Applied Entomological Research

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Applied Entomological Research
at the University of Wyoming
Alexandre Latchininsky Assistant
Professor/Extension Entomologist Dept. of
Renewable Resources
Weed Pest Conference Casper, November 9, 2006
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Rangeland grasshopper management
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• RAATs became a USDA-APHIS treatment option under
  the 2002 EIS.
• In 2000-2006, RAATs approach was used in 10
  western states.

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ATV-RAATsNorth Dakota Experience 2004

• Dimilin cost was 179.70 per gallon
• One gallon treats 256 RAATS acres 70
  cents/RAATs acre
• Sevin XLR Plus was 29.11 per gallon. One
  gallon treats 17 RAATs acres 1.71 /RAATs acre

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Refining RAATs New Products?
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Pyriproxyfen (Knack) Grasshopper Efficacy Trials
2006
Pyriproxyfen is an Insect Growth Regulator -
juvenile hormone mimic
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Corrected Mortality in 2006 Trials
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CONCLUSIONS

• Grasshopper densities were not reduced below the
  economic threshold in any plot treated with
  pyriproxyfen, either the Knack or ULV
  pyriproxyfen formulation.
• At the 21 and 28 d sampling period some treated
  grasshoppers exhibited both juvenile and adult
  characteristics (sublethal effect).
• This suggests that 30 g of active ingredient per
  acre rate may be too low to be effective on
  rangeland grasshoppers.

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Grasshopper Biological Control
Pathogens Weapons of the future?
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Beauveria bassiana

• A fungal pathogen naturally occurring in soil
• Acts by contact and causes disease White
  muscardine and eventually death of grasshoppers
• Strain GHA isolated from Montana grasshoppers
• Mass production and commercialization by
  EmeraldBio (USA) sold in 2005 to Laverlam S.A.
  (Columbia)
• Liquid formulation of spores in oil Mycotrol O

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Beauveria bassianaMycotrol O
PROS Liquid formulation of spores in
oil gt70 control in 14 days (lab) Safety
(humans and wildlife) Controls other
pests CONS Reliability (condition dependent
needs moisture) Inconsistent efficacy
(good infection rate but not sufficient
kill) Cost (gt20 per acre)
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Irrigated pastures in Fremont Co., WY
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Pre-treatment densities 23-44 gh/square m
Camnula pellucida
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ATV plot size 20 ac 50 coverage Date 23 June 2004
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GRASSHOPPER MORTALITY, EMULSIFIED SOYBEAN OIL
ADJUVANT
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Mycotrol O treatment How much does it cost?

Mycotrol price 100/gal gt dose rate 1qt/ac gt
25/ac Oil carrier price 20/gal gt dose rate
½ qt/ac gt 2.50/ac Total cost of the
product 27.50/ac cost of treatment
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Conclusions

• Beauveria has high infection rate, provoking
  mycoses in grasshoppers
• However, grasshopper mortality is less than
  optimal
• Applied at recommended rates, Beauveria
  treatment is very costly
• Such organic treatment might represent an
  alternative to synthetic insecticides in
  certain situations (e.g., ecologically
  sensitive areas)

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Acknowledgments
Funding EPA/IR-4 grant Fremont County Weed and
Pest Council

Special thanks Luke Oestman (UW) Lars Baker
and Nancy Webber (Fremont Co. WP)
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Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridumGreen
Muscle

• Very high specificity against grasshoppers
• Commercially produced by CABI (U.K.)
• Awaiting EPA permit to use the South African
  isolate for field trials in collaboration with
  USDA-ARS (most probably, in 2008)

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Recent Grasshopper Publications
Wyoming Grasshopper Field Guide
Western Pest Grasshopper Poster
Available free of charge from UW-CES Bulletin
Office Dee Bixby 766-2115 bixbyd_at_uwyo.edu
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National Exhibition of Land Grant Universities at
Capitol Hill, 2005
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Other rangeland pests
Black Grass Bugs
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• Conclusions from MSU study
• BGB damage reduced percent crude protein and
  increased ADF and NDF related to forage protein,
  digestibility and ruminant intake, respectively.
• Grazing management reduced black grass bug
  densities. Black Grass Bug abundances were
  clearly lowest in the most heavily-grazing plots.
  Because the sites had been grazed in the same
  manner since 1993, this suggests that there were
  carry-over effects from grazing between years.

IPM Strategy for Sustainable Black Grass Bug
Management in Wyoming Grasslands Enrolled in
Conservation Reserve Program proposal submitted
to UW AES Competitive Grants Program
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Mosquito research
Utilizing Stable Isotopes in Determining the
Larval Development Sites of Adult Mosquitoes
Project by Travis Gilchriest, M.S. Candidate
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The Question

• Where are adults emerging in relation to trap
  location?
• Are they derived primarily from nearby habitats
  or are they migrants?
• What distances will adults fly from larval
  development sites?

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Objectives

• Demonstrate the viability of stable isotope
  analysis as a tool in mosquito population studies
• Investigate distribution dynamics of mosquito
  populations
• Help to shape mosquito control measures for the
  most effective use of resources

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Study Area

• Torrington Goshen Co., WY
• High population of mosquitoes
• Species Culex tarsalis, Aedes vexans
• Agricultural community
• Multiple sources of water for larval habitat
• Control resources are limited

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Approach

• Mark-recapture to determine adult distribution
  patterns
• Label a habitat with 15N marker
• Concentric adult trapping around labeled habitat
• Analyze adults for presence of the marker

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Preliminary Results of the 2005-2006 Studies
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Specimen Collection and Preparation

• Larvae were collected from habitats with standard
  dippers
• Reared in original habitat water to adults in
  emergence chambers
• Ten adults were collect from the emergence
  chambers for each site
• Adults were killed by freezing and oven dried at
  40C
• Samples were submitted for 13C and 15N analysis
  in a Continuous Flow-IRMS

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Alfalfa field
Trash cans
Mosquito Habitats
Pioneer Park
Holly Sugar pond
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Habitat Comparisons (Culex tarsalis)
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Torrington Habitat Stats

• d13C and d15N isotopic means (based on ANOVA) for
  various habitats in the Torrington, WY area.
  Post Hoc analysis with Dunnett C.
• Using a Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance due
  to failure of homogeneity of variances
  requirements preventing a one-way ANOVA
• For corrected d13C, plt0.05
• For corrected d15N, plt0.05

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Forest pests
Mountain Pine Beetle Project in Medicine Bow
National Forest Diana Dean, M.S. Candidate
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Attack Frequency

• Lodgepole attack ratio 1 20
• Limber attack ratio 11.8

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MPB Flight 2004 and 2005
2004 Adult MPB started to fly as early as in
mid-May with a peak in early August 2005 Low MPB
numbers compared to 2004, with a peak in late
August
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CAPS Program
ECB was the only target pest found in CAPS traps
in 2005
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UW Arthropod ID Clinic
Objective Provide accurate and timely arthropod
identification to clientele
2003 2004 2005 Samples processed
60 135 221
Contact Scott Schell, Assistant Extension
Entomologist 766-2508 or sschell_at_uwyo.edu
Request arthropod ID through your County
Extension Educators
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Horticultural pests
Cabbage moth caterpillar
Cabbage white butterfly
Thrips damage
Colorado potato beetle
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Available on the web and from UW-CES Bulletin
Office Dee Bixby 766-2115 bixbyd_at_uwyo.edu
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In Preparation
Field Guide to Common Wyoming Butterflies and
Moths The Guide will include pictures of adult
butterflies and caterpillars, and information on
larval food plants, as well as advices on
attracting butterflies to gardens.
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Educational Activities
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UW Entomology Short Course 2006
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UW Entomology Short Course 2006
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UW Entomology Short Course 2006
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UW Entomology Short Course 2006
Whitney Cranshaw, CSU
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Come catch the Entomology Short Course,
2007 What will be covered? General Entomology,
Insect Identification, Arachnids, Biological
Control, Mosquitoes, and more. When is it? The
class will be held on February 6th, 7th, and 8th
(T,W,TR), 2007. We will begin at 1 PM on the
first day, go from 8 to 5 the second day and
release you at noon on the third day. Where is
it? College of Agriculture Building, University
of Wyoming, Laramie, WY. Who teaches it? Dr.
Alex Latchininsky Scott Schell, UW-CES
Extension Entomologists. Plus guest lectures by
other experts in their fields. You will get two
books, a course packet, and 2 hours of college
credit for as little as a 75, if we can get a
minimum of 10 students to attend.
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Grasshopper Management Workshop?
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GRASSHOPPER MANAGEMENT IN WYOMING Train-the-Tr
ainers Workshop presented by Alexandre
Latchininsky and Scott Schell, UW Extension
Entomologists
Sponsored by USDA-APHIS-PPQ
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Flasher, North Dakota Grasshopper Workshop
Tentative Agenda Nov. 30, 2006 Introduction
The 3-Phase Approach to Grasshopper
IPM 1100-1140 Reduced Agent-Area Treatments
Do More with Less 1140-1205 LUNCH BREAK
1205-100 Liquids Old (and New) Reliables and
Their Non-target Effects 100-130 ATV-RAATs
Control for Grasshoppers You Control 130-200
Grazing Management More Grass, Fewer
Grasshoppers 200-210 New-and-Improved CARMA
Is It Worth Treating? 210-220 The Good, the
Bad, and the Ugly Who's Who Among
Grasshoppers 220-300 USDA APHIS PPQ
Organizing a Cooperative Spray Block 300-315 E
valuation of Workshop What We Did
Right/Wrong 315-320
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Wyo WP
Thank You for Your Attention!