The behavioral, ecological, and chemical association of Orius insidiosus (Say) with corn silks
Reid, Craig Derek
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/23364
Description
Title
The behavioral, ecological, and chemical association of Orius insidiosus (Say) with corn silks
Author(s)
Reid, Craig Derek
Issue Date
1989
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Ruesink, William G.
Department of Study
Entomology
Discipline
Entomology
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Biology, Entomology
Language
eng
Abstract
The relationship between Orius insidiosus (Say) and corn silk was investigated and an attempt was made to determine the possibility of using O. insidiosus as an augmentative biological control agent against the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner) and corn earworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie) eggs.
Searching behavior studies demonstrated that encounters of egg prey in the field was by chance contact through a series of random searching maneuvers. Contact elicited several behavioral modifications which included slower speeds and higher turning rates to assure a concentrated search close to successful capture. Field studies demonstrated that O. insidiosus could search for, find and destroy both egg hosts even at a density of 1 predator/plant. O. insidiosus preferred searching in the corn silks first, then on the corn leaves and no searching in the tassel. There were significantly more O. insidiosus adult and nymphs in the corn silks than on any other part of the plant.
In one of two fields, an insecticide was applied 7 days prior to silking to knockdown O. insidiosus populations. Populations peaked during silking in both fields at the same time and magnitude then declined rapidly after the termination of silking. Sticky trap catches of marked mass-released O. insidiosus revealed that more were trapped inside the field during the release time of silking and more were caught outside the field during pre-silking and at dry silks.
A series of olfactometer tests demonstrated O. insidiosus to be attracted to volatile components present in a hexane extract of the corn silks. This attraction was a diurnal, innate behavioral response, independant of sex. Of the 8 components identified in the hexane extract, decanal and nonanal proved to be the most active compounds. A mixture of 1,2,4 trimethoxybenxene, indole and trans-cinnamaldehyde (TIC) was found to be 1.7 times more attractive to O. insidiosus adults than to decanal. Chemical attractants could be a useful tool to monitor or manipulate the behavior of O. insidiosus as to enhance their effectiveness as a biological control agent.
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