4 pp. / This publication will explain what fungus gnats are and how to manage them.

32 pp. / Bugs @ Home series; Revised / How to keep bugs out and reduce your utility costs!

3 pp. / A description of aphids, the damage they cause, their lifecycle, and management recommendations.

4 pp. / Bed bugs can cause anxiety, bite reactions, and financial hardship. The University of Arizona Community IPM Program and partnering research institutions are working to battle the recent bed bug resurgence. Researchers hope to determine the real social cost of bed bugs, as well as the significant causes of infestations. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach is the most likely strategy to result in successful elimination of bed bugs.

Biological and cultural control tactics are available for many agricultural pests but insecticides still play an important role in the rapid reduction of pest incidence when damage reaches economic levels. Laboratory and field toxicities of the reduced-risk products spinetoram and flubendiamide to Itame argillacearia (blueberry spanworm) was compared to deltamethrin, a conventional synthetic pyrethroid insecticide. In laboratory experiments, I. argillacearia larvae were highly susceptible to spinetoram and flubendiamide, and efficacy in the field was comparable to that of deltamethrin. Lethal and sublethal effects of the biopesticide formulations of Beauveria bassiana and Bacillus subtilis, and spirotetramat, a new tetramic acid insecticide, to bumble bees, Bombus impatiens, were also assessed. When ingested, field rates of spirotetramat caused high mortality after a week, and B. subtilis significantly reduced drone production. Field rates of spirotetramat, when applied topically, reduced drone production, but drone production varied following topical treatments of either biopesticide.

12 pp. / Mosquitoes are the most important insect pests that affect the health and well-being of humans and domestic animals worldwide. They can cause a variety of health problems due to their ability to transfer (vector) viruses and other disease-causing pathogens, including in the arid Southwest U.S. This publication describes the mosquito life-cycle, introduces common pest mosquito species and the diseases associated with them. Mosquito management for residents is covered.

Jamaican farmers are experiencing constraints to hot pepper (Capsicum chinense) export production due to a quarantine pest -- the gall midge (Contarinia lycopersici; Prodiplosis longifila). There is a threat of gall midge introduction into the United States, where the insect pest is not known to occur. This research tests the significance of a range of variables to gall midge incidence. The purpose was to explain the spatial patterns that result from the relationships between gall midge incidence in hot pepper production and production methods and/or environmental conditions. There were three components to the sample of 47 farm visits: the interview, the hot pepper sampling, and the measurements of physical and locational attributes. Producers responded to questions about production methods, marketing, and quarantine issues. The percent of infested fruits per plot was calculated. GPS was used to record farm location. Using ArcView, environmental and climatic datasets were overlaid with farm locations and their attributes. Multiple regression was used to measure significance of variables to gall midge incidence. Cluster analyses were used to demonstrate the spatial patterns of the variability of gall midge incidence and its associated variables. There was significant effect on incidence by farm elevation, observance of pesticide-use recommendations, producer awareness of pre-clearance fumigation, and the use of intercropping in hot pepper production. / Master of Science

Recent estimates have revealed that more than 6.5 million olive trees in southern Italy have subdued to the Xylella fastidiosa infection, leading to the devasting Olive Quick Decline Syndrome (OQDS). This epidemic continues to expand, posing a significant threat to global olive oil production. OQDS has already resulted 30-34% reduction in ecosystem services provided by olive orchards and a 28% decline in associated biodiversity. Additionally, OQDS has annihilated productivity and the entire olive oil supply chain, causing considerable economic losses. To counteract the relentless spread of Xylella, Integrated Transmission Management (ITM) strategies are crucial. Reducing one vector per olive tree present in an olive orchard can confine X. fastidiosa within acceptable economic and environmental limits. Thus, monitoring and managing vector populations are crucial to curbing disease transmission. The complex interactions between insects and microorganisms are pivotal in the OQDS scenario. Understanding these interactions can provide insights into novel control strategies, such as disrupting bacterial symbiosis with Aphrophoridae foams, affecting the fitness of vector insects, and potentially reducing X. fastidiosa transmission. To counteract Xylella transmission effectively, biocontrol measures must be incorporated into IPM strategies for olive orchards. However, more than the current arsenal of vector antagonists is required. The entrance into the Europe of Zelus renardii shows promise in biocontrolling Xylella vectors. Furthermore, Z. renardii's ability to manage other olive pests adds to its utility. Zelus renardii's bionomics and its ability to regulate alarm pheromones via Brindley glands is crucial for its effective use in IPM strategies. The formulation of artificial diets for mass-rearing Z. renardii under controlled conditions can pave the way for its inundative release to enhance ITM. These biological and biotechnological control measures have the potential to significantly reduce Philaenus spumarius populations and the infective capacity of Xylella vectors within IPM strategies. This approach can also act preventively and protectively, reducing the risk of future infections and limiting repeated transmissions. Progress has been made in modulating the transmission abilities of Xylella vectors, while the challenge of OQDS and X. fastidiosa remains tricky. The availability of Z. renardii and exploring its capabilities offer a more sustainable and effective approach to managing this disease in olive production.

No description available.

Concern about externalities associated with pesticide use in developing countries has motivated the development of integrated pest management (IPM) programs in these areas. In the Philippines, the IPM Collaborative Research Support Program (IPM CRSP) was established to specifically address the widespread misuse of pesticides in the rice-vegetable systems of Nueva Ecija, one of the major rice and onion producing regions in the country. IPM CRSP initiatives include research on the optimal use of pesticides, complementary weed control strategies, and alternative cultural and biological controls. If successful, the program should generate benefits that can be measured in economic terms. These benefits include improvements in water quality, food safety, pesticide applicator safety, and long run sustainability of pest management systems. This study was designed to measure the health and environmental benefits of the IPM CRSP in the Philippines. A survey questionnaire was administered to 176 onion farmers in five villages in Nueva Ecija to identify farm and farmer characteristics, pesticide usage, pest management practices, perceptions about pesticide hazards, awareness of IPM strategies, and willingness to adopt specific technologies being developed under the IPM CRSP. In addition, a contingent valuation survey was used to elicit farmers' willingness-to-pay to avoid risks posed by pesticides to different environmental categories. A comprehensive economic measure of the benefits of IPM CRSP was derived by 1) assessing the hazards associated with pesticide usage, 2) providing an ex ante measure of program impacts on pesticide usage, 3) predicting IPM adoption rates, and 4) estimating society's willingness-to-pay to avoid the health and environmental risks from pesticides under Philippine conditions. A measure of the amount of risks avoided as a result of IPM CRSP adoption was combined with farmers' willingness to pay bids for risk avoidance to derive a monetary value of the program benefits. The estimated economic benefits of the IPM CRSP to farmer residents in 5 villages in Nueva Ecija amount to 230,912.00 pesos for one onion season. / Ph. D.