Location: Tropical Pest Genetics and Molecular Biology Research Unit
Project Number: 2040-22430-028-002-T
Project Type: Trust Fund Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Nov 1, 2019
End Date: Apr 30, 2021
Objective:
Develop trapping methods for the newly invading longhorn beetle (Acalolepta aesthetica) attacking cacao and use trapped beetles to develop a genetic tool for differentiating species of longhorn beetles while simultaneously developing foundational tools to improve beetle trapping methods in the future.
Approach:
Test the efficacy of broad-spectrum light traps and commercially-available longhorn beetle lures to capture adult beetles. This will remove reproductive adults from the population and captured beetles will serve as biological samples for genetic analysis.
