A Field Cage for Rearing Syrphid Larvae and Other Predators of the Balsam Woolly Aphid, Adelges piceae (Ratz.) (Homoptera: Adelgidae),

1959 ◽  
Vol 91 (11) ◽  
pp. 723-725 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. C. Clark ◽  
N. R. Brown

Several species of syrphids are common predators on the balsam woolly aphid, Adelges aiceae (Ratz.). in eastern Canada. Larvae are found on infested trees throughout the summer in a certain sequence of species. Occasionally adult syrphids are collected while ovipositing.Attempts have been made to rear the larvae in the laboratory on small pieces of infested bark but the difficulty of keeping the bark moist and preventing the growth of mould and of transferring the larvae to fresh bark made this method unsatisfactory. The prey died before rearing was complete. Rearing the larvae in the field appeared to be the solution to this problem and a suitable cage was designed which was simple to make, install, and examine (Fig. 1).

1960 ◽  
Vol 92 (9) ◽  
pp. 696-697 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. C. Clark ◽  
N. R. Brown

In a previous paper (Clark and Brown, 1959) a field cage was described for rearing syrphid larvae and other predators of the balsam woolly aphid. The cages proved satisfactory in the field but some method was necessary to supplement the results with data for individual predators reared in the laboratory under controlled conditions.In the past, attempts to rear predator larvae in the laboratory on small pieces of infested bark proved unsatisfactory because of the difficulties of keeping the bark moist and suitable for prey development and preventing the growth of moulds on the prey, the bark, and the containers. In most cases when small petri dishes or other containers were used the prey or predators died before rearing was complete or the individuals which survived were unhealthy and not representative of normal prey or predator development.


1962 ◽  
Vol 94 (11) ◽  
pp. 1171-1175 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. C. Clark ◽  
N. R. Brown

Cremifania nigrocellulata Cz. is one of the complex of predators that attacks A. piceae (Ratz.) in Europe. After studies on its morphology, biology, and distribution were made by Delucchi and Pschorn-Walcher (1954), C. nigrocellulata was reared in Europe by the Commonwealth Institute of Biological Control and introduced into New Brunswick via the Entomology Research Institute for Biological Control, Belleville, Ontario.


1957 ◽  
Vol 89 (12) ◽  
pp. 533-546 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. R. Brown ◽  
R. C. Clark

Early in the present century the balsam woolly aphid, Adelges piceae (Ratz.), was introduced accidentally into North America. The history of its development and spread in the United States and Canada has been described by Balch (1952). At the present time, the adelgid occurs in eastern Canada over approximately the southern half of New Brunswick with an extension of the range in the extreme northeastern part of the Province, throughout Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, and in some areas of the southwestern and southeastern parts of Newfoundland.


1959 ◽  
Vol 91 (9) ◽  
pp. 596-599 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. R. Brown ◽  
R. C. Clark

Aphidecta obliterata (L.) is a common predator on conifer-infesting adelgids and aphids in Western Europe, including Scandinavia and the British Isles (Wylie, 1958b). The life cycle in Europe and descriptions of the various stages have been published (Weise, 1892; Portevin, 1931; Van Emden, 1949; Van Dinther, 1951; Wylie, 1958a). Beginning in 1941 several attempts have been made to introduce this species into Eastern Canada against the balsam woolly aphid, Adelges piceae (Ratz.). The initial liberations from England and Germany were apparently unsuccessful due to the inability of the insect to survive the Canadian winter conditions. Later collections were made in Sweden, Czechoslovakia, and Switzerland (Table I) from areas where the winter conditions more closely resemble those in Canada. These liberations also proved unsuccessful. The present paper brings together all available information on the liberations and related experiments olbtained during the liberation years.


1961 ◽  
Vol 93 (12) ◽  
pp. 1162-1168 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. C. Clark ◽  
N. R. Brown

Pullus impexus (Muls.) is one of many species of predators that have been introduced into Eastern Canada since 1933 as part of a biological control program against the balsam woolly aphid, Adelges piceae (Ratz.) Delucchi (1954) has published many details of the systematics, biology, and natural control of this species in Europe where he found it to be associated with all A. piceae infestations. According to Pschorn-Walcher and Zwölfer (1960), it is one of a group of predators that are usually associated with lower population densities of A. piceae and other related adelgids, rhan are Aphidoletes thompsoni Möhn and Laricobius erichsonii Rosen. Because it is common on adelgid infestations in Europe and because it can easily be reared en masse, large numbers have been released in North America. The purpose of the present paper is to bring together available information on releases, life-history and natural control, and control value of this species, obtained from studies carried out over the past nine years in New Brunswick.


1956 ◽  
Vol 88 (12) ◽  
pp. 678-683 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. R. Brown ◽  
R. C. Clark

The present paper is the second of a series arising from a continuing study of the balsam woolly aphid, Adelges piceae (Ratz.), and its biological control. The history of this introduced insect has been described (Balch, 1952). During the course of our studies a number of records of species associated with A. piceae have been obtained.


1958 ◽  
Vol 90 (11) ◽  
pp. 657-672 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. C. Clark ◽  
N. R. Brown

Laricobius erichsonii Rosen. is one of several species that have been introduced into the Atlantic Provinces since 1933 for the biological control of the balsam woolly aphid, Adelges piceae (Ratz.). This small beetle occurs commonly on A. piceae infestations in Europe where it is one of the more numerous predators of the adelgid (Mesnil, 1950:). Franz (1953) described its range in Europe as from the Italian Alps to near southern Denmark and from Normandy almost to the Carpathian Mountains, srating that its distribution is bound to that of the Coniferae on which its prey live. Franz also described the morphology of all stages in detail and discussed the bionomics and ecology in Europe. Prior to these studies the biology of thc insect was unknown.


1957 ◽  
Vol 89 (9) ◽  
pp. 410-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. C. Smith ◽  
H. C. Coppel

The balsam woolly aphid, Adelges piceae (Ratz.), causes serious damage to balsam fir, Abies balsamea (L.) Mill., in Eastern Canada. It was introduced from Europe before 1900 (Balch, 1952) and has also become established in the northeastern United States. In continental Europe A. piceae is common on Abies alba Mill. but is not so serious a pest as in Canada. It has an extensive complex of insect predators in both Canada (Balch, 1934) and Europe (Delucchi, 1954). Balch (1934, 1952) found those in Canada inadequate as control agents. Some of the predators of Pineus pini Koch and Pineus strobi (Htg.) studied by Wilson (1938) in England, and recommended for introduction to new areas, were imported to Canada and released against A. piceae. Predators were first introdnced from Ensland in 1933 and later from continental Europe beginning in 1951.


1961 ◽  
Vol 93 (3) ◽  
pp. 238-240
Author(s):  
C. F. Nicholls ◽  
G. E. Maybee

Live insects have been shipped from the Belleville laboratory for many years by rail in wooden chests insulated with cork, lined with metal and cooled with natural ice. These chests were cumbersome and had to be re-iced en route or heavy mortality resulted. In 1959, a more reliable method was developed for shipping adult Aphidoletes thompsoni Moehn (Diptera: Cecidomyjidae), a predator of the balsam woolly aphid, Adelges piceae (Ratz.) (Homoptera: Aphididae) by air express. It incorporates the use of a lightweight container and a patented coolant in cans. Although it was developed specifically for A. thompsoni it was also used successfully for shipping other species.


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