vijay Kher Spring 2014 Edmonton, Alberta Permission is hereby granted to the University of Alberta Libraries to reproduce single copies of this thesis and to lend or sell such copies for private, scholarly or scientific research purposes only. Where the thesis is converted to, or otherwise made available in digital form, the University of Alberta will advise potential users of the thesis of these terms. The author reserves all other publication and other rights in association with the copyright in the thesis and, except as herein before provided, neither the thesis nor any substantial portion thereof may be printed or otherwise reproduced in any material form whatsoever without the author's prior written permission. Abstract The cereal leaf beetle, Oulema melanopus (L.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is a new invasive insect pest of cereals in western Canada, and has expanded its geographic range significantly throughout the region. Its establishment has economic implications for grain production, trade and export. Biological control with its principal larval parasitoid, Tetrastichus julis (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), introduced from Europe has been the most successful management strategy in North America. In southern Alberta, the parasitoid has established naturally along with the beetle and provides an opportunity for integration of biological control with other management tactics. My investigation focused on tritrophic interactions between the cereal host plants, O. melanopus and T. julis. I investigated life histories and host preferences of O. melanopus and T. julis, their spatio-temporal distribution dynamics, and explored host-plant resistance mechanisms in exotic wheat genotypes to discern interrelations between these species. My studies on developmental patterns of O. melanopus on potential cereal hosts in western Canada (oat, wheat, barley, corn, rye and triticale) indicated that the preferences for these hosts and their utilization differed within the fundamental host range of O. melanopus. Prolonged developmental times and low survivorship on a local cultivar of oat, Waldern, indicated a potential avenue for designing strategies such as trap cropping. My studies on the biology of T. julis indicated that T. julis females prefer advanced larval instars for parasitization; such a selection lead to higher clutch size, and improved fitness. Under field conditions, the relationship of O. melanopus and T. julis indicated a tightly coupled host-natural enemy system. Tetrastichus julis exhibited strong density dependence. Host plant characteristics influenced field dynamics of O. melanopus which in turn influenced T. julis distribution. Three of the six central Asian wheat genotypes tested (NN-100, NN-78 and NN-27) were less attractive for O. melanopus oviposition and feeding and further trials on biology and fitness of the beetle suggested prolonged development and low fitness on these genotypes. This indicated presence of both antixenosis and antibiosis mechanisms. The resistant lines identified can act as effective genotypes for breeding explorations in North America. Acknowledgments I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who contributed to the successful completion of my doctoral degree programme. First and foremost, I would like to thank my supervisors, Drs. Lloyd Dosdall and Héctor Cárcamo for providing me the opportunity to work on my graduate research project under their guidance and supervision. I am thankful to Dr. Lloyd Dosdall for accepting me as a graduate student, and for constant support and motivation. I would like to sincerely thank Dr. Héctor Cárcamo for allowing me to work in his laboratory in Lethbridge, and providing me with all the facilities and resources. I thank both of you very sincerely for your expert advice, constructive criticism, invaluable guidance and mentorship. I got every opportunity to explore my research interests under your supervision. I would also like to acknowledge kind gestures of Mrs. Teresa Height Dosdall and Mrs. Rosa Cárcamo. I would also like to thank Dr. Maya Evenden for being a part of my supervisory committee and for her expert advice, helpful comments, and willingness to help. I am grateful for all her contributions to my project that allowed me to complete it timely and successfully. My sincere thanks to Dr. Andrew Keddie and Dr. Edward Evans for acting as external examiners on my PhD committee and for their helpful comments and advice. I am grateful to the technicians and members of the Cárcamo lab at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Station in Lethbridge for their timely help and assistance. I would like to thank Carolyn Herle, Cheryl Chelle, and Tracy Larson (former technician) for their technical expertise, help with experiments and great company. Without all the support I received I would not have been able to plan and complete my experiments timely. Several other notable members of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the University of Alberta who provided invaluable support and guidance throughout my graduate studies include Dr. Kevin Floate, Paul Coughlin, Monty Thompson, Dr. Mark Goettel, Dr. Brian Beres, Tom Kveder, Grant Duke, Monty Thomson, Byron Lee, Dr. James Tansey, Dan Stanton and Sunil Rajput. I am thankful to everyone for their expert advices and help. I would also like to thank all the summer students in the Cárcamo lab for their able help and assistance. I would like to thank Dr. Evelyn Merrill for her guidance and expertise in the analysis of spatial data. I want to thank Dr. Ellen McDonald and Dr. Laki Goonewardene for helpful discussions on statistical data analysis. My sincere thanks to all the current and former members of the Dosdall lab with whom I had the opportunity to work with. I would like to thank my parents, Mr. Vijay Kher and Mrs. Saroj Kher, and my brother Shailesh and his family for their love and encouragement. I would like to thank my wife, Sharvari, for her unconditional love, patience and understanding. You all have been an amazing support in my life throughout all the thicks and thins, and I would not have been able to pursue my dreams without your love, sacrifices and prayers. I would also like to thank my in laws, Mr. and Mrs. Kulkarni for their love, prayers and support. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my uncle, Dr. J.S.Sardeshpande (former plant pathologist), for his mentorship. My thanks to you and your entire family. My special thanks to Dr. Chandish Ballal, (Principal Scientist, NBAII, India) for her motivation and support. I would like to thank all my friends, colleagues and teachers who have been a great support. Funding of my graduate research was generously provided by the Canadian Wheat Board, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Western Grains Research Foundation, Ducks unlimited Canada, and Development Initiative-Agri-Food Products of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. I am immensely thankful to all the funding agencies for their kind support. I am grateful to the Almighty God, the most compassionate for his blessings and strength throughout my life. Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction ...................................................................................................1 1.1. General introduction ............................................................................................1 1.2. Taxonomic status of O. melanopus ......................................................................2 1.3. Diagnostic characters ...........................................................................................4 1.4. Oulema melanopus distribution and range expansion ...........................................5 1.5. Life history and field dynamics of O. melanopus .................................................7 1.6. Host range ......................................................................................................... 10 1.7. Damage potential ............................................................................................... 12 1.8. Plant responses to O. melanopus damage ........................................................... 15 1.9. Overview of O. melanopus control strategies ..................................................... 16 1.10. Objectives of the study ...................................................................................... 31 Figures. ......................................................................................................................... 36 Literature cited .............................................................................................................. 39 Chapter 2: Biology and host preferences of the cereal leaf beetle, Oulema melanopus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), in western Canada........................................................... 57 2.1. Introduction............................................................................................................ 57 2.2. Materials and Methods ........................................................................................... 60 2.3. Results