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Development of a mechanical sexing system to improve the efficacy of an area‐wide sterile insect release programme to control American serpentine leafminer (Diptera: Agromyzidae) in Canadian ornamental greenhouses
Author(s) -
Sultan Maryam,
Buitenhuis Rose,
Murphy Graeme,
ScottDupree Cynthia D
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
pest management science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.296
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1526-4998
pISSN - 1526-498X
DOI - 10.1002/ps.4494
Subject(s) - sterile insect technique , sexing , pupa , biology , tephritidae , ovipositor , integrated pest management , sterility , pest analysis , horticulture , toxicology , greenhouse , botany , larva , agronomy , zoology , hymenoptera
BACKGROUND American serpentine leafminer ( ASL ), Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess), is a significant pest of greenhouse ornamental crops, and females damage leaf tissue with their ovipositor during feeding and oviposition. The sterile insect technique has been advocated as a non‐chemical alternative to currently available control methods. In area‐wide sterile insect release programmes, males act as true vectors of sterility. Females should be eliminated from a cohort of pupae prior to irradiation to maximise production economics and sterility spread. The aim of this research was to develop a mechanical sexing system based on pupal size to reduce the proportion of ASL females. RESULTS Cumulative frequency distributions were used to examine significant differences in male and female pupal length and dorsal and lateral width distributions. Optimum size cut‐off points based on the largest differences in distribution curves were used to determine the dimensions of three different sieve designs. Sieve pores measuring 1.543 mm by 0.765 mm excluded 76% of female pupae and doubled the proportion of males in the throughput sample. CONCLUSION Pupal sexual dimorphisms identified in this research can be used to design a sieve to aid in reducing the proportion of females prior to irradiation, thus improving the efficacy of an area‐wide sterile insect release programme. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry