Using district-level occurrences in MaxEnt for predicting the invasion potential of an exotic insect pest in India

2014 ◽  
Vol 103 ◽  
pp. 55-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunil Kumar ◽  
Jim Graham ◽  
Amanda M. West ◽  
Paul H. Evangelista
2002 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 262-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig D Snyder ◽  
John A Young ◽  
David P Lemarié ◽  
David R Smith

We conducted a comparative study in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area to determine the potential long-term impacts of hemlock forest decline on stream benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages. Hemlock forests throughout eastern North America have been declining because of the hemlock woolly adelgid, an exotic insect pest. We found aquatic invertebrate community structure to be strongly correlated with forest composition. Streams draining hemlock forests supported significantly more total taxa than streams draining mixed hardwood forests, and over 8% of the taxa were strongly associated with hemlock. In addition, invertebrate taxa were more evenly distributed (i.e., higher Simpson's evenness values) in hemlock-drained streams. In contrast, the number of rare species and total densities were significantly lower in streams draining hemlock, suggesting that diversity differences observed between forest types were not related to stochastic factors associated with sampling and that streams draining mixed hardwood forests may be more productive. Analysis of stream habitat data indicated that streams draining hemlock forests had more stable thermal and hydrologic regimes. Our findings suggest that hemlock decline may result in long-term changes in headwater ecosystems leading to reductions in both within-stream (i.e., alpha) and park-wide (i.e., gamma) benthic community diversity.


2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1934578X1501000
Author(s):  
Kisaki Watanabe ◽  
Nobuhiro Shimizu

The exotic insect pest Corythucha marmorata (Uhler) is increasingly spreading in Japan using the weed Solidago canadensis L. as a major host plant. The nymphs form colonies on the backs of leaves where they crowd together; however, aggregation does not occur in the adults. When an individual nymph is crushed using a needle tip and further the needle tip covered with the nymph's bodily fluids is moved slowly toward the center of the crowd, the surrounding nymphs display an escape behavior and their aggregation is disrupted. We detected geraniol as a nymph-specific volatile component. Bioassay results indicated that geraniol was effective as an alarm pheromone on second to fifth instar nymphs. Furthermore, we found that male and female adults responded sensitively to the alarm pheromone produced by nymphs. These results suggest that although the adult insects do not secrete geraniol, they can detect it produced by nymphs, thereby retaining the ability to escape from danger while suppressing the cost of geraniol production. The present study is the first to demonstrate that an alarm pheromone secreted by nymphs is also effective in adults among Tingidae.


2008 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 360-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne K. Eschtruth ◽  
John J. Battles

Author(s):  
A.J. Cresswell

This paper, as well as being a testimonial to the benefit the writer has received from the Grassland Association, shows how the knowledge of scientists has been used to increase lucerne seed yields by methods of growing resistant cultivars especially for seed production as opposed to growing for hay, silage or grazing. It shows how new cultivars can be multiplied quickly by growing two crops in one year, one in each hemisphere, by using low seeding rates, wide plant spacing and very good weed control. Increased flowering of the crop has been achieved by the use of boron and the choice of time of closing; better pollination has been achieved by the use of more efficient bees - two varieties of which have been imported from North America. Weed and insect pest control and the use of a desiccant at harvest are contributing to a four-fold increase in seed yield, which should double again soon,


2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Somiahnadar Rajendran

Insects are a common problem in stored produce. The author describes the extent of the problem and approaches to countering it. Stored products of agricultural and animal origin, whether edible or non-edible, are favourite food for insect pests. Durable agricultural produce comprising dry raw and processed commodities and perishables (fresh produce) are vulnerable to insect pests at various stages from production till end-use. Similarly, different animal products and museum objects are infested mainly by dermestids. Insect pests proliferate due to favourable storage conditions, temperature and humidity and availability of food in abundance. In addition to their presence in food commodities, insects occur in storages (warehouses, silos) and processing facilities (flour mills, feed mills). Insect infestation is also a serious issue in processed products and packed commodities. The extent of loss in stored products due to insects varies between countries depending on favourable climatic conditions, and pest control measures adopted. In stored food commodities, insect infestation causes loss in quantity, changes in nutritional quality, altered chemical composition, off-odours, changes in end-use products, dissemination of toxigenic microorganisms and associated health implications. The insects contribute to contaminants such as silk threads, body fragments, hastisetae, excreta and chemical secretions. Insect activity in stored products increases the moisture content favouring the growth of moulds that produce mycotoxins (e.g., aflatoxin in stored peanuts). Hide beetle, Dermestes maculatus infesting silkworm cocoons has been reported to act as a carrier of microsporidian parasite Nosema bombycis that causes pebrine disease in silkworms. In dried fish, insect infestation leads to higher bacterial count and uric acid levels. Insects cause damage in hides and skins affecting their subsequent use for making leather products. The trend in stored product insect pest management is skewing in favour of pest prevention, monitoring, housekeeping and finally control. Hermetic storage system can be supplemented with CO2 or phosphine application to achieve quicker results. Pest detection and monitoring has gained significance as an important tool in insect pest management. Pheromone traps originally intended for detection of infestations have been advanced as a mating disruption device ensuing pest suppression in storage premises and processing facilities; pheromones also have to undergo registration protocols similar to conventional insecticides in some countries. Control measures involve reduced chemical pesticide use and more non-chemical inputs such as heat, cold/freezing and desiccants. Furthermore, there is an expanding organic market where physical and biological agents play a key role. The management options for insect control depend on the necessity or severity of pest incidence. Generally, nonchemical treatments, except heat, require more treatment time or investment in expensive equipment or fail to achieve 100% insect mortality. Despite insect resistance, environmental issues and residue problems, chemical control is inevitable and continues to be the most effective and rapid control method. There are limited options with respect to alternative fumigants and the alternatives have constraints as regards environmental and health concerns, cost, and other logistics. For fumigation of fresh agricultural produce, new formulations of ethyl formate and phosphine are commercially applied replacing methyl bromide. Resistance management is now another component of stored product pest management. In recent times, fumigation techniques have improved taking into consideration possible insect resistance. Insect control deploying nanoparticles, alone or as carriers for other control agents, is an emerging area with promising results. As there is no single compound with all the desired qualities, a necessity has arisen to adopt multiple approaches. Cocktail applications or combination treatments (IGRs plus organophosphorus insecticides, diatomaceous earth plus contact insecticides, nanoparticles plus insecticides/pathogens/phytocompounds and conventional fumigants plus CO2; vacuum plus fumigant) have been proved to be more effective. The future of store product insect pest management is deployment of multiple approaches and/or combination treatments to achieve the goal quickly and effectively.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-41
Author(s):  
Gaurav Ranabhat ◽  
Ashmita Dhakal ◽  
Saurav Ranabhat ◽  
Ananta Dhakal ◽  
Rakshya Aryal

Modern biotechnology enables an organism to produce a totally new product which the organism does not or cannot produce normally through the incorporation of the technology of ‘Genetic engineering’. Biotechnology shows its technical merits and new development prospects in breeding of new plants varieties with high and stable yield, good quality, as well as stress tolerance and resistance. Some of the most prevailing problems faced in agricultural ecosystems could be solved with the introduction of transgenic crops incorporated with traits for insect pest resistance, herbicide tolerance and resistance to viral diseases. Plant biotechnology has gained importance in the recent past for increasing the quality and quantity of agricultural, horticultural, ornamental plants, and in manipulating the plants for improved agronomic performance. Recent developments in the genome sequencing will have far reaching implications for future agriculture. From this study, we can know that the developing world adopts these fast-changing technologies soon and harness their unprecedented potential for the future benefit of human being.


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