Location: Subtropical Horticulture Research
Project Number: 6038-30400-002-000-D
Project Type: In-House Appropriated
Start Date: Aug 10, 2026
End Date: Aug 9, 2031
Objective:
1. Identify semiochemicals that mediate the behavior and physiology of exotic insect pests and develop attractant-based systems for detecting, delineating, and monitoring pests.
1.A Discover natural sources of attractants from plants, microbes, or conspecific sources and document their behavioral responses.
1.B Isolate and identify individual semiochemicals from natural attractive sources and quantify their antennal and behavioral responses; develop improved systems to collect, analyze, and identify semiochemicals.
1.C Develop semiochemical dispensers for effective IPM programs.
2. Evaluate naturally derived compounds for exotic insect pest toxicants, repellents, and oviposition deterrents and develop biorational management tools to mitigate the threat of exotic insect pests.
2.A Identify essential oils, plant extracts, volatile compounds, or their derivatives with insecticidal, repellent, or oviposition deterrent properties or attractants against adult fruit flies and other target pests.
2.B Determine the molecular mechanisms of resistance to selected synthetic insecticides (Spinosad and Methomyl), and Dimethoate in tephritid fruit flies.
2.C Develop treatment methods using plant-extracted volatile organic compounds or commercial fumigant(s) for control of postharvest pests of subtropical and tropical crops.
3. Integrate behavior-based systems and biorational tools for establishing and enhancing management programs to eradicate exotic insect pests.
3.A Assess next-generation tools that can automatically count and identify trapped insects.
3.B Develop new approaches to assess the efficacy of behavior-based strategies and biorational IPM tools for more effective management of target exotic pests of tropical and subtropical agriculture, including tephritid fruit flies, ambrosia beetles, thrips, mites, and other exotic pests.
Approach:
Target species will include pests that threaten to invade or have recently established in south Florida, including fruit flies in the family Tephritidae (Oriental fruit fly, Medfly, and Anastrepha species), ambrosia beetles that vector fungal pathogens (redbay ambrosia beetle and Euwallacea shot-hole borers), thrips, mites, and other exotic pests. Strategies will include (1) identifying behavior-modifying semiochemicals derived from host plants, essential oils, microbial sources, or attractive conspecifics that can alter insect behavior, such as attractants, repellents, and oviposition deterrents; (2) developing new detection and delimitation tools by designing improved detection tools with formulated lures for invasive pests and optimized bait stations, while evaluating attractant longevity for effective pest management for fruit flies; (3) identifying pesticide modes of action and the physiological responses of fruit flies to toxicants to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of resistance; (4) evaluating volatile components as novel, eco-friendly biocontrol agents for sustainable agriculture; and (5) developing an AI-driven smart trap that provides real-time tracking and classification of Tephritid fruit flies, and behavior-based approaches for managing exotic insect pests of subtropical agriculture.