Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2011 Agroecological factors impacting stem borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) dynamics in Gulf Coast sugarcane and rice Julien M. Beuzelin Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the Entomology Commons Recommended Citation Beuzelin, Julien M., "Agroecological factors impacting stem borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) dynamics in Gulf Coast sugarcane and rice" (2011). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 1675. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/1675 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. AGROECOLOGICAL FACTORS IMPACTING STEM BORER (LEPIDOPTERA: CRAMBIDAE) DYNAMICS IN GULF COAST SUGARCANE AND RICE A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the formal requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Entomology by Julien M. Beuzelin B.S., Université de Rennes I, 2003 M.S., École Nationale Supérieure Agronomique de Rennes, 2005 August 2011 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my major professor, Dr. T. E. Reagan, for giving me the opportunity to conduct this project. His guidance, support, and high level of expectation helped me grow as a young scientist. I would also like to thank Dr. L. T. Wilson for the time he spent working with me, and for sharing his unique vision and knowledge of agroecosystem research. I am grateful to my other committee members Drs. D. C. Blouin, M. J. Stout, and E. P. Webster for sharing their expertise in statistics, plant-insect interactions, and rice weed management, respectively. I thank Dr. K. E. Damann for serving as the Dean‘s representative. I also thank Drs. M. O. Way and A. T. Showler for actively participating in my dissertation project and for letting me use their laboratories and equipment. Special thanks to Anna Mészáros for everything, including her love, moral support, and entomological expertise 24/7. A Sophie, Daniel, Michel, et Aimée, merci pour tout. Special thanks to Blake Wilson— friend, colleague, and driver extraordinaire. I thank Louisiana sugarcane growers Gerald Quebedeaux and Blake Newton, and Texas rice growers Bill Dishman, Jr., John and Jay Jenkins, and Gary and Michael Skalicky for permitting us use of their farmland and for technical assistance. I thank former graduate students Drs. Waseem Akbar, Jiale Lv, and Francis Reay-Jones. I thank Becky Pearson, Mark Nunez, Dr. Lee Tarpley, and Ronnie Porter in Beaumont; Veronica Abrigo and Jaime Cavazos in Weslaco; Jack Vawter and Mike Hiller in Ganado; and Dr. W. H. White and Rita Riggio in Louisiana. I thank Dr. Lowell Urbatsch for identifying numerous grass samples. I also thank Drs. J. A. Davis, L. D. Foil, J. W. Hoy, N. A. Hummel, and S. J. Johnson for participating in the review of selected chapters. I thank student workers Kyle Baker, Jannie Castillo, and Mallory Clarke for their technical assistance. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .............................................................................................................. ii LIST OF TABLES ...........................................................................................................................v LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................... vii ABSTRACT .....................................................................................................................................x CHAPTER 1: GENERAL INTRODUCTION ................................................................................1 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .........................................................................................6 2.1. Taxonomy of D. saccharalis and E. loftini ..........................................................................6 2.2. Diatraea saccharalis and E. loftini Geographic Distribution ..............................................6 2.3. Diatraea saccharalis and E. loftini Host Plants...................................................................7 2.4. Diatraea saccharalis Life Cycle and Morphology ..............................................................9 2.5. Eoreuma loftini Life Cycle and Morphology.....................................................................12 2.6. Stem Borer Injury to Cultivated Hosts...............................................................................14 2.7. Host Effect on Stem Borer Behavior and Biology.............................................................15 2.8. Cultivar Resistance for Stem Borer Management .............................................................18 2.9. Cultural Control of Stem Borers ........................................................................................22 2.10. Biological Control ..............................................................................................................24 2.11. Stem Borer Management with Insecticides .......................................................................27 CHAPTER 3: IMPACT OF HURRICANE RITA STORM SURGE ON SUGARCANE BORER (LEPIDOPTERA: CRAMBIDAE) MANAGEMENT IN LOUISIANA ......................................31 3.1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................31 3.2. Materials and Methods .......................................................................................................33 3.3. Results ................................................................................................................................38 3.4. Discussion ..........................................................................................................................44 CHAPTER 4: SUGARCANE PLANTING DATE IMPACT ON FALL AND SPRING SUGARCANE BORER (LEPIDOPTERA: CRAMBIDAE) INFESTATIONS ...........................49 4.1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................49 4.2. Materials and Methods .......................................................................................................50 4.3. Results ................................................................................................................................54 4.4. Discussion ..........................................................................................................................63 CHAPTER 5: POTENTIAL IMPACT OF MEXICAN RICE BORER NON-CROP HOSTS ON SUGARCANE IPM .......................................................................................................................68 5.1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................68 5.2. Materials and Methods .......................................................................................................69 5.3. Results ................................................................................................................................70 5.4. Discussion ..........................................................................................................................75 iii CHAPTER 6: SEASONAL INFESTATIONS OF TWO STEM BORERS (LEPIDOPTERA: CRAMBIDAE) IN NON-CROP GRASSES OF GULF COAST RICE AGROECOSYSTEMS .79 6.1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................79 6.2. Materials and Methods .......................................................................................................80 6.3. Results ................................................................................................................................87 6.4. Discussion ........................................................................................................................103 CHAPTER 7: OVIPOSITION AND LARVAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE MEXICAN RICE BORER (LEPIDOPTERA: CRAMBIDAE) ON RICE AND NON-CROP GRASS HOSTS ....109 7.1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................109 7.2. Materials and Methods .....................................................................................................110 7.3. Results ..............................................................................................................................118 7.4. Discussion ........................................................................................................................125 CHAPTER 8: IMPACT OF RICE HARVEST CUTTING HEIGHT AND RATOON CROP ON LATE SEASON AND OVERWINTERING STEM BORER (LEPIDOPTERA: CRAMBIDAE) INFESTATIONS .........................................................................................................................132 8.1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................132 8.2. Materials and Methods .....................................................................................................134