Temperature‐activity relationships in Meligethes aeneus : implications for pest management

Abstract

BACKGROUNDPollen beetle (Meligethes aeneus F.) management in oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) has become an urgent issue in the light of insecticide resistance. Risk prediction advice has relied upon flight temperature thresholds, while risk assessment uses simple economic thresholds. However, there is variation in the reported temperature of migration, and economic thresholds vary widely across Europe, probably owing to climatic factors interacting with beetle activity and plant compensation for damage. The effect of temperature on flight, feeding and oviposition activity of M. aeneus was examined in controlled conditions.RESULTSEscape from a release vial was taken as evidence of flight and was supported by video observations. The propensity to fly followed a sigmoid temperature–response curve between 6 and 23 °C; the 10, 25 and 50% flight temperature thresholds were 12.0–12.5 °C, 13.6–14.2 °C and 15.5–16.2 °C, respectively. Thresholds were slightly higher in the second of two flight bioassays, suggesting an effect of beetle age. Strong positive relationships were found between temperature (6–20 °C) and the rates of feeding and oviposition on flower buds of oilseed rape.CONCLUSIONThese temperature relationships could be used to improve M. aeneus migration risk assessment, refine weather-based decision support systems and modulate damage thresholds according to rates of bud damage. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry

Semiochemical-based alternatives to synthetic toxicant insecticides for pollen beetle management

“…They emerge in early spring when temperatures reach a critical threshold (Fritzsche 1955;Hokkanen 1993;Marczali and Nádasy 2006). As pollen beetles emerge from overwintering sites, the ambient temperatures are usually low and the beetles are unlikely to be able to fly long distances; their propensity to fly follows a sigmoidal temperature-response curve between 6 and 23 °C (Ferguson et al 2015).…”

Potential for oilseed rape resistance in pollen beetle control

“…Published data have focused on the feeding behavior itself Williams and Free 1978;Charpentier 1985;Ferguson et al 2014), the effect of transgenetically expressed lectin (Lehrman et al 2007), interspecific plant resistance (Charpentier 1985;Ekbom and Borg 1996;Bartlet et al 2004) and intraspecific OSR resistance (Hervé et al 2014a). Although scarce, these studies already provide valuable information.…”

The potential of decision support systems to improve risk assessment for pollen beetle management in winter oilseed rape

“…Šedivy and Kocourek reported that mass flight could occur at temperatures above 13.5 °C. Ferguson et al found evidence for pollen beetle flight at 12 °C within a field plot of WOSR and at 10.9 °C in a laboratory bioassay. This suggests that other factors such as wind speed, insolation or precipitation may interact with air temperature to influence the microclimate experienced by pollen beetles in field conditions …”