Michael G. Klein

Identification of the Female Japanese Beetle Sex Pheromone: Inhibition of Male Response by an Enantiomer

(Z)-5-(1-Decenyl)dihydro-2(3H)-furanone, isolated from virgin female Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica) attracted males of the species infield bioassays. However, the synthesized racemic mixture of this compound did not attract male Japanese beetles. The Z and E isomers and the saturated analog of both enantiomers of this compound were synthesized stereospecifically. Pure synthetic (R,Z)-5-(1-decenyl)dihydro-2(3H)-furanone was competitive with live females and with the pheromone isolated from live females in attracting males. Male response was strongly inhibited by small amounts of the S,Z isomer. Although the E isomer and the saturated analog of the pheromone are present in the material obtained from females, the role of these compounds in mediating the insects behavior is unclear.

Scarabs as Pests: A Continuing Problem

Abstract The beetle family Scarabaeidae has a high diversity of species, and some of these have become important pests. Endemic scarab pests are known from all habitable continents but represent no more than a small percentage (probably 1–2%) of the total number of species. Some species have become international pests through human transport to new habitats. Scarab pests cause damage through larval feeding on plant roots or adult feeding on the aerial parts of plants. The pests are difficult to control due to the cryptic position of the larvae in the soil and the usually nocturnal activity of the adults. Chemical control is now focussed on specific chemicals with less residual activity. Biological control, especially with pathogens, has proven highly effective against some species, but control agents are often specific to a single species. Attractants ranging from sex pheromones to food lures have been isolated for scarabaeid species. Integration of control methods (IPM) has provided effective control of some species but there is a need for continued research to refine control measures and develop new options for management of this important group of pests.

Dissemination of beneficial microbial agents by insects

Recent trends in pest management show an increased shift from insecticidal sprays towards the use of transgenic crops with insecticidal properties. This shift is partly due to the development of insect resistance to conventional insecticides and the large and increasing costs of developing and registering new chemicals. However, the long-term effectiveness of transgenic crops remains a hotly-debated issue. This scenario confronts and challenges entomologists to develop and evaluate other methods of pest management.

An Attractant Trap for Autodissemination of Entomopathogenic Fungi into Populations of the Japanese Beetle Popillia japonica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

Autodissemination may be effective against the Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica Newman, in situations where habitats of its larvae are inaccessible. Trapping systems with attractants for both male and female Japanese beetles are commercially available. We fabricated an inoculation chamber which fits between the top of a standard Trece Catch CanTM Japanese beetle Trap and its holding canister. Beetles which are attracted to the trap fall through a hole in the inoculation chamber and land on a mesh screen. A partial funnel and canister attachment from a metal Ellisco Japanese Beetle Trap was secured beneath a hole in the floor at the opposite end of the chamber. A 10-cm section in the middle of the box, between the entrance hole in the roof and the exit hole in the floor, allows space for a dish containing the inoculum to be placed into the chamber through a door in the side of the unit. The trap has been tested with Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin as the pathogen. Beetles emerging from the ...

Differences in susceptibility of introduced and native white grub species to entomopathogenic nematodes from various geographic localities

Abstract Invasive, non-native, white grubs (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) cause significant damage in urban landscapes. Although the lack of natural enemies in their new home is often suggested as an important factor in the establishment and spread of invasive species, the potential of incumbent generalist parasites and pathogens to delay their establishment and spread has not been explored. We compared the susceptibility of the introduced Popillia japonica and the native Cyclocephala borealis to 16 species and strains of entomopathogenic nematodes isolated from within or outside the geographic ranges of the two scarabs. We found large variation in the virulence of the species/strains of nematodes with over 50% mortality of P. japonica produced by Heterorhabditis zealandica strain X1 and H. bacteriophora strain GPS11 and of C. borealis by H. zealandica and H. bacteriophora strains KMD10 and NC1. Heterorhabditis indica and H. marelatus caused less than 20% mortality of both scarab species. When considered as a group the nematode species and strains from within and outside the geographic ranges of either P. japonica or C. borealis did not differ in virulence towards either scarab species. Dose response studies with selected nematode species and strains against P. japonica and two additional non-native species Anomala (Exomala) orientalis and Rhizotrogus majalis and the native C. borealis indicated that R. majalis was the least susceptible and P. japonica and A. orientalis were as susceptible as the native C. borealis. Heterorhabditis zealandica was significantly more virulent than any other species or strain against P. japonica with a LC50 of 272 IJs/grub. The LC30 and LC50 values for H. zealandica were also the lowest among the four nematode species/strains tested against A. orientalis and C. borealis. The LC50 values for H. zealandica and H. megidis (UK strain) were significantly lower for the native C. borealis than the introduced A. orientalis. H. zealandica also showed the highest penetration efficiency and the lowest encapsulation in P. japonica and C. borealis grubs. Results suggest that the introduction of the exotic H. zealandica into the front-line states with respect to the movement of P. japonica and A. orientalis should be explored as a tactic to delay their establishment and spread. The results also suggest that the manipulation of the indigenous H. bacteriophora populations may help in delaying spread and mitigating losses caused by the invasive grub species.

Trapping Phyllophaga spp. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) in the United States and Canada using sex attractants.

Abstract The sex pheromone of the scarab beetle, Phyllophaga anxia, is a blend of the methyl esters of two amino acids, L-valine and L-isoleucine. A field trapping study was conducted, deploying different blends of the two compounds at 59 locations in the United States and Canada. More than 57,000 males of 61 Phyllophaga species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) were captured and identified. Three major findings included: (1) widespread use of the two compounds [of the 147Phyllophaga (sensu stricto) species found in the United States and Canada, males of nearly 40% were captured]; (2) in most species intraspecific male response to the pheromone blends was stable between years and over geography; and (3) an unusual pheromone polymorphism was described from P. anxia. Populations at some locations were captured with L-valine methyl ester alone, whereas populations at other locations were captured with L-isoleucine methyl ester alone. At additional locations, the L-valine methyl ester-responding populations and the L-isoleucine methyl ester-responding populations were both present, producing a bimodal capture curve. In southeastern Massachusetts and in Rhode Island, in the United States, P. anxia males were captured with blends of L-valine methyl ester and L-isoleucine methyl ester. Resumen La feromona sexual del escarabajo, Phyllophaga anxia, es una mezcla de los ésteres metílicos de dos aminoácidos, L-valina y L-isoleucina. Se condujo un estudio de campo usando diferentes mezclas de los dos componentes en 59 sitios de Estados Unidos y Canada. Más de 57,000 machos de 61 especies dePhyllophaga fueron capturados e identificados. Tres de los resultados más importantes incluyen: (1) el extenso uso de los dos componentes [de las 147 especies de Phyllophaga (sensu stricto), en Estados Unidos y Canada, fueron capturados machos de cerca del 40% de ellas.]; (2) para la mayoría de las especies, la respuesta intraespecífica de los machos a las combinaciones de los dos aminoácidos fue consistente entre años diferentes, y en todos los sitios geográficos; y (3) un inusual polymorfismo de la feromona fue descrito para P. anxia. Poblaciones de algunos sitios fueron atrapados sólo con valina, mientras que poblaciones de otros sitios fueron atrapados sólo con isoleucina. También se encontraron sitios donde las poblaciones responden a ambos componentes, valina e isoleucina, produciendo una curva de captura bimodal. En el sureste del estado de Massachusetts y en Rhode Island, en Estados Unidos, machos de P. anxia fueron atrapados en trampas con mezclas de valina e isoleucina.

Isolation and activity of Xenorhabdus antimicrobial compounds against the plant pathogens Erwinia amylovora and Phytophthora nicotianae

Aims:  Broad‐spectrum antibiotics produced by symbiotic bacteria [entomopathogenic bacterium (EPB)] of entomopathogenic nematodes keep monoxenic conditions in insect cadavers in soil. This study evaluated antibiotics produced by EPB for their potential to control plant pathogenic bacteria and oomycetes.

The α isoform of protein kinase C mediates phorbol ester-induced growth inhibition and p21cip1 induction in HC11 mammary epithelial cells

To clarify the roles of specific isoforms of PKC in regulating growth and cell cycle progression of the HC11 mammary epithelial cell line, we investigated the effects of activating endogenous PKC isoforms with the phorbol ester tumor promoter TPA, and also the effects of TPA on genetically engineered cells containing increased levels of individual PKC isoforms. We found that TPA treatment of HC11 cells induced a transient cell cycle arrest in G0/G1. Western blot analyses of the TPA treated cells provided evidence that the endogenous PKCα present in these cells mediated these effects. Indeed, derivatives of the HC11 cell line that inducibly overexpress an exogenous PKCα or ectopic PKCβ1 exhibited more marked growth inhibition by TPA than control cells. Immunohistochemical staining of cells following treatment with TPA revealed selective translocation of PKCα into the nucleus, whereas PKCβ1 remained in the cytoplasm. The transient arrest of HC11 cells following treatment with TPA was associated with marked induction of both p21cip1 mRNA and protein. This induction was exaggerated in the derivatives that overexpressed either PKCα or PKCβ1. Therefore, in mouse mammary epithelial cells activation of the endogenous PKCα can transiently arrest cells in G0/G1 which may be due, at least in part, to induction of the transcription of p21cip1.

Pest management of soil-inhabiting insects with microorganisms

Abstract Although more than 90% of insects have a stage in the soil, there are very few microorganisms now being used to manage soil insects. The first successful use of a microorganism for suppression of a pest was the utilization of milky-disease bacteria, Bacillus popilliae Dutky, for control of Japanese beetle larvae in turf. More extensive use of this bacterium has been hampered by its narrow host range, slow build-up in the soil, and an inability to produce it in vitro. Recent developments may have solved the production problems and will open up increased use of B. popilliae products. Although various strains of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner are available for control of foliage-feeding Lepidoptera, aquatic Diptera, and the Colorado potato beetle, none have found a use in the soil environment. Other bacteria, such as Serratia spp. are being examined for control of the grass grub in New Zealand. Fungi are often associated with dead and dying insects in the laboratory and field. Both Beauveria spp. and Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin are used in pest-management programs in South America, Europe and Asia, but not primarily for control of soil-inhabiting insects. Beauveria has the potential for future development against a number of pests in the U.S.A. Viruses are available for control of several pine-feeding sawflies and certain lepidopterous pests. They are also important in the management of Oryctes rhinoceros (L.), a pest of coconut palms. Although protozoa have been detected in numerous soil insects, they do not appear to have much potential for direct use in pest management. One exception is the use of Nosema locustae Canning for control of grasshoppers in the Western U.S.A. and in Africa. If microorganisms are to be utilized to their full potential, we need to fill in the gaps in our knowledge of the soil ecology.

Japanese beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

A combination of the synthetic sex attractant (R,Z)-5-(1-decenyl) dihydro-2(3H)-furanone with a 3∶7 mixture of phenethyl propionate (PEP) and eugenol (4-allyl-2-methoxphenol) caught significantly morePopillia japonica Newman than either the sex attractant or the mixture did alone. Also, the synthetic sex attractant captured significantly more males than the PEP-eugenol did during the period of heavy adult emergence of the beetles. The two lures were not significantly different in their attractancy to males about a week later and thereafter. A combination of PEP-eugenol and virgin females in the same trap late in the season also significantly increased beetle captures.