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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Insect Behavior and Biocontrol Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #277542
Title: Eavesdropping on coconut rhinoceros beetles, red palm weevils, Asian longhorned beetles, and other invasive travelers

Author
item Mankin, Richard
item Smith, Michael

Submitted to: Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics (POMA)
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/20/2011
Publication Date: 12/19/2011
Citation: Mankin, R.W., Smith, M.T. 2011. Eavesdropping on coconut rhinoceros beetles, red palm weevils, Asian longhorned beetles, and other invasive travelers. POMA. 14(010001):1-8. DOI: 10.1121/1.3673073.

Interpretive Summary: Scientists at the USDA-ARS Center for Medical, Agricultural, & Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, FL, and the USDA-ARS Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Unit, Newark, Delware, have been developing methods for detecting invasive pests like coconut rhinoceros beetles, red palm weevils, Asian longhorned beetles, and other invasive travelers that have invaded the US or nearby regions. This report describes experiments that have been conducted to identify the best acoustic technology and methods for detecting these pests and providing information to managers about the best procedures for their control.

Technical Abstract: As global trade increases, invasive insects inflict increasing economic damage to agriculture and urban landscapes in the United States yearly, despite a sophisticated array of interception methods and quarantine programs designed to exclude their entry. Insects that are hidden inside soil, wood, or stored products are difficult to detect visually but often can be identified acoustically because they produce 3-30-ms, 200-5000-Hz impulses that are temporally grouped or patterned together in short bursts. Detection and analysis of these sound bursts enables scouts or inspectors to determine that insects are present and sometimes to identify the presence of a particular target species. Here is discussed some of the most successful acoustic methods that have been developed to detect and monitor hidden insect infestations. Acoustic instruments are currently available for use in rapid surveys and for long-term monitoring of infestations. They have been useful particularly for detection of termites, coconut rhinoceros beetles, red palm weevils and Asian longhorned beetles in wood, white grubs and Diaprepes root weevil in soil, and stored product insects in food.