In the past we have examined different components (i.e., sunlight protectants, virus enhancers) that would be essential in a viral pesticide formulation. In this study, we investigated the effects of silicon-containing materials (bentonite, diatomeaceous earth, kaolin) on the activity of the gypsy moth nucleopolyhedrovirus LdMNPV, as well as the effect of these materials on the viral enhancement activity of a fluorescent brightener Tinopal LPW. Bentonite (1%), diatomaceous earth (1%), and kaolin (1%) had little effect upon the activity of LdMNPV. Moreover, the addition of bentonite, diatomaceous earth or kaolin to LdMNPV/Tinopal had little effect upon the enhancement activity of Tinopal LPW.

Second-generation neonicotinoid insecticides are being used to protect seeds and seedlings against injury by early season insects on a wide variety of crops. Seed-applied insecticides have recently been commercialized in the USA for early season insect control in corn. The systemic insecticides clothianidin (Poncho®) and thiamethoxam (Cruiser®) applied as seed treatments were evaluated for their effect on corn yield in the absence of noticeable insect attack over a three year period at a number of locations representing diverse growing environments in Kansas. No consistent effect on yield was detected for either compound at either high or low rates in locations where insects were not observed at damaging populations. Controlled-environment studies detected no differences in early season growth in the absence of insect pests in response to the same two rates of both insecticides. Both compounds were evaluated for their effect on early season corn pests and were found to be effective at high and low rates on wireworm, white grub, flea beetles and chinch bugs. Higher rates of both compounds were needed to reduce feeding damage caused by black cutworm. Seed treatments with either compound would be useful where early season pests are chronic problems.

Although stilbene fluorecent brighteners have been demonstrated to increase the susceptibilities of many lepidopterous insects to insect viruses, little information exists on the effects of a brightener on the susceptibility of the codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) and the false codling moth, Cryptophlebia leucotreta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). In the present study, we tested the effects of the fluorescent brightener 28 (UNPA-GX) on increasing of the insects' susceptibility to a granuloviruses. The bioassay tests showed that brightener did not increase the susceptibility of codling moth neonate larvae and false codling moth larvae to the granulovirus (CpGV). The same result was obtained when the false codling moth GV was tested in presence of brightener against its homologous host. In addition, brightener failed to change the susceptibility of the codling moth to ClGV.

In histological sections from the codling moth's midgut, the peritrophic membrane (PM) was found only in the anterior part of the midgut of fifth instar larvae, while the middle and posterior part of the midgut was PM free. Thus, the food and/or virus is in direct contact with the microvilli. No membrane could be detected in the first and third instar larvae. Use of the electron microscope confirmed our findings by light microscope. In contrast, light and electron microscopic examination showed that the PM is much thicker in the turnip cutworm, Agrotis segetum (Denis & Schiff.), larvae and lines the entire midgut.

The present findings may explain why the tortricid species were highly susceptible and could not be enhanced by brightener but susceptibility of the turnip cutworm can be enhanced by brightener.

Identifying cockroach (Order: Blattodea) populations is important to understanding the ability of surrogate species indirectly affecting humans by their ability to vector disease-causing organisms including bacteria. These interactions may have potentially deleterious health consequences on animal and/or human populations. In this study, American cockroaches, Periplaneta americana were sampled from 12 locations throughout College Station, Texas from January through May 2008. Cockroach distribution was examined as well as prevalence of Escherichia coli including the O157:H7 strain and Campylobacter spp. on their external surfaces.

Bacteria isolated from total populations collected indicated a high prevalence (92.3%) of microbes carried on the exoskeleton of P. americana. Gram-negative bacteria acquisition and dissemination of organisms such as E. coli was prevalent throughout the campus. Screening for E. coli O157:H7 and Campylobacter spp. resulted in no positive colony growth. The lack of Campylobacter spp. growth from cuticular surfaces may have resulted from undesirable conditions required to sustain colony growth. Data from this study corroborate the potential ability of cockroaches to mechanically transmit pathogens.

Cochlosoma anatis (Kotlan) is a flagellated protozoan that has been implicated in turkey enteritis. After sequencing and comparing a portion of the C. anatis 16S gene, species specific primers were previously developed and used for polymerase chain reaction detection of C. anatis DNA from house flies within 6 h after the flies had been collected in the field. In this study, filth flies were collected from six turkey production facilities in Arkansas during and between outbreaks of enteritis to determine the role of flies in the spread of C. anatis during 2002, 2003, and 2004 using C. anatis specific primers. Over the 3-yr-period we found that 181/1996 (9.1%) of the house flies collected from the farms were C. anatis-positive. There was a highly significant fly sex × month of collection interaction (X²  =  9.83, df  =  2, P  =  0.0073) indicating that greater percentages of males than females were found to be C. anatis-positive in August and October, 2002, and May and July in 2004 (X²  =  12.84, df  =  2, P  =  0.0016) during enteritis outbreaks. Cocholosoma anatis-positive house flies were collected inside and outside the turkey facilities establishing that they could potentially move the protozoan parasite to or from adjacent poultry facilities on the same farm or to or from other turkey farms in the area.

The olive (Olea europea L.) is characteristic of the culture in the Mediterranean region. Its origins are Anatolian in Turkey and neighboring Syria. Olive trees serve as host to a fairly high number of plant parasitic nematodes in the Mediterranean countries. Several of these nematodes are sedentary endoparasitic forms, which are recognized as pathogens to olives. In this study, records of plant parasitic nematodes associated with olive in Turkey were examined faunistically and taxominically. The records were compiled to create a current record of these fauna of plant parasitic nematodes of olive in Turkey. Their biology, distribution and associated host plants were described. This fauna consists of 19 Tylenchida plant parasitic nematode species. Since Turkish records are scant and poorly documented, this study documents the most current list of these important species.