Parasitoids of the Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) species complex collected in Spain and Thailand were evaluated as biological control agents of B. tabacibiotype B in cole crops in Texas, USA. Parasitoids were identified by morphological and RAPD–PCR analyses. The most abundant parasitoid from Spain was Eretmocerus mundus Mercet with apparent field parasitism of 39–44%. In Thailand, Encarsia formosa Gahan, E. transvena Timberlake, E. adrianaeLopez-Avila, Eretmocerus sp. 1 and sp. 2 emerged, with apparent field parasitism of 1–65%. Identification and molecular classification of B. tabaciassociated with parasitoid collections and in the release site in Texas were accomplished using morphological traits and nucleotide sequence comparison of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene (COI) (700–720 bp). Collections of B. tabacifrom Thailand grouped separately from B types from Arizona and Florida and the target B type from Texas, USA, a cluster from India, and other New World B. tabaci. The Spanish B. tabaci host of E. mundus which was laboratory and field-tested to achieve biological control of the B type was most closely related to non-B type B. tabaci populations from Spain and Sudan, the latter which formed a second group within the larger clade that also contained the B type cluster. Laboratory tests indicated that E. mundus from Spain parasitized more B. tabaci type B than did Eretmocerus spp. native to Texas and other exotic parasitoids evaluated. Eretmocerus mundus from Spain also successfully parasitized B. tabaci type B when field-released in a 0.94 million ha test area in Texas, and has significantly enhanced control of B. tabaci type B in California, USA. In contrast, parasitoids from Thailand failed to establish in the field in Texas, collectively suggesting a positive correlation between the centres of diversity of compatible parasitoid–host complexes.

The biology and host range of the two root-mining weevils Diplapion confluensKirby and Coryssomerus capucinus (Beck), two potential agents for the biological control of scentless chamomile Tripleurospermum perforatum (Mérat) Laínz, were studied in the field in southern Germany and eastern Austria, and in a common garden and under laboratory conditions in Delémont, Switzerland from 1993 to 1999. Both weevils were univoltine, and females started to lay eggs in early spring. Diplapion confluens had three and C. capucinus five instars. Larvae of both species were found in the field from mid-April until the end of July; later instars preferentially fed in the vascular cylinder of the shoot base, root crown or root. Although larvae of both species occupy the same temporal and spatial niche within their host plants, they occurred at all investigated field sites together, and showed a similar distribution within sites. No negative or positive interspecific association was detected. Host-specificity tests including no-choice, single-choice, and multiple-choice tests under confined conditions, as well as tests under field conditions with natural and augmented insect densities revealed that both herbivores were specific to plant species in the tribe Anthemideae. However, their development to mature larva or adult on several cultivated plants, as well as on one plant species native to North America, rendered them unsuitable for field release in North America. It was concluded that to investigate non-target effects reliably, host-specificity tests with biological control agents should be carried out under a variety of conditions, particularly with augmented insect densities, as are expected to occur naturally after release.

Experimental huts in Côte d’Ivoire were used to evaluate the pyrethroid alpha-cypermethrin, the non-ester pyrethroid etofenprox, the organophosphate pirimiphos-methyl and the carbamate carbosulfan on bednets against pyrethroid-resistant Anopheles gambiae Giles. To test for selection for the resistance gene by the treated nets, A. gambiae collected live or dead from the huts were kept and analysed for the presence of the kdr gene using a new polymerase chain reaction followed by sequence-specific oligonucleotide probing (PCR–SSOP) for kdr-genotyping. Deliberately holed bednets freshly treated with pirimiphos-methyl or carbosulfan caused over 90% kill of A. gambiae s.s. and Culex spp. However, the mortality with alpha-cypermethrin or etofenprox treated nets was similar to that with untreated nets. Bloodfeeding of A. gambiae s.s. on the sleepers under the nets was only significantly reduced by alpha-cypermethrin and carbosulfan. Tests of the residual activity of the bednets after seven months showed that pirimiphos-methyl had lost its efficacy while carbosulfan still performed well. Once again the pyrethroid treated nets gave similar results to the untreated nets. Selection for the kdr-allele by alpha-cypermethrin and etofenprox, but not by carbosulfan, was indicated by PCR–SSOP genotyping of mosquitoes. Thus carbamates such as carbosulfan, or organophosphates of longer persistence than pirimiphos-methyl and of low mammalian toxicity, would seem to be a promising alternative to be used on bednets, particularly in areas of pyrethroid resistance.

The mosquito sampling efficiency of CDC (Centers for Disease Control) miniature light traps hung adjacent to mosquito nets, was compared with that of both indoor and outdoor human-bait collections in ten villages in the Wosera area of Papua New Guinea. The most frequently collected anopheline in the matched indoor and light trap samples was Anopheles koliensis Owen, followed by A. punctulatusDönitz, A. karwari (James), A. farauti Laveran (sensu lato), A. longirostris Brug and A. bancroftii Giles. All species were much less frequent in the light traps than in landing catches. The hypothesis that the numbers of mosquitoes in light traps are proportional to human landing catches was examined using regression models that allowed for sampling error in both entomological measurements. Light traps under-sampled A. punctulatus and A. farautis.l. at high densities. The models indicated that the ratio of light trap to landing catch females of A. koliensis and A. karwari increased with increasing mosquito density. Light trap catches of A. longirostris were proportional to indoor landing rates but when outdoor landing rates were high this species was under-sampled by light traps. Numbers of A. bancroftii in light traps were found to be proportional to those in outdoor landing catches, but were negatively related to those attempting to bite indoors. Circumsporozoite positivity rates for both Plasmodium falciparum Welch and P. vivax (Grassi & Feletti) in A. punctulatus and A. farauti s.l. were significantly higher in light trap collections than in either indoor or outdoor landing catches, suggesting that light traps may selectively sample older mosquitoes of these species.

An investigation of insect parasitoids of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella(Linnaeus), in brassica vegetable crops in the suburbs of Hangzhou was conducted during five periods from 1989 to 1997. Eight species of primary parasitoids were recorded: Trichogramma chilonis Ishii, Cotesia plutellae Kurdjumov, Microplitis sp., Oomyzus sokolowskii Kurdjumov, Diadromus collaris(Gravenhorst), Itoplectis naranyae (Ashmead), Exochus sp. and Brachymeria excarinata Gahan. Seven species of hyperparasitoids were also collected. Rates of parasitism of eggs of P. xylostella were usually very low. However, rates of parasitism of larvae and pupae were substantial and showed two peaks each year, around June–July and September–November respectively. Rates of parasitism during peaks were usually 10–60% and reached over 80% on a few occasions. Cotesia plutellae, O. sokolowskii and D. collaris were the major larval, larval-pupal and pupal parasitoids respectively. In the field, C. plutellae was active throughout the year. Oomyzus sokolowskii was active from May to October, entered a quiescent pupal stage in October–November to overwinter and did not emerge until next April–May. Diadromus collariswas recorded from April to July and October. Rates of parasitism of P. xylostellain radish and mustard fields were usually higher than those in cabbage and Chinese cabbage fields in the same locality. Negative correlations of parasitism rates between C. plutellae and O. sokolowskii indicate a competitive relationship for host larvae between these two larval parasitoids.

The sandfly Lutzomyia whitmani (Antunes & Coutinho) is an important vector for cutaneous leishmaniasis throughout much of Brazil, and has recently been shown to consist of more than one mitochondrial lineage. It has frequently been asserted that the degree of adaptation of L. whitmani to human environments varies across its range. As a standardized test of indoor feeding for three geographically distant populations of L. whitmani, catches inside experimental chicken sheds of varying degrees of wall closure (0%, 33%, 67% and 98%) were compared. Each increment in shed closure reduced catches of females (relative to the most open shed) by a similar degree for each population: geometric mean catches dropped by 11–40% with 33% closure, by 41–62%with 67% closure, and by 69–100% with 98% closure. Geometric mean catches of males from the two more northerly populations also decreased with increasing shed closure, by 18% and 22% for 33% closure, 58% and 69% for 67% closure, 91% and 93%for 98% closure. Males from the most southerly population showed significantly different behaviour, with 33% closure causing a 54% increase in geometric mean catch, 67% closure causing a 6% increase, and 98% closure causing a 32% reduction. For this southerly population, sex ratios became more male biased with increasing density in more closed sheds, suggesting aggregation driven by intra-specific communication. Lutzomyia intermedia (Lutz & Neiva) was relatively more likely than L. whitmani to approach baits in the three more closed sheds, rather than the most open shed, offering a behavioural explanation for observed differences in indoor biting rates between the species.

The stabling of horses at night reportedly offers protection from African horse sickness and the most significant vector of the disease, Culicoides imicolaKieffer, has been shown to be exophilic. In certain high-lying regions of South Africa, however, C. bolitinos Meiswinkel, may be the major vector of the disease but its entry behaviour into stables is unknown. Accordingly, in the eastern Free State province of South Africa, light trap catches of C. bolitinos inside stables and outside, were compared. Two horse-baited stables, one traditional, and one modern, were used and combinations of stable (old/new), ceiling fans (on/off) and accessibility to Culicoides (stable doors open/closed or windows gauzed/ungauzed) were investigated as treatments. A total of 111,452 Culicoides of 26 species was collected on 60 trap nights; C. bolitinos was dominant (89.1% overall) with C. imicola second in abundance (2.9%). Outside catches were greater on warmer, drier, evenings but were suppressed by high wind speeds. Catches of C. imicola inside stables with doors open, or with windows ungauzed, were less than the numbers captured outside. In contrast, more C. bolitinos were caught in open stables than outside, i.e. open structures may protect horses from the exophilic C. imicola, but may increase attack rates from the endophilic C. bolitinos. The closing of doors and the gauzing of windows, however, led to a 14-fold reduction in numbers of C. bolitinos and C. imicola entering stables. A well-gauzed ‘traditional’ stable was as effective as a closed ‘modern’stable. Ceiling fans had no suppressant effect.

Breeding structure of Glossina morsitans submorsitans Newstead was evaluated by using genetic markers in mitochondrial DNA where diversity was scored at two loci in five natural populations from The Gambia and two populations in Ethiopia (form ugandensis Vanderplank), countries separated by c. 5450 km. Twenty six haplotype combinations were found, of which 17 were shared among two or more populations. Nine haplotypes were found in The Gambia and 23 haplotypes in Ethiopia. There were 12 unique haplotypes. Only six haplotypes were shared between the two countries. Populations in The Gambia (he = 0.26 ± 0.04) showed less than a third of the diversity of populations in Ethiopia (he= 0.84 ± 0.03). This suggests recovery from an earlier reduction in population. In a nested analysis of molecular variance of haplotype frequencies, 65%of the variance was due to differences within populations, 34% to differences between populations grouped by country, and only 1% was due to differences among populations within countries. In terms of gene flow, the fixation index FST= 0.35, which leads to an estimate by Wright’s island model of less than one reproducing migrant per generation exchanged between the eastern and western submorsitanspopulations. Nei’s genetic similarity measure showed a deep division between Gambian and Ethiopian populations.

The use of long-term forecasts of pest pressure is central to better pest management. We relate the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) and the Sea Surface Temperature (SST) to long-term light-trap catches of the two key moth pests of Australian agriculture, Helicoverpa punctigera (Wallengren) and H. armigera (Hübner), at Narrabri, New South Wales over 11 years, and for H. punctigera only at Turretfield, South Australia over 22 years. At Narrabri, the size of the first spring generation of both species was significantly correlated with the SOI in certain months, sometimes up to 15 months before the date of trapping. Differences in the SOI and SST between significant months were used to build composite variables in multiple regressions which gave fitted values of the trap catches to less than 25% of the observed values. The regressions suggested that useful forecasts of both species could be made 6–15 months ahead. The influence of the two weather variables on trap catches of H. punctigera at Turretfield were not as strong as at Narrabri, probably because the SOI was not as strongly related to rainfall in southern Australia as it is in eastern Australia. The best fits were again given by multiple regressions with SOI plus SST variables, to within 40% of the observed values. The reliability of both variables as predictors of moth numbers may be limited by the lack of stability in the SOI-rainfall correlation over the historical record. As no other data set is available to test the regressions, they can only be tested by future use. The use of long-term forecasts in pest management is discussed, and preliminary analyses of other long sets of insect numbers suggest that the Southern Oscillation Index may be a useful predictor of insect numbers in other parts of the world.

The development period from birth to adult of virginoparae of the turnip aphid, Lipaphis erysimi (Kaltenbach), at 14 constant, 15 alternating and 15 natural temperature regimes were modelled to determine mathematical functions for simulating aphid development under a wide range of natural conditions. The day-degree model, the logistic equation, and the Wang model were used to describe the relationships between temperature and development rate at constant and alternating temperatures. The three models were then used with a Weibull function describing the distribution of development times, to simulate the development of individuals of cohorts at natural temperature regimes. Comparison of the observed with simulated distributions of adult emergence indicates that all three models can simulate the development of L. erysimiequally well when temperature does not go below 6°C (the notional low temperature threshold of the day-degree model) or above 30°C. When accumulation of temperatures below 6°C becomes substantial, only the logistic curve offers accurate simulations; the other two models give falsely longer durations of development. When accumulation of temperatures above 30°C becomes substantial, the logistic curve and the Wang model offer more accurate simulations than the day-degree model, which tends to produce shorter durations of development. Further analysis of the data reveals that development rate of this aphid at a given unfavourable high temperature may vary with time. Methods for accurately simulating the development time of L. erysimi in the field are suggested. The significance of modelling insect development at low and high temperatures by non-linear models is discussed.

Morphological variation in nine characters of 157 clones of Myzus persicae(Sulzer) was examined by multivariate analysis. The clones were collected from peach, Prunus persica, the primary host and the secondary hosts tobacco, Nicotiana tabacum, cabbage, Brassica oleracea, sugarbeet, Beta vulgaris and pepper Capsicum annuum. The 156 clones originated from various regions of Greece, both in the north, where a large part of the population has an annual bisexual generation on peach, and in more southerly regions, where populations are predominantly unisexual. One clone was collected from tobacco in Caserta, Italy. All clones were laboratory-reared on potato. Canonical variate analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis and a non-parametric classification tree method both revealed morphological differences associated with the host-plant on which they were collected. The scores of the first two canonical variates separated the tobacco-feeding clones from those originating from other secondary host-plants. However, in tobacco-growing areas the tobacco-feeding form predominated in spring populations on peach, and was sometimes found on other secondary hosts. In addition, using cluster analysis, the clones from tobacco which were sampled in the most southeasterly region showed a relatively large phenotypic distance from those collected further north and west. Moreover, clonal phenotypes were affected both by host plant and by long-term parthenogenetic rearing. However, in spite of these effects, the tobacco form was generally distinguishable from aphids originating from other hosts, indicating that the difference must have a genetic basis. In separate analyses of the clones originating from secondary hosts no association was found between morphology and either life cycle category or colour. Discriminant analysis showed that 89% of 1723 specimens could be correctly classified into the two groups.

Arabica coffee was sampled from two sites in the central highlands of Kenya (Rurima, Ruiru) and one site on the western side of the Rift Valley (Koru). Three species of ceratitidine Tephritidae, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), C. rosaKarsch and Trirhithrum coffeae Bezzi, were reared from sites in the central highlands, and an additional species, C. anonae Graham, was recovered from the western-most site. Ten species of parasitic Hymenoptera were reared from these tephritids. The parasitoid assemblage was dominated by koinobionts. Eight of the species are koinobiont endoparasitoids, but only one idiobiont larval ectoparasitoid was reared, and only one idiobiont pupal endoparasitoid. The effects of sampling bias on determination of parasitoid assemblage size associated with concealed hosts are discussed. The potential for use of these parasitoids in biological control is also discussed. Most of the parasitoid species recovered during this study are capable of developing on C. capitata, while several also attack C. rosa. Both flies are notorious pests of tropical and subtropical fruits.

Females of Callosobruchus spp. are known to produce sex pheromones that attract males. These sex pheromones cannot be adopted for use in pest management without first investigating the responses of the males in the windless conditions of storage environments. Consequently, behavioural bioassays of Callosobruchus subinnotatus Pic males were conducted in an olfactometer in the absence of air-flow. Under these conditions males were found to be able to follow odour trails to the source. However, the latency period was longer in diffusional bioassays than for insects in a Y-tube olfactometer that provided directional wind cues. The highest percentage of males reached the pheromone source when components of the pheromones, (E)-3-methyl-2-heptenoic acid (E32A) and (Z)-3-methyl-2-heptenoic acid (Z32A), were formulated in a 50:50 or 25:75 ratio. Males of C. maculatus (Fabricius) responded to sex pheromone of C. subinnotatus, but males of C. subinnotatus did not respond to that of C. maculatus. The two sex pheromone components of C. subinnotatus are also constituents of C. maculatus sex pheromone. These two components may be potentially useful in monitoring the populations of both species in stored beans. It is postulated that (Z)-3-methyl-3-heptenoic acid (Z33A), the major component of the sex pheromone of C. maculatus, must have acted as an antagonist inhibiting response of C. subinnotatus to the sex pheromone of C. maculatus.

The flight potential of Nephotettix virescens (Distant), the most important vector of rice tungro virus disease, was assessed using tethered flight techniques. Most individuals tested were not willing to fly in response to stimulation, or flew for very short times. A small proportion of leafhoppers flew for long periods and one female flew for almost 7 h, indicating the potential for long distance dispersal of insects and inoculum. Few individuals flew before four days of age and thereafter flight profiles were similar for insects aged between four and 12 days. Mature females were more flight willing when kept as adults in mixed groups with males than when caged separately. There was no consistent effect on flight performance when insects were reared on rice varieties with different levels of leafhopper resistance. The flight activity of N. virescens was greater when leafhoppers were reared on mature, compared with young, rice plants. Leafhoppers reared through one generation on tungro-diseased rice plants were less willing to fly than individuals maintained on healthy plants of the same age and variety, whereas those tested after a 24-h access period to tungro-diseased plants were more flight-willing. The results are discussed in relation to the spread of tungro and to management interventions for the control of the disease.

Host choice and winter-host leaving in emigrants of bird cherry–oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi (Linnaeus), were investigated in the laboratory. In settling choice tests, emigrants collected from the winter host, Prunus padus, preferred this plant over a summer host, oats. Emigrants which had left P. padus for up to 24 h did not express a preference as a group, and those which had left for 24–48 h preferred oats. Eighty seven percent of emigrants caged as fourth-instar nymphs on P. padus leaves abandoned the host by the second day of adult life, and apparently did not subsequently return to the leaf. In an olfactometer, P. padus leaves which had supported spring generations of R. padi were repellent to emigrants. Volatiles were entrained from uninfested and R. padi-infested P. padus using cut twigs in the laboratory as well as intact twigs on a tree in the field. Entrainment extracts from uninfested P. padus had no effect on emigrants in the olfactometer, whereas those from twigs infested with nymphal emigrants were repellent. The study indicates that in R. padi, host-alternation is driven by behavioural changes which occur in individuals as well as between morphs.

The responses of Culex quinquefasciatus Say to traps baited with carbon dioxide, 1-octen-3-ol, acetone, butyric acid and human foot odour were studied in the field in Muheza, north-east Tanzania using Counterflow Geometry (CFG) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) traps. It was found that significantly more C. quinquefasciatusresponded to foot odour collected on nylon stockings than to clean nylon stockings (P < 0.05). Significantly more mosquitoes were caught in a CFG trap baited with carbon dioxide than in traps with either human foot odour, acetone or butyric acid. It was also found that in an outdoor situation a carbon dioxide baited CDC unlit trap collected over 12 times more C. quinquefasciatus than an unbaited CDC unlit trap and nine times more mosquitoes than CDC traps baited with 1-octen-3-ol alone (P < 0.05). The number of mosquitoes caught in a CDC trap baited with 1-octen-3-ol did not differ significantly from that of the unbaited CDC trap (P > 0.05). These results indicate that the Afrotropical C. quinquefasciatusrespond significantly better to traps baited with carbon dioxide than to either octenol, acetone or butyric acid, and that human foot odour contains stimuli to which C. quinquefasciatus is attracted under field conditions.

First instars of the soil-inhabiting whitefringed weevil, Naupactus leucoloma(Boheman), are a particularly good bioassay model for assessing volatile soil fumigants and biofumigants. Eggs are readily obtained and can be stored for long periods with larvae hatched on demand and the first instar is non-feeding, surviving without food or shelter. Longevity varies with temperature, but readily accommodates the period required to conduct bioassays without appreciable mortality of untreated controls. In vitro bioassays of pure methyl isothiocyanate, the active ingredient from metham sodium soil fumigant, and the less volatile 2-phenylethyl isothiocyanate, sensitively detected differences in toxicity and effects of temperature. Bioassay of volatiles emitted from hydrolysed tissue of various isothiocyanate-producing Brassicaplants revealed widely varying toxicity effects, indicating that bioassays with N. leucoloma are a sensitive and relevant indicator of the potential of different plants for biofumigation of soil-borne pest organisms.