Sirex noctilio F. (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) is a major exotic pest of pines (Pinus spp.) in the Southern Hemisphere and has become established in northeastern North America. We investigated the suitability of bolts of six economically and ecologically important U.S. pine species grown in the southeastern United States, including eastern white (P. strobus L.), loblolly (P. taeda L.), longleaf (P. palustris Miller), shortleaf (P. echinata Miller), slash (P. elliottii Engelmann), and Virginia (P. virginiana Miller) pines and its native Eurasian host, Scots pine (P. sylvestris L.), for S. noctilio reproduction. The properties of wood and resin of different pine species were also analyzed for possible correlates to S. noctilio's colonization and reproductive success on bolts. Sirex noctilio completed development on bolts within 4 mo of oviposition activities. Among the seven pine species, S. noctilio completed development in eastern white, Scots, and Virginia pines. Females tended to drill less on bolts with higher area and density of resin canals, as well as higher first 10-ring and radial stripspecific gravity. The resin of eastern white and Virginia pines had distinct extractive profiles, and eastern white pine may have two 3-carene chemotypes in the southeastern region.

The ovipositional preference of Bagrada hilaris (Burmeister) was evaluated, and egg extraction methods from soil were compared. In a choice test between soil, plant material, and exposed plastic surfaces, females laid eggs only in the soil. Significantly more eggs were deposited in dry soil than in most soil. A significant preference for ovipositional depth within the soil was found, with the greatest proportion of eggs laid in the upper one-third (i.e., 0–0.4 cm) of the soil. Two egg extraction methods (i.e., wash and flotation) were compared for effectiveness, sampling time, and cost of setup. The wash method consisted of two types (wash methods 1 and 2, with or without a paint strainer, respectively), whereas the flotation method consisted of several solutions. The wash method (both types combined) was more effective in egg extraction than the flotation method from both small and large volume samples, but the two types differed from each other; method 1 had a higher recovery rate than method 2 for small soil volumes but a lower recovery rate than method 2 for large volumes. Total sampling time was shorter for the wash method than the flotation method and less expensive.

Sap beetles, Carpophilus spp. (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), damage peach fruit leading to the need for efficacious control measures. We assayed different species and strains of entomopathogenic nematodes (Heterorhabditis bacteriophora Vs strain, H. indica HOM1 strain, H. megidis UK211 strain, Steinernema carpocapsae All strain, S. feltiae Sn strain, and S. riobrave 355 strain) against larval Carpophilus spp. and insecticides (microbialbased Grandevo^® and Venerate^™ bioinsecticides, along with the synthetic thiamethoxam, acetamiprid, indoxacarb, β-cyfluthrin, clothianidin, carbaryl, chlorantraniliprole, fenpropathrin, spinetoram, phosmet, malathion, and imidacloprid) against adult Carpophilus spp. in the laboratory. All entomopathogenic nematodes assayed caused significantly higher larval mortality than the control. How the insecticides were presented to the adult beetles affected whether beetles were rated as nonfeeding (dead+moribund). Fewer insecticides were active against the adults when applied to filter paper than when applied to a plug of pear that beetles fed upon. Overall, indoxacarb and phosmet provided consistently better control, regardless of the exposure method. These two insecticides, with different modes of action, also have a 14-d preharvest interval when used on peach, making it imperative to detect these pests well before harvest. Chlorantraniliprole and the microbial-based products had no effect on adult beetles regardless of the exposure method.

With the resurgence and increase in infestations of the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius L. (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), across the world, there has been renewed interest in molecular research on this pest. In this paper, we present current information on the biology, medical importance, management practices, behavior and physiology, and molecular research conducted on bed bugs. The majority of molecular studies are focused towards understanding the molecular mechanism of insecticide resistance. Bed bugs are hematophagous insects with no prior record of vectoring any disease organisms. An improved understanding of how bed bugs lack vector competency may provide information to prevent disease transmission in other hematophagous insects. The genome of bed bugs has been sequenced, and genomic studies may provide a better understanding of bed bug behavior that might be utilized in developing effective management strategies. Recently, with the advancement of RNA interference (RNAi) as a tool to suppress insects, a few RNAi studies have been conducted in bed bugs. RNAi in bed bugs shows potential to suppress populations in laboratory conditions. However, delivery of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) into bed bugs under field condition requires extensive research.

The wireworm, Melanotus communis (Gyllenhal), and the white grub, Cyclocephala parallela Casey, are important pests of Florida sugarcane. The objective of this study was to determine the orientation of fed and starved M. communis and C. parallela larvae to ethanol concentrations in soil. Tests were conducted in rectangular glass containers and circular aluminum containers containing sandy soil and marked off into zones with and without ethanol. Insects were held 48 h in containers and insect movement among zones recorded. At a high ethanol concentration (10 ml ethanol/860 cm³ soil), both species became comatose, negating any measurement of movement. However, at a low ethanol concentration (2.5 ml ethanol/860 cm³ soil), both species were attracted to ethanol in the soil.

The boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis grandis Boheman (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), once the dominant pest of cotton (Gossypium spp.) in the United States, is now the most serious pest of South American cotton. Despite eradication efforts in the United States, intractable populations in southern Texas and northern Mexico remain a threat to adjoining regions. A key to eliminating this pest from the subtropics may lie in better understanding mechanisms facilitating survival through the non–cotton season. We examined the diapause response to diet regimes by evaluating the influences of food type (square, boll), size, and replacement interval, under photoperiod (13:11 [L:D] h) and temperature conditions (29.4°C) considered to suppress diapause. Female weevils exhibited diapause characters earlier than did males on all diets, and physiological status was not reliably evaluated until adults were 9 d old. When squares fed to groups of weevils were replaced thrice weekly, most weevils responded with symptoms of starvation instead of diapause. In other feeding regimes, incidence of diapause increased with increasing food development, which may reflect the weevil perception of host maturity. These results are consistent with accounts of seasonality of diapause and host utilization in the subtropics and tropics, as well as accounts of lateseason weevil ecology in temperate regions prior to the widespread adoption of mechanized harvest and determinant cotton cultivars. These findings, combined with earlier demonstrations of extended host-free longevity and lack of a photoperiod response, identify food characteristics as important determinants of boll weevil reproductive diapause irrespective of other environmental cues.

Galleria mellonella L. larvae were reared on a standard artificial diet amended with various concentrations (0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0%) of the aminocoumarin DNA gyrase inhibitor antibiotic drug novobiocin. The effects of the inhibitor on survival and development of the larvae were measured. Survival rates for 7th instars, pupae, and emerging adults were 90.0%, 86.2%, and 76.2%, respectively, in the control diet. These rates were decreased to 15.0%, 7.5%, and 6.2% for larvae fed the diet with the highest novobiocin concentration (2.0%). High concentrations of the antibiotic caused prolongation in the larval, pupal, and adult developmental periods. Our results indicate that this gyrase inhibitor can be used as dietary additive in artificial rearing of G. mellonella when its concentrations are ascertained.

Thesquash bug, Anasa tristis (DeGeer), is an indigenous pest of squash, Cucurbita pepo L., and other cucurbits. Geocoris punctipes (Say) adults were collected from stands of mixed grasses in Spalding County, GA, held without food for 24 h, and presented A. tristis eggs, first instars, or second instars in no-choice tests. Consumption of first and second instars was significantly greater by females than by males. Egg consumption was very low with no difference between males and females (P > 0.05). Male G. punctipes consumed a range of 0 to 3 first-instar squash bugs, 0 to 6 second-instar squash bugs, and 0 eggs during the 72-h exposure. Females consumed a range of 0 to 10 first-instar squash bugs, 0 to 10 second-instar squash bugs, and a range of 0 to 1 eggs. Male G. punctipes consumed on average 1.08 ± 0.24 first-instar squash bugs, 1.68 ± 0.41 second-instar squash bugs, and 0 eggs during the 72-h exposure. Females consumed on average 4.12 ± 0.56 first-instar squash bugs, 4.28 ± 0.56 second-instar squash bugs, and 0.12 ± 0.06 eggs. Background mortality for first and second instars was similar and exceeded that for eggs in control, male, and female trials. Previous research demonstrated seasonal overlap in squash bug nymphs and G. punctipes occurrence. These data suggest that G. punctipes can contribute to the suppression of early-season squash bug populations.