The mission of the USDA/ARS Biological Control of Insects Research Laboratory (BCIRL), in Columbia, Missouri, is to discover, develop and refine principles and methods to effectively use biological control agents for management of pest populations of insects and weeds.  Specifically included in this mission are evaluation and enhancement of the activity, safety and production of effective beneficial pathogens, parasitoids and predators for biological control.  Current scientists at the BCIRL laboratory include Drs. Thomas Coudron (Biochemistry and Developmental Biology), James Grasela (Pathology, Molecular Biology), Arthur McIntosh (Virology, Cell Biology), Kent Shelby (Entomology, Resistance), and Renée Wagner (Research Leader, Lab Director, Biochemistry) .   We are in the process of hiring another scientist who will conduct research in the area of insect resistance to pathogens.  Drs. Cynthia Goodman (Virology, Cell Biology) and Sandra Brandt (Biochemistry and Natural Products) continued on temporary appointments.

1) Project title: Soybean Aphid (Aphis glycines)

Investigators: Ben Puttler, Wayne Bailey, Tom Clark, Lisa Meihls, Department of Entomology, University of Missouri - Columbia.

Contact: Ben Puttler (puttlerbe@missouri.edu), Wayne Bailey (baileyw@missouri.edu), Tom Clark (clarkth@missouri.edu)

Project description: One new county (Vernon) was added to the distribution of the Soybean Aphid (SBA) in Missouri. Generally speaking, the SBA was not a serious pest in the State. It was detected in late July and early August in central Missouri. These infestations never reached economic thresholds primarily due to predators, especially the minute pirate bug (Orius) and ladybugs (Harmonia axyridis and Coccinella septempunctata). In the northeast a few soybean fields were near threshold (250 SBA/plant). The presence of lady beetles in conjunction with the beans nearing maturity was such that no control measures were warranted. In contrast a few fields in the northwest were treated for the aphid. From mid-to-late May observations were made on seedling (volunteer) buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) on the University of Missouri-Columbia campus. During this period the plants were infested with SBA and buckthorn aphids (the former was ID’d by D. Voegtlin, Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, IL). The parasite ,Lysiphlebus testaccipes, which had been previously reared from the buckthorn aphid on R. cathartica, was again reared. The parasite was reared from the SBA which is the first record of the species from the aphid on its alternate host. The SBA infestation on campus was 1/2 - 1 mile from a small experimental planting of soybeans and 3 - 5 miles from a commercial field.

2) Project title: Diseases of Grubs

Investigator: Ben Puttler, Department of Entomology, University of Missouri - Columbia.

Contact: Ben Puttler (puttlerbe@missouri.edu)

Project description: The milky disease pathogen previously found in masked chafer grubs collected on the turfgrass surface of the golf course has been definitely identified biochemically, in addition to microscopic and pathogenic characteristics, as Paenibacillus popilliae (Dr. D. W. Dingman, Dept. of Biochemistry and Genetics, Comm. Agric. Expt. Sta., New Haven, CT). As in past years, all chafer grubs collected (54) in 2003 were infected with milky disease. Also for the first time (2003), 4 May-June beetle (Phyllophaga sp.) and 1 green June beetle (Cotinis nitada) grubs collected on the turfgrass surface were infected with the same milky disease (P. popilliae). In May 2004, grubs of a Phyllophaga sp. that had destroyed a cornfield were collected. From a sample of 10 grubs examined microscopically, 3 were infected with milky disease.

3) Project title: Lacebugs: Corythucha sp.

Investigator: Ben Puttler & Wayne Bailey, Department of Entomology, University of Missouri - Columbia.

Contact: Ben Puttler (puttlerbe@missouri.edu), Wayne Bailey (baileyw@missouri.edu)

Project description: The oak lace bug (Corythucha arcuata) egg parasite reported last year was a misidentification. It is not Anagrus takeyanus, but an undescribed species in the genus “Erythmelus” (Mymaridae) as determined by S. V. Triapitsyn (Univ of California, Dept of Entomology, Riverside, CA). In addition to the two counties in which Erythmelus was recorded last year, we have reared the parasite from oak lace bug samples collected in 36 counties throughout Missouri. The same parasite species was reared from oak lace bug samples collected in Illinois. We have also extended the host range of the Erythmelus to include the following species of Corythucha: cydoniae (Hawthorn lace bug on Hawthorn and Choke berry), marmorata (chrysanthemum lace bug on aster and goldenrod), ciliata (sycamore lace bug on sycamore). These new hosts of the parasite are primarily from eggs collected on plant species on the University of Missouri campus.

Another undescribed species in the genus Anagrus as per Triapitsyn was reared from C. marmorata eggs collected on aster and goldenrod on the University of Missouri campus.

4) Project title: Hypera postica (Alfalfa weevil), H. meles (clover head weevil), H. nigrirostris (lesser clover leaf weevil)

Investigator: Ben Puttler, Department of Entomology, University of Missouri - Columbia

Contact: Ben Puttler (puttlerbe@missouri.edu)

Project description: The 2003 - 2004 alfalfa weevil season in a central Missouri study field was a reverse of what was observed in 2002 - 2003. Non-diapausing adults were readily collected in October and November and were practically non-existent in the spring. From a sample of 250 adults dissected, 10% were parasitized by Microctonus aethiopoides, the approximate percentage as in the past season but still twice as much as in previous years. No collections of H. meles or H. Nigrirostris were made.

The fungus disease of weevil larvae, Zoophthora phytonomi, was detected in the larval population the last week in April, the earliest it has been observed in over 30 years in central Missouri and, subsequently, produced an epizootic that decimated the population by mid-May prior to the first cutting.

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