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Small hive beetle, Aethina tumida Murray (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), is considered a serious threat to beekeeping in the Western Hemisphere, Australia, and Europe mainly due to larval feeding on honey, pollen, and brood of the European honeybee, Apis mellifera L. Control methods are limited for this pest. Studies were conducted to provide information on the radiobiology of small hive beetle and determine the potential for sterile insect releases as a control strategy. Adult males and females were equally sensitive to a radiation dose of 80 Gy and died within 5-7 d after treatment. In reciprocal crossing studies, irradiation of females only lowered reproduction to a greater extent than irradiation of males only. For matings between unirradiated males and irradiated females, mean reproduction was reduced by >99% at 45 and 60 Gy compared with controls, and no larvae were produced at 75 Gy. Irradiation of prereproductive adults of both sexes at 45 Gy under low oxygen (1-4%) caused a high level of sterility (>99%) while maintaining moderate survivorship for several weeks, and should suffice for sterile insect releases. Sterile insect technique holds potential for suppressing small hive beetle populations in newly invaded areas and limiting its spread. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Export of Citrus spp. fruits may require risk mitigation measures if grown in areas with established tephritid fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) populations capable of infesting the fruits. The host status of Citrus spp. fruits is unclear for two tephritid fruit fly species whose geographic ranges have expanded in recent years: melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Cocquillett), and Bactrocera latifrons (Hendel). In no choice cage infestation studies, B. latifrons oviposited into intact and punctured Washington navel oranges (Citrussinensis [L.] Osbeck) and Clementine tangerines (C. reticulata L. var. Clementine), but eggs rarely developed to the adult stage. B. cucurbitae readily infested intact and punctured tangerines, and to a lesser extent punctured oranges, but did not infest intact oranges. Limited cage infestation and only a single literature report of field Citrus spp. infestation suggest that risk mitigation of Citrus spp. for B. latifrons is not needed. Risk mitigation options of Citrus spp. for B. cucurbitae, including heat and cold treatments and systems approaches, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on an experimental study for rearing wild Tephritid fruit flies. It discusses the use of two protocols, one is the screen method and other is the diet method for rearing the melon flies Bactrocera Cucurbitae. The effects of two methods on mean pupal weight, yield and quality of the flies are reported. The study shows higher numbers of higher-quality flies are produced from the diet method as compared to screen method.

Hawaii is a pioneer in the use of phytosanitary irradiation. Irradiation is an approved treatment to control quarantine insect pests in 17 fruits and 7 vegetables for export from Hawaii to the US mainland. The commercial X-ray irradiation facility, Hawaii Pride LLC, has been shipping tropical fruits and vegetables to the US mainland using irradiation since 2000. Hawaiian purple sweet potato is the highest volume product with annual exports of more than 12 million lbs (5,500 tonnes). The advent of generic radiation treatments for tephritid fruit flies (150 Gy) and other insects (400 Gy) has accelerated commodity export approvals and facilitated adoption by foreign trading partners. Current impediments to wider adoption include the labeling requirement, the 1 kGy limit for fresh horticultural products, and non-acceptance of phytosanitary irradiation in Japan and the European Union. USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has restricted the use of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) for irradiated fresh fruits exported to the US due to possible increased radio-tolerance in the target insects. Data are presented for response of melon fly in papaya to several types of MAP with radiation treatment at 45-65 Gy. Low oxygen atmospheres can increase insect radio-tolerance, but the effect is dependent on oxygen concentration and radiation dose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Hawaii is a pioneer in the use of phytosanitary irradiation. The commercial X-ray irradiation facility, Hawaii Pride LLC, has been shipping papaya and other tropical fruits and vegetables to the United States mainland using irradiation for 11 years. Irradiation is an approved treatment to control quarantine pests in 17 fruits and 7 vegetables for export from Hawaii to the US mainland. Hawaiian purple sweet potato is the highest volume product with annual exports of more than 12millionlbs (5500t). The advent of generic radiation treatments for tephritid fruit flies (150Gy) and other insects (400Gy) will accelerate commodity export approvals and facilitate worldwide adoption. Lowering doses for specific pests and commodities can lower treatment costs and increase capacity owing to shorter treatment times, and will minimize any quality problems. Current impediments to wider adoption include the 1kGy limit for fresh horticultural products, the labeling requirement, and non-acceptance of phytosanitary irradiation in Japan, the European Union, and elsewhere. Irradiation has potential as a treatment for unregulated imports to prevent new pest incursions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Pre-introductory host specificity tests were performed with Encarsia diaspidicola, a biological control candidate against the invasive white peach scale, Pseudaulacaspis pentagona. False oleander scale, P. cockerelli, coconut scale, Aspidiotus destructor, cycad scale, Aulacaspis yasumatsui, greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum, green scale, Coccus viridis, and long-tailed mealybug, Pseudococcus longispinus were tested in quarantine using traditional no-choice tests and examined for wasp emergence. The Hawaiian endemic palm scale, Colobopyga pritchardiae was also tested using no-choice tests and evaluated using species-specific molecular markers. All tests used unexposed non-target cohorts and no-choice exposure of white peach scale to the parasitoid as controls. None of the non-target exotic species yielded wasp emergence, and exposure to wasps had no effect on the mortality of the non-target species examined. Molecular tests with the endemic palm scale showed no evidence of parasitism by E. diaspidicola. These results strongly support that E. diaspidicola has a narrow host range and that its release in Hawaii will have negligible risk of non-target effects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Nezara viridula L. (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is a serious pest of macadamia nuts, Macadamia integrifolia, in Hawaii. Using ruthenium red dye to stain stink bug feeding probes, feeding activity was determined for nuts of various maturity levels harvested from the tree and off the ground throughout the growing season in five commercial cultivars. Damage occurred in the tree and on the ground during all nut growth stages. Damage on the ground was often higher than in the tree. Cultivar 246 was more susceptible to attack than cultivars 333 and 800. It was previously thought that cultivar susceptibility was related to husk and shell thickness, but cultivar 246 showed higher damage than other cultivars even during early nut development when the nuts are small and before the shell has formed. This suggests that shell and husk thickness may play a secondary role in susceptibility to feeding by N. viridula. Monitoring N. vividula feeding activity during early nut development may help alert growers to potential problems later in the season, but early-season probing activity in immature nuts was not a good predictor of damage levels in mature nuts later in the season in our study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tests were conducted to determine the potential for high hydrostatic pressure (HPP) to control codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), and western cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis indifferen.s Curran. Apples (Malus spp.) with codling moth larvae or eggs were treated at 24 and 72 h, respectively, after infestation at a series of pressures between 14,000 and 26,000 pounds per inch² (psi). Survivorship was determined the next day for larvae and after 10 d for eggs. Codling moth eggs were more tolerant of HPP treatment than larvae. Mortality of larvae was 97% at 22,000 psi, whereas mortality of eggs at this dose was 29% and not significantly different from the untreated controls. In a second study, no codling moth eggs hatched at any high pressure treatment between 30,000 and 80,000 psi, indicating these pressures were lethal. Various stages of western cherry fruit fly were treated at pressures from 10,000 to 45,000 psi, and survivorship was determined after 24 h. Eggs and third instars were more tolerant of HPP than the first and second instars. Mortality was 100% in western cherry fruit fly eggs and larvae at pressures ≥25,000 psi. Apple and sweet cherry quality after high pressure treatment was poor, but high pressure may have applications to control quarantine pests in other fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential for classical biological control to cause unintended harm to native species was evaluated in the case of the endemic Hawaiian koa bug,Coleotichus blackburniaeWhite (Hemiptera: Scutelleridae), and parasitoids introduced to Hawaii for control of an agricultural pest, the southern green stink bug,Nezara viridula(L.) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). Parasitism ofC. blackburniaeeggs, nymphs and adults by biocontrol agents was quantified across a wide range of habitats and compared to other sources of mortality. Egg mortality due to the biocontrol agentTrissolcus basalisWollaston (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) was low (maximum 26%) and confined to elevations below 500 m on a single host plant. Predation, mainly by alien spiders and ants, was the greatest source of egg mortality (maximum 87%). Parasitism of adultC. blackburniaeby the biocontrol agentTrichopoda pilipes(F.) (Diptera: Tachinidae) was near zero at 21 of 24 sites surveyed. Three sites with high bug density had higher levels ofT. pilipesparasitism, reaching maxima of 70% among adult female bugs, 100% among males and 50% among fifth instars. Male-biased parasitism indicated thatT. pilipesis adapted to using male aggregation pheromone for findingC. blackburniaehosts. The relative impacts of biocontrol agents and other sources of mortality were compared using life tables. Invasive species, particularly generalist egg predators, had the greatest impacts onC. blackburniaepopulations. Effects of intentionally introduced parasitoids were relatively minor, although the tachinidT. pilipesshowed potential for large impacts at individual sites. In retrospect, non-target attacks by biological control agents onC. blackburniaewere predictable, but the environmental range and magnitude of impacts would have been difficult to foresee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytosanitary or quarantine treatments are often required to disinfest host commodities of economically important arthropod pests before they are moved through market channels to areas where the pest does not occur. Irradiation is an accepted treatment to control quarantine pests in 10 fruits and five vegetables for export from Hawaii to the US mainland. Irradiation is the ideal technology for developing generic quarantine treatments because it is effective against most insect and mite pests at dose levels that do not affect the quality of most commodities. A generic dose of 150 Gy has been proposed for tephritid fruit flies. Contrary to the 150 Gy dose, approved irradiation quarantine treatment doses for Mediterranean fruit fly, melon fly, and oriental fruit fly in Hawaii are 210–250 Gy. Irradiation studies were conducted to determine if the approved doses were unnecessarily high and could be reduced. Irradiation is also a viable alternative to methyl bromide fumigation to disinfest Hawaii sweetpotatoes, and studies are in progress to identify an effective dose for two key sweetpotato insect pests. Results indicate that irradiation doses <150 Gy will control Hawaii''s fruit flies, which supports the proposed generic dose. The idea of generic doses is appealing because it would greatly accelerate the process of approving irradiation quarantine treatments for specific crops, and thereby rapidly expand exports. Preliminary results show that 250–300 Gy will control Hawaii''s sweetpotato pests. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Simple Summary: Tephritid fruit flies are major economic pests for fruit production and impede international trade. Different host fruits are known to vary in their suitability for fruit flies to complete their life cycle. International regulatory standards that define the legal host status for tephritid fruit flies categorize fruits as a natural host, a conditional host, or a nonhost. For those fruits that are natural or conditional hosts, infestation rate can vary as a spectrum ranging from highly attractive fruits supporting large numbers of fruit flies to very poor hosts supporting low numbers. Finger lime, Citrus australasica, is a new crop in Hawai'i, and no information existed on its susceptibility to Hawai'i's tephritid fruit fly pests. Host status testing was conducted using no-choice cage tests and field collections. Ceratitis capitata and Zeugodacus cucurbitae readily oviposited into finger limes, but individuals rarely developed to the pupal or adult stage. Finger lime was not infested by Bactrocera dorsalis and is probably a nonhost. For export, a postharvest treatment may still be required despite the very low infestation rate. Heat treatment, irradiation, and a systems approach are options to reduce the risk of exporting tephritid fruit flies in Hawai'i finger limes. We examined the host status of the Australian finger lime, Citrus australiasica F. Muell. (Rutaceae), to Hawai'i's tephritid fruit fly pests using laboratory and field studies. In high-density (500 flies, 1:1 males and females) no-choice cage exposures (25 × 25 × 25-cm cage size), both undamaged and punctured finger limes were infested by Ceratitis capitata and Zeugodacuscucurbitae at a low rate compared to papaya controls, whereas Bactrocera dorsalis did not infest undamaged fruit, suggesting finger lime is a nonhost. In low-density (50 females) no-choice cage exposures, C. capitata and Z. cucurbitae readily oviposited in undamaged fruit but individuals rarely developed to the pupal or adult stage. For C. capitata, 274 finger limes exposed to 2000 gravid females, which laid an estimated 14,384 eggs, produced two pupae and no adults. For Z. cucurbitae, 299 fruit exposed to 2000 gravid females, which laid an estimated 4484 eggs, produced four pupae and one adult. Field sampling of undamaged fruit from the tree and off the ground from commercial farms produced five C. capitata pupa and one adult from 1119 fruit, for an infestation rate of 0.05 flies per kilogram of fruit; field collections found no natural Z. cucurbitae or B. dorsalis infestation, but the number of fruit available was too low to demonstrate nonhost status with a high degree of confidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) (Sapinadeae) fruit, a nutritional staple in Hawaii, exhibits desiccation and physiological browning soon after harvest, and methods to prolong shelf life may be commercially advantageous. In this study, freshly harvested fruit were treated with pectin coatings with or without trans-cinnamaldehyde (TCIN) and stored at 10 °C or 20 °C (room temperature) to evaluate postharvest quality attributes. Control fruit were treated with deionized water only. To find the best formulation of the coatings, three concentrations of TCIN were incorporated into a pectin solution to get 0.05% TCIN, 0.1% TCIN, and 0.2% TCIN coatings. At 0, 2, 4, and 6 days postharvest, fruit stored at 20°C were evaluated for weight loss, firmness, pericarp browning, sugar, acid, and taste. The results showed that the 0.1% TCIN coating exhibited significantly lower weight loss than both control and the 0.2% TCIN coating through the entire storage time at 20°C. The 0.1% TCIN coating–treated fruit were significantly firmer than control after 4 days of storage at 20°C. The 0.1% TCIN coating also significantly reduced the pericarp browning over the control. Therefore, we selected 0.1% TCIN coating for fruit storage at 10°C for up to 15 days. At 10°C, the control fruit showed significantly higher pericarp browning than all TCIN-containing coated fruit. The 0.1% TCIN-treated fruit showed a significantly higher overall quality value than control fruit. The results indicate that the 0.1% TCIN coating may extend the commercial shelf life of rambutans and other perishable fruits. By extending shelf life, this coating can reduce postharvest losses and facilitate expanded fruit exports in Hawaii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insect pests of stored products such as the rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae can be controlled in bulk and packaged grains by ionizing radiation (γ-radiation or X-ray radiation) and plant essential oils, used in combination or alone, as an alternative to standard chemical fumigantion. Irradiation source and dose rate may be factors influencing the efficacy of plant essential oils. We evaluated the effects of γ-radiation at three dose rates (10.445, 4.558, and 0.085 kGy/h) and X-ray irradiation at two dose rates (0.76 and 0.19 kGy/h) in combination with Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globules) or Tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) essential oil (EO) on the short-term mortality of S. oryzae. Adult weevils on rice in sealed Petri dishes were fumigated with 10 μL EO applied to a sponge then irradiated with a dose of 100, 250, 500, or 750 Gy. The combined treatment of Eucalyptus or Tea tree EOs with γ-irradiation or X-ray irradiation increased the mortality by 3–6 times as compared to irradiation treatment alone. The LD 90 (predicted dose killing 90% of individuals) values for Eucalyptus EO plus γ-irradiation treated samples were 250.6, 252.8, and 522.4 Gy at dose rates of 10.445, 4.558, and 0.085 kGy/h, respectively, whereas the LD 90 values for Tea tree EO plus γ-irradiation were similar (250.1, 255.07, and 574.3 Gy) when treated at dose rate of 10.445, 4.558, and 0.085 kGy/h dose rates, respectively. The lowest dose rate of γ-irradiation had the lowest efficacy in the combined treatment for both EOs. For the combined treatment of Eucalyptus or Tea tree EO with X-ray irradiation, LD 90 values were 746.02 and 737.1 Gy with Eucalyptus EO and 632.03 and 615.5 Gy with Tea tree EO, at dose rates of 0.76 and 0.19 kGy/h, respectively. Overall, combined treatment LD 90 values were significantly higher (less effective treatment) for X-ray than for γ-irradiation. Unlike γ-irradiation, the dose rate of X-ray irradiation did not affect efficacy in the combined treatments. Gamma or X-ray irradiation and plant EOs such as Eucalyptus or Tea tree EOs applied alone or in combination, are effective insecticidal treatments. The synergistic effects of irradiation and EOs may be source and dose rate dependent. Our results showed that synergistic effects with EOs against S. oryzae in rice was more effective (lower LD 90 values) using higher dose rates of high energy γ-irradiation than at lower dose rates with either high energy γ-irradiation or low energy X-ray irradiation. • Effects of γ-radiation and X-ray with essential oil on the mortality of S. oryzae was studied. • Adult weevils on rice in Petri dishes were fumigated with 10 μL EO and then irradiated. • The combined treatment of EOs with irradiation increased the mortality by 3–6 times. • Combined treatment LD 90 values were significantly higher for X-ray than for γ-irradiation. • The synergistic effects of irradiation and EOs may be source and dose rate dependent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]