Abstract
The bagrada bug, Bagrada hilaris, is an invasive insect pest in the family Brassicaceae that causes economically important damage to crops. It was originally present in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, and was reported as invasive in the southwestern part of the US, in Chile, and on a few islands in the Mediterranean Basin. In its native range, B. hilaris is controlled by several egg parasitoid species that are under consideration as potential biological control agents. This research evaluated the impact of gamma irradiation on life history parameters, e.g., the fecundity, fertility, and longevity of B. hilaris, as a critical step towards assessing the feasibility of using the sterile insect technique against this recent invasive pest. Newly emerged adults of a laboratory colony originally collected from the island of Pantelleria (Italy) were gamma-irradiated. Life history parameters were evaluated at nine different doses, ranging from 16 Gy to 140 Gy. The minimal dose to approach full sterility was 100 Gy. Irradiation up to a maximum of 140 Gy apparently did not negatively impact the longevity of the adults. Even if both genders are sensitive to irradiation, the decline in fecundity for irradiated females could be exploited to release irradiated males safely to apply the SIT in combination with classical biological control. The data presented here allow us to consider, for the first time, the irradiation of bagrada adults as a suitable and feasible technique that could contribute to guaranteeing a safe approach to control this important pest species in agro-ecosystems. More research is warranted on the competitive fitness of irradiated males to better understand mating behavior as well as elucidate the possible mechanisms of sperm selection by polyandric B. hilaris females.
Funder
International Atomic Energy Agency
CRDF Global
Reference56 articles.
1. Biology of painted bug (Bagrada cruciferarum);Singh;Indian J. Agric. Sci.,1993
2. Bioecology of painted bug (Bagrada cruciferarum) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) on seed crop of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis subvar. cauliflora);Verma;Indian J. Agric. Sci.,1993
3. Biology and Management of Painted Bug, Bagrada hilaris (Burmeister) on Rapeseed-Mustard;Madan;PhD Thesis,2015
4. First Report of the Invasive Stink BugBagrada hilaris(Burmeister) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) from New Mexico, with Notes on its Biology
5. Bagrada hilaris (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), An Invasive Stink Bug Attacking Cole Crops in the Southwestern United States