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The Past and Present of Pear Protection Against the Pear Psylla, Cacopsylla pyri L.
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Cacopsylla pyri L. (Hom., Psyllidae) and its predators relationship in Italy's Emilia-Romagna region
No full textSampling techniques for Cacopsylla pyri adults and its predators (Anthocoris nemoralis, Coccinellidae spp. and Chrysopidae spp.) were comparatively studied over autumn-winter 2000 in three pear orchards of Ferrara Province in northern Italy's Emilia-Romagna Region. Bating tray (or frappage), yellow sticky traps and corrugated cardboard traps were employed for insect monitoring while water pan traps were used for the phenological timing of leaf fall. The beating tray provided a more representative sampling method to evaluate the population dynamics and density of C. pyri and its predators than the yellow sticky traps; the corrugated cardboard proved a reliable tool to assess the predator population dynamic in overwintering refuges. Along with climate (temperature) and plant physiological (leaf fall) data, the results reported provide useful information for the scheduling of winter treatments, also in case to control the spread of the mycoplasma-like organism (pear decline) in spring
Studies on side effects of some insecticides on aphid-feeding Coccinellidae in Emilia-Romagna fruit crops
No full textThe effects of six insecticides on adults of the aphidophagous coccinellids Adalia bipunctata (L.), Coccinella septempunctata (L.) and Oenopia conglobata (L.), were evaluated in field studies in apple, pear and peach orchards. The insecticides (and some of their different formulations) evaluated were the organophosphates (OP) chlorpyrifos, chlorpyrifos-methyl, azinphos-methyl and malathion, the carbamate derived Methomyl and the Nereistoxin analogues Cartap. Azinphos-methyl was consistently toxic to coccinellids with between 76% and 90.5% mortality occurring in four studies. Chlorpyrifos EC resulted in mortality ranging from 40.2% (apples,1999) to 63% (peach,2001) over five studies. Chlorpyrifos WDG mortality ranged from 50.8% to 70% over three studies. Chlorpyrifos-methyl resulted in 31% mortality in apples in 1999 and 86.1% mortality in pears in 1998. Methomyl and cartap were evaluated in a single study in apples and resulted in 66.7 and 10% mortality respectively. Malathion was evaluated in a separate study and caused 43.5% mortality
Mimic-Confirm (a. i. Tebufenozide): a tool for a soft and ecologically sound pest control in pear orchards
No full textAn investigation regarding the side-effects of two insecticide application strategies has been carried out. Two chemical control programmes for codling moth (Cydia pomonella L.) and for the main leafroller species (Pandemis cerasana Hb.) have been compared. One programme (“soft”) based exclusively on tebufenozide applications and the other one (conventional) based on traditional insecticides use (the exclusively use of tebufenozide was chosen only for experimental requirement, without considering the resistance management). The study has been carried out in the Ferrara District (Italy) on a pear orchard (cv. Abbè Fétel and Bartlett) in the 1998-99-00 years. A randomised block design with four replicates was used to compare the two different chemical control programmes. For sampling visual and inventory methods (depending from the insect species and the developmental stage) were used. The main pest species sampled were C. pomonella L., P. cerasana Hb., Cacopsylla pyri L. and Quadraspidiotus perniciosus (Comst.), while Anthocoris
nemoralis (F.), coccinellids and syrphids were the beneficial ones. The results showed the reliability of the control strategy based on tebufenozide (no difference with regard to damaged fruits in comparison with the traditional one). This strategy gave smaller side effects on the beneficials, mainly regarding A. nemoralis young larvae. It has been possible to measure the lower insecticide use: both in quantitative and qualitative terms (toxicological classes)
Monoterpenes-induced toxicity in nymphal stages of Halyomorpha halys
No full textIn this work, the toxic activity by fumigation of 10 monoterpenes was evaluated on Halyomorpha halys 2nd instar nymphs.
The results showed that (±)-limonene was the monoterpene with the highest insecticidal activity (LC50 0.48 μl l−1 air), followed by two phenolic monoterpenes eugenol and isoeugenol (LC50 0.41 and 0.55 μl l−1 air, respectively). In addition, the alcoholic monoterpenes α-terpineol and l -(−)-menthol and the ketonic monoterpene (+)-pulegone exhibited strong efficacy on H. halys 2nd instar nymphs (LC50 values 0.84, 1.15 and 0.48 μl l−1 air, respectively). These preliminary data indicate that essential oils and the individual terpenic components could be used as fumigants for the control of H. halys nymphs
Particle Film Technology: approach for a biorational control of Cacopsylla pyri (Rhynchota Psyllidae) in Northern Italy
No full textTwo trials were carried out to investigate the efficacy of a kaolin-based product (Surround WP) a white non-abrasive, finegrained alluminum-silicate mineral in controlling pear psylla Cacopsylla pyri (L.) oviposition. The trial was carried out in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna Region on cv. Abbè Fétel during late winter in 2001-2002 year; the reference product was mineral oil. The timing of product application was before or at the onset of egg laying during overwintering. The results show a very good efficacy of
kaolin in comparison to the mineral oil and untreated control. No eggs were found on the treated plants and no phytotoxic effects were observed. No nymphs were observed inside the flowers in the kaolin-treated plots
Preliminary investigation on the toxicity of different formulations on some groups of beneficial arthropods in Emilia-Romagna orchards
No full textControl of the most relevant phytophagous of apple and pear trees in Emilia-Romagna (Northern Italy) is achieved by insecticides but it is improved also by defense techniques allowing protection of useful insects. It is therefore relevant to understand in detail the effects of the most common insecticides employed in integrated defense of the two above mentioned cultures on the main auxiliary insects, both predators and parasitoids. With this aim we performed open field tests to evaluate the acute toxicity (48 hours after the treatment), according to the method suggested by IOBC Working Group “Integrated Protection in Orchards” to test three recently developed active principles: Spinosad, Indoxacarb and Methoxyfenozide. These three principles were compared to Azinphos methyl, presently one of the most widely employed insecticides with a broad action spectrum. Spinosad is a natural insecticide compound, whose active principle is a toxin produced by Saccharopolispora spinosa, Indoxacarb and Methoxyfenozide are synthetic molecules, respectively belonging to the family of oxadiazines and moult accelerators, while Azinphos methyl is an organophosphate compound.
The results show that Azinphos methyl is characterized by a lower selectivity towards generic Coccinellidae, while mortality towards Antochoris nemoralis is rather limited for all active principles tested, on the contrary to what observed for parasitoid Hymenoptera
Topical delivery of dsRNA in two hemipteran species: Evaluation of RNAi specificity and non-target effects
No full textDouble-stranded (ds) RNA-based technologies could provide novel and potential tool for pest management with efficiency and specificity of action. However, before applying this technique in the field, it is necessary to identify effective delivery methods and evaluate the non-target effects that may occur. In this article, we evaluated the effectiveness of dsRNA by topical delivery on a species of great agricultural interest, Halyomorpha halys. The specificity of action of the dsRNA was also investigated in Rhodnius prolixus, an insect phylogenetically close to H. halys. Of the three investigated genes (putative ATPase N2B, ATPase, serine/threonine-protein phosphatase PP1-β catalytic subunit, PP1, and IAP repeat-containing protein 7-B-like, IAP), IAP and ATPase were able to induce higher mortality in H. halys nymphs compared to the control, with specific concentrations for each gene targeted. However, when the same RNAs were topically delivered to both R. prolixus 2nd and 3rd instar nymphs, no gene silencing and mortality were observed. For this reason, to assess dsRNA application-mediated non-target effects, we injected both H. halys and R. prolixus specific dsRNA in R. prolixus 5th instar nymphs. When the dsRNA targeting H. halys IAP was microinjected into R. prolixus 5th instar nymphs, no mortality was observed, suggesting a strong RNAi specificity. Together, these data suggest that the topical delivery could be suitable for the dsRNA to control H. halys population. Furthermore, its specificity of action would allow treatments towards single harmful species with limited non-target effects
Diversity, biology, and management of the pear psyllids: a global look
No full textThe pear psyllids (Cacopsylla Ossiannilsson; Hemiptera: Psylloidea: Psyllidae) are a taxonomically difficult group of at least 24 species native to the Palaearctic region. One or more species occur in most pear-growing regions, in some cases as invasive introductions. Existing reviews of this group are primarily of taxonomic focus with limited overviews of biology. The earliest biological studies of the pear psyllids centered on a core group of a few western European species. In part, this focus arose because diversity of the pear psyllids was poorly understood. As taxonomic understanding has advanced over the last 3 decades, research has expanded taxonomically. Increasing difficulties in controlling the pear psyllids additionally has contributed to growth in research. Here, we review a now-extensive literature on diversity, biology, and management of the pear psyllids. Three broad observations emerged from this synthesis. First, large gaps in biological understanding of the pear psyllids persist for several geographic faunas, most notably for psyllids of the Eastern Palaearctic
region. Second, taxonomic diversity is accompanied by biological diversity. Despite the ommonality in host use among the pear psyllids, with each species being limited to development on Pyrus, striking differences exist among species in life cycles, wintering, and other biological traits. Third, many of the tools being used to manage pear psyllids today are in existence because of the long history of basic research which has targeted these pests. These tools include new insecticides of higher selectivity, various cultural and horticultural tactics, and practices that conserve natural enemies in orchards
Le comunità di insetti in un habitat antropizzato: il biodeterioramento della Chiesa di S. Martino Vescovo a Contrapò (Ferrara)
No full textDal punto di vista ecologico gli insetti sono caratterizzati da un elevato potenziale biotico che consente rapidi incrementi
numerici dipendenti dalla capacità di sfruttamento delle risorse trofiche. L’attività dei saproxilici rappresenta uno snodo
fondamentale all’interno delle reti trofiche, ed anche nel caso dell’attacco di un bene culturale ligneo la manifestazione o
l’assenza dell’attività di questi organismi va intesa come il risultato finale di una complessa serie di interazioni tra substrato,
insetti e ambiente. In questa ricerca vengono trattate le problematiche relative alla catena della decomposizione, il cui
avanzamento tuttavia nel caso del manufatto di importanza storica e artistica corrisponde ad un danno e ad una perdita. In
questo studio si sono localizzate e descritte le alterazioni entomatiche a carico di una serie di manufatti lignei di una pieve
storica della Provincia di Ferrara, nell’ambito di un progetto finanziato dalla Fondazione CARIFE. Sulla base della presenza
di rosume, di fori di sfarfallamento e dello stato delle parti attaccate, si è potuto accertare un attacco ancora in atto, a carico
soprattutto di Coleotteri Anobidi. Gli oggetti più antichi, quali i tabernacoli delle cappelle laterali o i reliquiari, sono risultati
meno danneggiati dall’attacco entomatico, probabilmente grazie alle marmorizzazioni ed alle dorature, che in questo caso
fungono da protezione per il legno stesso
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