Invasive Arthropod Pests - Volume II

A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450). This special issue belongs to the section "Insect Pest and Vector Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2023) | Viewed by 8651

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Insect Management and Molecular Diagnostics, USDA-APHIS-PPQ-S&T, 22675 N Moorefield Rd., Edinburg, TX 78541, USA
Interests: invasive species; arthropod invasion; quarantine; virus-vector interactions; acari; molecular diagnostics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
Interests: biological control; invasive species; plant-arthropod interactions; invasive vectors physiology; invasive ants

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Invasive arthropod pests currently constitute a significant threat to food and fiber production and environmental sustainability. Several scientific disciplines synergistically contribute to advancing the understanding of arthropod invasions. The goal of this Second Special Volume is to provide the forum to discuss integrated, strategic, and front-line approaches to predict the potential for invasion (arrival) of, prevent the establishment of (eradication), or manage invasive arthropod pests.

For this issue, we invite authors to present proactive approaches to confronting invasive arthropod pests. We expect this volume to increase awareness of invasive species diversity, the suite of mechanisms and traits that allow them to successfully invade, and the scope of methods employed in their studies. It is essential to identify and evaluate the advantages and pitfalls of the current utilized approaches as well as investigator biases in their selection which could lead to delays in response and irreparable ecosystem damage. Certainly, more scientific expertise is needed globally for method development and integration of efforts to mitigate the negative impacts associated with growing cases of invasions and the subsequent degradation of ecosystems. This work will underscore the necessary skill set of the next generation of entomologists and ecologists facing the challenge of invasive arthropods while identifying common knowledge gaps and opportunities for collaborative research.

Prof. Dr. Jose Carlos Verle Rodrigues
Prof. Dr. Patricia V. Pietrantonio 
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Insects is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • invasive species
  • biological invasions
  • agroenvironmental pests
  • migration
  • behavior
  • modeling
  • population dynamics
  • reproductive physiology
  • chemical ecology
  • biological control
  • pheromones
  • monitoring
  • phenology
  • phytosanitary novel technologies (RF, radiation, plasma)

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 3116 KiB  
Article
Potential Global Invasion Risk of Scale Insect Pests Based on a Self-Organizing Map
by Jun Deng, Junjie Li, Xinrui Zhang, Lingda Zeng, Yanqing Guo, Xu Wang, Zijing Chen, Jiali Zhou and Xiaolei Huang
Insects 2023, 14(7), 572; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14070572 - 21 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1206
Abstract
In the present study, a global presence/absence dataset including 2486 scale insect species in 157 countries was extracted to assess the establishment risk of potential invasive species based on a self-organizing map (SOM). According to the similarities in species assemblages, a risk list [...] Read more.
In the present study, a global presence/absence dataset including 2486 scale insect species in 157 countries was extracted to assess the establishment risk of potential invasive species based on a self-organizing map (SOM). According to the similarities in species assemblages, a risk list of scale insects for each country was generated. Meanwhile, all countries in the dataset were divided into five clusters, each of which has high similarities of species assemblages. For those countries in the same neuron of the SOM output, they may pose the greatest threats to each other as the sources of potential invasive scale insect species, and therefore, require more attention from quarantine departments. In addition, normalized ζi values were used to measure the uncertainty of the SOM output. In total, 9 out of 63 neurons obtained high uncertainty with very low species counts, indicating that more investigation of scale insects should be undertaken in some parts of Africa, Asia and Northern Europe. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Invasive Arthropod Pests - Volume II)
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14 pages, 13979 KiB  
Article
First Record of the Invasive Scale Insect, Pulvinaria hydrangeae Steinweden, 1946 (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) in Romania
by Marius Paraschiv
Insects 2023, 14(4), 345; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14040345 - 31 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1489
Abstract
Over the last few decades, globalization and global trade have increased the risk of the vehiculation of invasive organisms, which has had multiple negative effects, both economic and ecological. Through this study, we aimed to produce a report on the first record of [...] Read more.
Over the last few decades, globalization and global trade have increased the risk of the vehiculation of invasive organisms, which has had multiple negative effects, both economic and ecological. Through this study, we aimed to produce a report on the first record of the invasive scale insect Pulvinaria hydrangeae (Stein. 1946) in Brașov County in central Romania. It was found on two native tree species: sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) and linden (Tilia cordata). In this paper, we (i) highlight the list of possible hosts, (ii) provide a general outlook on infestations and (iii) review the control options for this particular pest. Because early detection and quick reporting are the most important actions in the successful management of invasive species, in general, we also provide a synthetic morphological description of the adult female specimens and ovisacs. Due to natural occurrence, our findings highlight the potential risks posed by the infestation of this insect to native tree species belonging to the Acer and Tilia genera. Because of the temperate climate in Romania and the fact that females are wingless, the new infestations will probably be made through the vehiculation of infested plants, rather than through natural spreading. However, because of global warming, the chances of this species surviving during the winter are likely to increase, making northern expansion of the cottony hydrangea scale feasible. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Invasive Arthropod Pests - Volume II)
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12 pages, 2233 KiB  
Article
Factors Guiding the Orientation of Nymphal Spotted Lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula
by Miriam F. Cooperband, Jacob D. Wickham and Melissa L. Warden
Insects 2023, 14(3), 279; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14030279 - 11 Mar 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1773
Abstract
A mark–release–recapture experiment was conducted to evaluate the orientation of spotted lanternfly (SLF) Lycorma delicatula White (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) nymphs when released equidistant between two trees. The experiment was repeated weekly for eight weeks in a heavily infested area with mature tree-of-heaven Ailanthus altissima [...] Read more.
A mark–release–recapture experiment was conducted to evaluate the orientation of spotted lanternfly (SLF) Lycorma delicatula White (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) nymphs when released equidistant between two trees. The experiment was repeated weekly for eight weeks in a heavily infested area with mature tree-of-heaven Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle (Sapindales: Simaroubaceae) planted in rows as ornamental street trees in Beijing, China. One tree in each pair received a methyl salicylate lure, and the lure was rotated between trees every week as it aged. Two additional independent variables for each tree were also analyzed: size and SLF population density. Marked–released SLF significantly chose trees with higher SLF population density over trees with lower density populations, and they also chose larger trees significantly more than smaller trees. Population density and tree size were better predictors of attraction than lures, but when those factors were controlled, SLF significantly chose trees with methyl salicylate lures over control trees for the first 4 weeks of lure life. Wild SLF distribution was assessed weekly, revealing strong aggregation in first and second instars that diminished with development to the third and fourth instars. Thus, nymphal SLF aggregate, and orientation is strongly guided by the presence of other SLF and tree size. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Invasive Arthropod Pests - Volume II)
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14 pages, 2077 KiB  
Article
Synergistic Effect of Cold Treatment Combined with Ethyl Formate Fumigation against Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae)
by Jong-Chan Jeon, Hyun-Kyung Kim, Hyun-Na Koo, Bong-Su Kim, Jeong-Oh Yang and Gil-Hah Kim
Insects 2022, 13(8), 664; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13080664 - 22 Jul 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1451
Abstract
Drosophila suzukii is a quarantine pest that is rapidly spreading in berries. This study evaluated the synergistic effect of combination treatment with ethyl formate (EF) and cold temperature for D. suzukii control on imported grapes. A higher insecticidal effect was observed at 1 [...] Read more.
Drosophila suzukii is a quarantine pest that is rapidly spreading in berries. This study evaluated the synergistic effect of combination treatment with ethyl formate (EF) and cold temperature for D. suzukii control on imported grapes. A higher insecticidal effect was observed at 1 °C than at 5 °C at all developmental stages, and the pupal stage showed the strongest tolerance to cold temperature. After EF fumigation alone, eggs showed the highest tolerance at 216.67 mg·h/L (LCT99 value), and adults showed the highest susceptibility at <27.24 mg·h/L. Among the combination treatment methods, cold temperature after fumigation resulted in the best synergistic effect. The effect of this combination was significant, with 23.3% higher mortality for eggs, 22.4% for larvae, and 23.4% for pupae than observed with EF fumigation alone. Furthermore, the period of complete D. suzukii control in the 12 L desiccator was shorter in the combination treatment group at the LCT80 value than at the LCT50 value of the egg stage. EF showed a very high sorption rate (24%) after 4 h of exposure at a grape loading ratio of 15% in a 0.65 m3 fumigation chamber. As the grape loading ratio for combination treatment decreased, D. suzukii mortality increased, but when EF was administered at the LCT80 value, there was little difference in the mortalities of the eggs and larvae but not the pupae. All D. suzukii developmental stages were completely controlled within 7 days after combination treatment, and phytotoxicity was not observed in grapes. These results suggest that the combination of cold-temperature treatment and EF fumigation could be used for D. suzukii control. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Invasive Arthropod Pests - Volume II)
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Review

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25 pages, 444 KiB  
Review
Overview of Updated Control Tactics for Western Flower Thrips
by Daniel Rodríguez and Ericsson Coy-Barrera
Insects 2023, 14(7), 649; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14070649 - 20 Jul 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1944
Abstract
Frankliniella occidentalis Pergande (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), broadly known as Western flower thrips (WFT), are currently one of the most critical pests worldwide in field and greenhouse crops, and their management is full of yet unsolved challenges derived from their high reproductive potential, cryptic habit, [...] Read more.
Frankliniella occidentalis Pergande (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), broadly known as Western flower thrips (WFT), are currently one of the most critical pests worldwide in field and greenhouse crops, and their management is full of yet unsolved challenges derived from their high reproductive potential, cryptic habit, and ability to disperse. The control of this pest relies widely on chemical control, despite the propensity of the species to develop resistance. However, significant advances have been produced through biological and ethological control. Although there has recently been a remarkable amount of new information regarding the management of this pest worldwide, there is no critical analysis of recent developments and advances in the attractive control tactics for WFT, constituting the present compilation’s aim. Hence, this narrative review provides an overview of effective control strategies for managing thrips populations. By understanding the pest’s biology, implementing monitoring techniques, accurately identifying the species, and employing appropriate control measures, farmers and researchers can mitigate the WFT impact on agricultural production and promote sustainable pest management practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Invasive Arthropod Pests - Volume II)
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