Synthetic pheromones as a management technique – dispensers reduce <i>Linepithema humile</i> activity in a commercial vineyard

Westermann, Fabian L.; Bell, Vaughn A.; Suckling, D. M.; Lester, Philip J.

doi:10.1002/ps.4043

Cited by 18 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…In particular, their communication allows them respond to changes in the type and abundance of food sources via recruitment systems that amplify and enhance functional responses. From waggle‐dance robots that can stimulate bees to forage (Landgraf et al ., 2018) to manipulations of pheromone communication that have been used successfully to control social insects as pests (Westermann et al ., 2016; Sunamura, 2018), tools are available with great potential to be used to manage social insects. For example, ant pheromones have potential uses as herbivore repellents (Offenberg et al ., 2004), while the use of pheromones to enhance the provision of ESs has not yet been studied.…”

Section: Knowledge Gaps and Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The ecosystem services provided by social insects: traits, management tools and knowledge gaps

et al. 2020

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Social insects, i.e. ants, bees, wasps and termites, are key components of ecological communities, and are important ecosystem services (ESs) providers. Here, we review the literature in order to (i) analyse the particular traits of social insects that make them good suppliers of ESs; (ii) compile and assess management strategies that improve the services provided by social insects; and (iii) detect gaps in our knowledge about the services that social insects provide. Social insects provide at least 10 ESs; however, many of them are poorly understood or valued. Relevant traits of social insects include high biomass and numerical abundance, a diversity of mutualistic associations, the ability to build important biogenic structures, versatile production of chemical defences, the simultaneous delivery of several ESs, the presence of castes and division of labour, efficient communication and cooperation, the capacity to store food, and a long lifespan. All these characteristics enhance social insects as ES providers, highlighting their potential, constancy and efficiency as suppliers of these services. In turn, many of these traits make social insects stress tolerant and easy to manage, so increasing the ESs they provide. We emphasise the need for a conservation approach to the management of the services, as well as the potential use of social insects to help restore habitats degraded by human activities. In addition, we stress the need to evaluate both services and disservices in an integrated way, because some species of social insects are among the most problematic invasive species and native pests. Finally, we propose two areas of research that will lead to a greater and more efficient use of social insects as ES providers, and to a greater appreciation of them by producers and decision‐makers.

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Section: Knowledge Gaps and Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The ecosystem services provided by social insects: traits, management tools and knowledge gaps

et al. 2020

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“…For example, in vineyards and citrus orchards, a number of studies have shown that ant presence increases populations of mutualistic aphids and coccids and decreases those of some of their natural enemies (e.g., [50][51][52][53][54][55][56]). As a result, additional research has focused on the control of ant populations in these agroecosystems, either by employing chemical substances (e.g., [57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64]) or distracting tending ants by providing sugary substances (e.g., [21]). The latter method may allow the positive effects of ant presence (see [12]).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New Tools for Conservation Biological Control: Testing Ant-Attracting Artificial Nectaries to Employ Ants as Plant Defenders

Schifani

Castracani

Giannetti

et al. 2020

Insects

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Knowledge of the role of ants in many agroecosystems is relatively scarce, and in temperate regions the possibility to exploit ants as biocontrol agents for crop protection is still largely unexplored. Drawing inspiration from mutualistic ant-plant relationships mediated by extrafloral nectaries (EFNs), we tested the use of artificial nectaries (ANs) in order to increase ant activity on pear trees and to evaluate the effects on the arthropods, plant health and fruit production. While EFNs secrete a complex solution mainly composed of sugars and amino acids, ANs were filled with water and sucrose only. The results suggest that ANs can be used as manipulative instruments to increase ant activity over long periods of time. High ant activity was significantly linked to lower incidence of the pathogen fungus Venturia pyrina (pear scab) on pear leaves, and of the presence of Cydia pomonella (codling moth) caterpillars on pear fruit production. These results further encourage exploring underrated possibilities in the development of new tools for conservation biological control (CBC).

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“…Choe et al (2014) evaluated the use of trail pheromones in an attract-and-kill approach, in which the addition of pheromone to insecticides (fipronil and bifenthrin) increased their efficiency, leading to a higher ant mortality due to a higher exposure to toxicants. The effect of trail disruption of hemipteran-tending ants was evaluated in vineyards, determining that the dispensers installed near the base of the grapevines were more efficient, reducing the L. humile traffic in the plants by 73-79% (Westermann et al 2016). Presently, trail disruption has been tested mainly on L. humile among the ant species inhabiting vineyards and the economical sustainability has yet to be evaluated, so that no commercial products have been implemented by manufacturers.…”

Section: Control Of Mealybug-tending Antsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainable management of the vine mealybug in organic vineyards

et al. 2020

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The vine mealybug (VMB), Planococcus ficus, is a major grapevine pest worldwide, whose chemical control is often unsatisfactory due to its cryptic behavior, insecticide resistance and high fecundity rate. Recently, increasing restrictions have been applied to insecticides used for managing VMB. This review discusses sustainable VMB management strategies in organic viticulture. Pheromone-mediated mating disruption has been proved to be effective in both organic wine and table-grape vineyards. Biocontrol projects carried out through the release of parasitoids and/or predators have often provided inconclusive results, ranging from effective reduction of mealybug infestation to a marginal impact of parasitoids on VMB density. The latter outcome is likely due to constraints affecting the parasitoid activity, such as the disrupting activity of mealybug-tending ants and broad-spectrum insecticides, or untimely release of parasitoids. Ant suppression should be associated with the release of beneficial organisms, as mealybug-tending ants can severely affect the parasitoid activity. Cultural and physical control and the employment of entomopathogens and natural products mitigate the buildup of VMB populations, but they are not widely applied. VMB control in organic viticulture requires the integration of different strategies, as application of single control tools as a stand-alone treatment may not be effective, especially for high pest infestation. Future research to determine the density action threshold below which sustainable methods are effective and calibrate efforts in relation with pest infestation is needed. A multi-disciplinary approach is required to define the most appropriate sustainable control protocols in different environmental conditions and promote a further spread of organic viticulture.

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Synthetic pheromones as a management technique – dispensers reduce Linepithema humile activity in a commercial vineyard

Abstract: Our results showed that pheromone dispensers can significantly reduce Argentine ant foraging in grapevines if they are positioned appropriately. This technique could potentially reduce the abundance of associated mealybugs and potentially attendant virus vectoring areawide.

Cited by 18 publications

References 36 publications

The ecosystem services provided by social insects: traits, management tools and knowledge gaps

The ecosystem services provided by social insects: traits, management tools and knowledge gaps

New Tools for Conservation Biological Control: Testing Ant-Attracting Artificial Nectaries to Employ Ants as Plant Defenders

Sustainable management of the vine mealybug in organic vineyards

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