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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Chemistry Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #298746
Title: Field distribution of Dasineura oxycoccana (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) adults, larvae, pupae, and parasitoids and evaluation of monitoring trap designs in Florida

Author
item RHODES, ELENA - University Of Florida
item Benda, Nicole
item LIBURD, OSCAR - University Of Florida

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/10/2013
Publication Date: 2/1/2014
Citation: Rhodes, E.M., Benda, N.D., Liburd, O.E. 2014. Field distribution of Dasineura oxycoccana (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) adults, larvae, pupae, and parasitoids and evaluation of monitoring trap designs in Florida. Journal of Economic Entomology. 107(1):310-318.

Interpretive Summary: Blueberry gall midge is an insect pest of blueberries throughout the world. Larvae of this tiny fly feed and develop in leaf buds, and also in flower buds of rabbiteye blueberries, which causes buds to fall the plant. These injuries can cause up to 80% yield loss in heavy infestations. Since the larvae are protected from insecticides by feeding inside the bud, adults are the standard target in foliar applications. This makes monitoring very important. Also, understanding the distribution of all life stages and its parasitoids is important information for developing a more effective pest management program. Scientists from the University of Florida and Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology in Gainesville florida compared the efficacy of three monitoring traps, quantified the distribution of BGM pupae in the soil relative to the blueberry bush, and mapped. They demonstrated that both the pest and its parsitoids were randomly distributed throughout the field. These results indicate that targeting field borders in large fields would be insufficient, and that the entire field must be treated with insecticide. The research reveals several areas of potential improvement for BGM management.

Technical Abstract: Blueberry gall midge (BGM), Dasineura oxycoccana (Johnson), is a pest of cultivated blueberries throughout the world. Larvae of this tiny fly feed and develop in leaf buds, and also in flower buds of rabbiteye blueberries, which causes buds to fall the plant. These injuries can cause up to 80% yield loss in heavy infestations. Since the larvae are protected from insecticides, adults are targeted with foliar applications. This makes monitoring very important. Also, understanding the distribution of all life stages of the midge and its parasitoids is also important information for developing a more effective pest management program. A comparison of three monitoring trap types demonstrated that bucket emergence traps and clear panel traps capture similar numbers of midges, although the bucket trap is more sensitive at low population levels. Using bucket emergence traps, we collected nearly 80% of emerging midges within 48 cm of the blueberry bush, suggesting that a targeted soil treatment may be a viable control option. Traps and bud samples demonstrated that adult and larval midges and parasitoids were randomly distributed throughout the field in both years, with the exception of larval aggregation in early 2012. This indicates that targeting field borders would be insufficient and that the entire field must be treated with insecticide. Keywords: Dasineura oxycoccana, blueberry gall midge, Vaccinium, SADIE