Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

1) Officers. The business meeting was moderated Dick Casagrande. Judy Hough-Goldstein will serve as Chair of NE1332 for the next two years. Scott Salom will serve as “Incoming Chair” and will serve as Chair following Judy’s appointment. Lisa Teuksbury will serve as Secretary for two years, rotating into “Incoming Chair” and “Chair” positions in sequence.

2) Venue for next meeting. The next meeting of NE1332 will be held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting of the Eastern Branch of the Entomological Society of America, a joint meeting with Northeastern Weed Science Society, Northeast Division of the American Phytopathological Society, Northeastern American Society of Agronomy, and Northeastern Branch of the American Society for Horticultural Sciences. January 4-8, 2016, Sheraton Philadelphia Society Hill Hotel, Philadelphia, PA. NE1332 will sponsor a weed biocontrol symposium at that meeting.

3) USDA APHIS biocontrol permitting process delays. There was considerable discussion about current substantial delays in approvals of TAG-recommended release petitions for weed biological control. The group decided to prepare a “Letter of Concern” to USDA and USFWS administrators about this situation. Dick Casagrande will prepare a draft for consideration of NE1332 and other regional biological control projects.

4) Funding opportunities for biological control. Advisor, Mike Hoffmann updated the group on organizational changes and funding opportunities that impact on biological control at the national and regional levels.

Symposium Program:

As part of the Research Forum, the regional project ran a symposium on 1/15 from 1-3PM that included 6 presentations by NE1332 members.

1. Biological control of winter moth in New England- Joe Elkinton, Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts

2. Predation on winter moth pupae. Hannah Broadley, Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts

3. New developments with emerald ash borer parasitoids-Dave Jennings and Jian Duan, USDA ARS BIRL Newark, DE

4. Spraying entomopathogenic fungi within hydromulch for control of Asian longhorn borer Tarryn Anne Goble, Ann Hajek, and Mark Jackson, Department of Entomology, Cornell University

5. Developing a SNP-array to measure pre- and post-introduction genetic diversity and levels of hybridization between two host races of knotweed psyllid, candidates for the biological control of Japanese knotweed - Jeremy C. Andersen*, Fritzi S. Grevstad, Robert S. Bourchier, Nicholas J. Mills, and Roy G. Van Driesche, *Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley

6. Biological Control of Phragmites australis-Dick Casagrande, Department of Plant and Insect Science, University of Rhode Island.

Goal 1 (Conservation of existing natural enemies)

Objective 1. To conserve natural enemies in blueberry production (F. Drummond, U. Maine)

• Outputs (events, publications): I presented two talks on the insect predators and pathogens of the spotted wing drosophila (SWD) in Maine to wild blueberry growers at the Agricultural Trade Show in Augusta, Maine (January 8, 2015). Data was shown which supports the need to conserve the ground beetle natural enemies and fungal entomopathogens (identified as significant predators and pathogens in laboratory bioassays) since rates as high as 90% predation of pupae occurred at two field sites.

• Outcome (change in status of system): Behavioral changes in growers towards selection of softer pesticides to control SWD and at the same time conserve natural enemies in the field has not occurred. However, St. Johnswort infestation in wild blueberry fields has dropped significantly and has had an effect on grower concerns about this noxious invasive plant. It has not been shown if this drop in infestation is due to introduced biocontrol agents.

• Impacts (benefits): none at this time.

Objective 2. To determine distribution and impact of Cotesia rubecula (R. Van Driesche, UMASS)

Objective 3. To examine the effects of exotic plants on ecosystem function (P. Shrewsbury and M. Raupp, University of Maryland)

Goal 2 (Augmentation programs)

Objective 4. To release and evaluate augmentative biological control agents and educate the public about their role in pest management. (Mark Mayer, NJ Dept of Agricultur; M. Hoffmann, Cornell University)

New Jersey. In 2014, the Mexican bean beetle (MBB) Epilachna varivestis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) biological control program involved 31 growers and 42 survey locations with a history of Mexican bean beetle pressure. A total of 463,500 adult Pediobius foveolatus were released statewide to keep pressure on the Mexican bean beetle population. There were no reported insecticide treatments for Mexican bean beetle in soybeans in 2014 and there have been no treatments since 1987.

Cornell University

• Outputs: Research was conducted on the efficacy of Trichogramma ostriniae in controlling grape berry moth. A new approach was tested – releasing the parasitoids into surrounding woods and hedge rows to target first generation grape berry moth eggs. Additional studies evaluated the role of relative humidity in host-finding behavior by Trichogramma ostriniae.

•Outcomes and impacts

1. Two undergraduates and a recent graduate were mentored in scientific methods and the execution of research trials.

2. Research collaborations for on-site trials were established with two vineyard managers and new methods were developed to release Trichogramma into vineyards. Two research assistants were trained to conduct releases of biological control agents.

3.In an attempt to stem migration of grape berry moth from wild areas into vineyards, Trichogramma ostriniae egg parasitoids were released into diverse vegetation surrounding vineyards. These initial releases were followed by repeated weekly releases of the parasitoid during the second and third generations of the berry moth. Releases targeted the perimeter vines of six vineyards because berry moth damage is largely focused on vines at the margins of vineyards. Berry and cluster damage were evaluated, but showed no differences between vineyards receiving releases of the parasitoid and those not receiving releases. However, the lack of differences within a single year was not surprising considering the confounding factors of varying and multiple insecticidal sprays, poor fruit set, hail damage, and a relatively small number of replications. To test which environmental conditions have an effect on Trichogramma search efficiency, trials were conducted to determine the effect of relative humidity on the search behavior. Two-arm olfactometer studies failed to detect an effect of humidity unless there was a large difference between two humidity regimes, viz. Trichogramma ostriniae preferred high humidity to low humidity, but only when the difference in humidity was greater than approximately 50%. Subsequent no-choice studies in petri dishes are currently being analyzed to determine if host egg acquisition, direction change and search intensity are affected by humidity.

4.We participated in a monitoring network for western bean cutworm, an emerging pest in the northeastern United States. Trap and field monitoring indicated that the cutworm numbers in traps are increasing from year to year, but economic damage has yet to be identified

Goal 3 (Classical Biological Control)

Objective 5. To develop a biological control program for exotic Phragmites australis (R. Casagrande, URI; B. Blossey, Cornell Univ.)

•Outputs: Additional host range tests with increased replicates were conducted in quarantine, confirming host specificity of Archanara geminipuncta and A. neurica. Behavioral tests conducted in Europe supported earlier results that A. geminipuncta and A. neurica oviposit almost exclusively on introduced (USA) Phragmites australis when given a choice between that and the native U.S. subspecies.

• Outcomes: Through 17 years of research, we have selected two European insects which we consider appropriate for release in North America for biological control of Phragmites australis. We have begun writing a release petition for submission to the USDA for field release of Archanara geminipuncta and A. neurica.

Objective 6. To develop a biological control program for swallowworts in North America (R. Casagrande, URI)

• Outputs: We reared and shipped 10,000 Hypena opulenta to Canadian colleagues for release near Ottawa and Toronto, Canada. We also taught these colleagues how to successfully rear this agent. Nearly 20,000 agents were released in Canada last summer. We prepared and submitted two additional documents to US Fish & Wildlife describing potential environmental impacts of releasing H. opulenta in the USA. We prepared a Letter of Concern, endorsed by the three regional research projects on biological control and the IOBC, encouraging expedited processing of release permits by USFWS and USDA-APHIS.

• Outcomes: Hypena opulenta reproduced and caused damage to target plants at both Canadian release sites during the 2004 field season. Samples next spring will determine if it is established.

Objective 7. To establish and evaluate herbivores released against mile-a-minute weed (J. Hough-Goldstein, University of Delaware).

•Outputs (events, publications). New publications include reports assessing use of restoration planting along with the mile-a-minute weevil, Rhinoncomimus latipes, to enhance biological control of mile-a-minute weed (Lake et al. 2014), papers describing the impact of herbivory on mile-a-minute weed seed production and viability (Smith and Hough-Goldstein 2014) and increasing viability of green mile-a-minute seed from late summer through fall (Smith et al. 2014), and one summarizing the performance of field weevils with ones from the mass-reared laboratory colony (Hough-Goldstein et al. 2014).

•Outcomes (change in status of system). During 2014, weevils were reared at different temperatures in growth chambers to determine the lower developmental threshold and the number of degree-days required for development from egg to adult. These results, along with studies of direct and indirect effects of moisture, will be compared to field data to attempt to explain or predict effects of the biocontrol weevils under different environmental conditions.

•Impacts (benefits). Preliminary results suggest that the weevil will be most effective under warm, dry conditions, whereas other control methods might be required when the spring and summer are wet and cool. Objective 8. To develop an effective biological control program for the emerald ash borer (R. Van Driesche, UMASS, with K. Abell and federal cooperators J. Duan, L. Bauer, J. Gould)

• Outputs (events, publications) A key paper (Duan et al., 2014) analyzes (2008-2014) seven years of life table data on the interaction between introduced natural enemies, other mortality factors, and emerald ash borer population growth rates. This analysis showed that the number of live EAB larvae per unit of phloem (bark surface area) had dropped between 2009 and 2014 in our Michigan plots by over 90%, driven by a rise in levels of parasitism, especially of the introduced species, especially Tetrastichus planipennisi (25-30%). A second paper (Abell et al., 20914) compared a new method to measure the impact of the egg parasitoid Oobius agrili to a previous method and found that levels of parasitism in our Michigan release plots is now relatively high (ca 20%) and appears to be rising.

• Outcomes (change in status of system) Tetrastichus planipennisi is now widespread and abundant in study areas in MI and is causing significant (ca 25-30%) levels of larval mortality

• Impacts (benefits) Emerald ash borer population growth rates in our study plots has now fallen nearer to the level of replacement (about 1.5), and the large (>90%) decline in live larval density shows that the population is now collapsing in that area. This is due to both reduction in the ash resource due to EAB-caused tree mortality and to increased mortality from natural enemies suffered by remaining EAB attacking remaining ash trees in plots. Objective 9. To establish and evaluate natural enemies of the hemlock woolly adelgid(J. Elkinton, UMASS; M. Mayer, New Jersey)

• Outputs (see listed publications by Pezet on hemlock tissue chemistry and by Sussky on hemlock woolly adelgid population dynamics

• Outcomes and Impacts. In 2014, the Elkinton lab collected 2500 Laricobius nigrinus beetles from North Carolina where they had been established by way of earlier releases of beetles collected in Seattle. Half of each of these beetles were released at two sites in Massachusetts.

• The Elkinton lab initiated predator exclusion studies in Seattle and in the Cascade Mountains of Washington. The new postdoc Aaron Weed was the leader of this project. Much effort has been devoted to collect and release L. nigrinus at sites throughout the eastern United States. But this is the first time anyone has attempted to document the impact on naturally occurring adelgid populations in the Pacific Northwest. Adelgid populations are fairly high in city environments such as Seattle. We are working in Washington Park Arboretum where we can study adelgid populations and the impact of predators via bag exclusions trials on both eastern and western hemlocks in the park. In the Cascade Mountains, hemlock woolly adelgid is virtually absent from western hemlocks, which dominate the understory vegetation. We created adelgid populations on these trees and put on predator exclusion bags on half of them. We hope this work will lead to a new understanding of adelgid population ecology and the impact of predators on these populations

•We have also joined with researchers in Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia to try and document the impact of L nigrinus on adelgid populations in the East. Again, the approache uses predator exclusion bags. The site we chose was at the Delaware Water Gap in New Jersey in collaboration with Mark Mayer. That is the northernmost site where L nigrinus has been established in significant numbers.

Objective 10. To establish and evaluate natural enemies of the winter moth (J. Elkinton, UMASS)

•Outputs (events, publications).

Three publications (see papers below by Elkinton, Gwiazowski, Simmons).

• Outcomes (change in status of system). The winter moth (Operophtera brumata: Geometridae: Lepidoptera) has continued to spread west and south across Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The insect has expanded along the coast of CT and ME. In 2014, we released 28,000 flies spread over fourteen sites. All the flies were mated and fed before we released them. At each of our Cyzenis release sites from previous years, and at other permanent non-release sites, we continued to monitor year-to-year changes in winter moth density. We collected approximately 16,000 winter moth larvae from these sites and reared them to the adult stage in order to document percent parasitism and establishment of C albicans.

• Impacts (benefits) We recovered C. albicans at all six of the pre-2011 release sites (and 11 of the 15 pre-2013 release sites. Parasitism from C. albicans has reached or exceeded 20% at several of these sites. Until 2012, we had recovered only a handful of flies and parasitism was less than 1%. We have been waiting for C. albicans to cause high levels of mortality, as it did in Nova Scotia in the 1950s, where parasitism surged from 0 to 10% to 60% over a three year period that preceded the general and permanent collapse of winter moth populations there. That is what we need in New England, if C. albicans is going to control winter moth, and we think it is starting to happen. At our site in Wellesley, MA parasitism has now been in the 30-40% range for the past two years. Furthermore, population densities of winter moth at the release site in Wellesley are now far lower than at any of the other sites, where we have been monitoring winter moth densities over the past few years. In Wellesley in 2014, we launched an effort to document the spread of C. albicans from the initial site of release. We collected larvae at 14 sites spread across the town up to more than a mile away from our initial release site. We found levels of parasitism approaching 50% at sites more than a mile from our initial release site. Densities of winter moth have remained low at our initial release site, but were much higher at these peripheral sites. That means we produced millions of C. albicans across the town of Wellesley and these flies are now poised to spread into neighboring towns next year.

Objective 11. To distribute and evaluate Peristenus relictus, a parasitoid of the tarnished plant bug.

No longer an active objective.

Objective 12. To establish and evaluate biological control agents for garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) (B. Blossey, Cornell University)

No longer an active objective

Objective 13. To investigate potential new biological control projects for the northeast.

• Outputs (events, publications). See publications on Japanese beetle parasitoids

• Outcomes (change in status of system)

1. Knotweed Biological Control. Application to APHIS for a permit to release knotweed psyllid (TAG approval obtained) continued to be unresolved. Cooperators Fritzi Grevstad (Oregon) continued to develop and provide additional data and information to reviewing bodies.

2. Plum Curculio: (A. Agnello, NYS Agric. Expt. Sta., Geneva, New York). During 2014, an eighth site (a research orchard) was added to the group of apple orchards inoculated with persistent NY strains of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) as biological control agents of plum curculio. Follow-up evaluations of soil core samples have determined successful establishment of these native NY EPNs at adequate levels in all sites following a single application/ inoculation. Plum curculio larval bioassays were continued during the 2014 season, with results in several of the orchard sites indicating levels of PC mortality approaching those seen in plots where nematodes were treated directly by hand, indicating that the EPN populations may ultimately contribute significantly to the reduction of PC numbers and damage in these test sites. Fruit quality assessments in the longest-established research plots show further decreases in PC-damaged fruits compared with untreated orchard sections. Results were shared with grower and researcher audiences at several grower meetings, including organic fruit production conferences and workshops, as well as at an international (IOBC) conference on pome fruit and stone fruit production.

3. Japanese Beetle. (A. Legrand, Univ. of CT). Tiphia vernalis (Spring Tiphia) and Tiphia popilliavora (summer Tiphia) were introduced as part of the biological control effort against Japanese beetle. The objective of a study completed during this report period was to determine if the use of peonies in the landscape can conserve and enhance parasitism of Japanese and oriental beetle grubs in turfgrass. Results from this project indicate that peonies are the best plants to provide nectar to the Tiphia vernalis. We found that in 2 out of 3 years, more grubs were parasitized in areas 1 meter away from the peonies as compared to areas 30 meters away from the peonies. A second study completed examined the influence of host species and location in the host detection ability of tiphiid wasps. Tiphia popilliavora wasps were able to successfully discriminate the trails containing either Japanese beetle larvae body odor or frass from trails without cues. Japanese beetle frass trails elicited stronger responses than body-odor trails. In addition, we also determined the detection of host cues by tiphiid wasps in a dual-choice test for cues presented at varying soil depths. Tiphia vernalis and T. popilliavora were able to detect Japanese beetle cues significantly more often when cues were buried at a depth of 2 cm whereas wasps were unable to detect oriental beetle cues at a depth of 2 cm. Neither Tiphia wasps could respond to cues buried at a depth of 5 cm. A possible explanation for this inability may be that host-derived substances may travel only short distances through soil and may act as contact cues for host searching.

• Impacts (benefits). Nothing to report

Goal 4 (Evaluation and Education)

Objective 14. To distribute information on the successful biological control of the birch leafminer throughout the northeastern states (R. Casagrande, URI)

No longer an active objective

Objective 15. To provide web-based information for growers, landscape managers, educators, and students on biological control programs (Tony Shelton, Cornell University)

• Outputs (events, publications). The highly popular web site, Natural Enemies: a Guide to Biological Control Agents in North America, http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ent/biocontrol, is the most widely accessed web site on biological control according to Google. It is accessed by students from grade school to graduate school, and by the general public and the scientific community. Through this site, field workers attempting to initiate programs are able to find researchers who can guide them. Contributors are enthusiastic about this project and the public response to it, and often answer questions from site visitors.

• Outcomes (change in status of system). We continue to add units on additional biological control agents on a regular basis and are in the process of adding one on Bacillus thuringiensis.

• Impacts (benefits). We continue to get about 50,000 hits per month on the site. This attests to the sites popularity.

Abell, K. J., L. S. Bauer, J. J. Duan, and R. G. Van Driesche. 2014. Long-term monitoring of the introduced emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) egg parasitoid, Oobius agrili (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), in Michigan, USA and evaluation of a newly developed monitoring technique Biological Control 79: 36–42.

Duan, J. J., K. J. Abell, L. S. Bauer, J. Gould and R. Van Driesche. 2014. Natural enemies implicated in the regulation of an invasive pest: a life table analysis of the population dynamics of the emerald ash borer. Agricultural and Forest Entomology 79: 36-42. published on line DOI: 10.1111/afe.12070

Casagrande, R. A., F. S. Chew, and R. G. Van Driesche. 2014. Ecological traps and weed biological control, pp. 105-11. In: Impson, F. A. C, C. A. Kleinjan, and J. H. Hoffmann (eds.). Proceedings of the XIV International Symposium on Biological Control of Weeds. 2-7 March, 2014. Krugar National Park, South Africa. University of Cape Town, South Africa.

Elkinton, J. S, A. M. Liebhold, G. H. Boettner and M. Sremac. 2014. Invasion spread of Operophtera brumata in northeastern United States and hybridization with O. bruceata Biol. Invasions 16: 2263-2272.

Gardner, J. and M. P. Hoffmann. 2015. Aerodynamic sorting of insect host eggs for quality assurance in parasitoid mass production. BioControl Science and Technology (accepted).

Gautam, S., D. Olmstead, J-C Tian, H. Collins, and A. M. Shelton. 2014. Tri-trophic studies using Cry1Ac-resistant Plutella xylostella demonstrate no adverse effects of Cry1Ac on the entomopathogenic nematode, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora. Journal of Economic Entomology 107: 115-120.

Gwiazowski, R. S. J. S. Elkinton, J. R. Dewaard and M. Sremac. 2013. Phylogeographic diversity of the winter moths (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Operophtera), O. brumata, and O. bruceata in Europe and North America. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Amer. 106: 143-151.

Herlihy, M. V., D. L. Wagner, and R. G. Van Driesche. 2014. Persistence in Massachusetts of the veined white butterfly due to use of the invasive form of cuckoo flower. Biological Invasions DOI 10.1007/s10530-014-0698-x (published on line in April 2014)

Hough-Goldstein, J., A. R. Stout, and J. A. Schoenstein. 2014. Fitness and field performance of a mass-reared biological control agent, Rhinoncomimus latipes (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Environmental Entomology 43: 923-931.

Kumar, R., J. Tian, S. Naranjo and A. M. Shelton. 2014. Effects of Bt cotton on Thrips tabaci and its predator, Orius insidiosus. Journal of Economic Entomology 107: 927-932.

Lake, E., J. Hough-Goldstein, and V. D’Amico. 2014. Integrating management techniques to restore sites invaded by mile-a-minute weed, Persicaria perfoliata. Restoration Ecology 22: 127-133.

Liu, X. X., M. Chen, H. L. Collins, D. W. Onstad, R. T. Roush, Q. Zhang, E. D. Earle and A.M. Shelton. 2014. Natural enemies delay insect resistance to Bt plants. PLoS One DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0090366

Morton, T. A. L., A. Thorn, J. M. Reed, R. Van Driesche, R. A. Casagrande, F. S. Chew. 2014. Modeling the decline and potential recovery of a native butterfly following serial invasions by exotic species. Biological Invasions in press

McKenzie, E. A. J. S. Elkinton, R. A. Casagrande, E. L. Preisser and M. Mayer. 2014. Terpene chemistry of eastern hemlocks resistant to hemlock woolly adelgid. J. Chem. Ecol. DOI:10.1007/s10886-014-0495-0.

Obeysekara, P. A. 2013. Host Selection of Spring Tiphia (Tiphia vernalis) and Summer Tiphia (Tiphia popilliavora). PhD. Dissertation. University of Connecticut.

Obeysekara, P. T. and A. Legrand. 2014. The influence of host species and location in the host detection ability of Tiphiid (Hymenoptera:Tiphiidae) parasitoids. Environmental Entomology 43: 1594-1602. http://ee.oxfordjournals.org/content/43/6/1594

Pezet, J, and J. S. Elkinton. 2014. Hemlock woolly adelgid (Hemiptera: Adelgidae) induces twig volatiles of eastern hemlock in a forest setting. Environ. Entomol. 43: 1257-1285.

Pezet, J, and J. S. Elkinton. 2014. Hemlock woolly adelgid (Hemiptera: Adelgidae) induces twig volatiles of eastern hemlock in a forest setting. Environ. Entomol. 43: 1257-1285.

Simmons, M. J., T. D. Lee, M. J. Ducey, J S. Elkinton, G H. Boettner, and K. J. Dodds. 2014. Effects of invasive winter moth defoliation on tree radial growth in eastern Massachusetts. Insects 5: 301-318.

Smith, J.R, and J. Hough-Goldstein. 2014. Impact of herbivory on mile-a-minute weed (Persicaria perfoliata) seed production and viability. Biological Control 76: 60-64.

Smith, J.R., J. Hough-Goldstein, and E.C. Lake. 2014. Variable seed viability of mile-a-minute weed (Devil’s tearthumb, Persicaria perfoliata). Invasive Plant Science and Management 7: 107-112.

Sussky, E. M. and J. S. Elkinton. 2014. Density-dependent survival and fecundity of hemlock woolly adelgid (Hemiptera: Adelgidae). Environ. Entomol. 43: 1157-1167.

Sussky, E. M. and J. S. Elkinton. 2015. Survival and near-extinction during summer aestivation of hemlock woolly adelgid (Hemiptera: Adelgidae) in a hemlock plantation. Environ. Entomol. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvu007.

Tian, J-C., L-P. Long, X-P. Wang, S. Naranjo, J. Romeis, R. Hellmich, P. Wang, and A. M. Shelton. 2014. Using resistant prey demonstrates that Bt plants producing Cry1Ac, Cry2Ab and Cry1F have no negative effects on Geocoris punctipes and Orius insidiosus. Environmental Entomology 43: 242-251.