FIRST RECORD OF CINARA (CINARA) CEDRI CEDRI MIMEUR (HEMIPTERA APHIDIDAE) IN BULGARIA

In 2017, damages caused by aphids were observed for the first time on Cedar trees in Bulgaria. In 2020, apterae specimens of Cinara (Cinara) cedri cedri were collected and identified on Cedrus atlantica and C. deodara in seven localities both on young trees in forest nurseries and on old trees in plantations or in green urban systems. The pest appears to be a serious threat to the health status and decorative characteristics of Cedar trees. In case of high population density, the needles are covered with large honeydew secretions and sooty mold.

Egg masses as training aids for spotted lanternfly Lycorma delicatula detection dogs

The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is an invasive species first detected in 2014. The insect feeds on plants causing severe damage in vineyards such as the occurrence of sooty mold fungus that impairs leaf photosynthesis. Currently, there is extensive research on how to track and ultimately prevent the spread of this species. It lays eggs that persist through the winter, while the adults die out, which presents a unique opportunity to enter infested or suspected infested areas to begin quarantine and management of the spread while the species is dormant. Detection dogs may be a tool that can be used to search out the spotted lanternfly egg masses during this overwintering period, however it is not known whether dogs can detect any specific odor from the spotted lanternfly eggs. Moreover, as the eggs are only available during certain times of the year, and hatch based on temperature, finding training aids for the dogs could prove difficult. In this study, we investigated whether three detection dogs could learn the odor from dead spotted lanternfly egg masses and if so, whether that would allow them to recognize live spotted lanternfly egg masses. We found that dogs could be trained to find dead spotted lanternfly egg masses, and could learn to ignore relevant controls, with high levels of sensitivity and specificity (up to 94.6% and 92.8%, respectively). Further, we found that after the training, dogs could find live spotted lanternfly egg masses without additional training and returned to previous levels of sensitivity and specificity within a few sessions. Coded videos of training and testing sessions showed that dogs spent more time at the egg masses than at controls, as expected from training. These results suggest that dead spotted lanternfly egg masses could be a useful training aid for spotted lanternfly detection dogs.

The Whiteflies in Egypt (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)

Whiteflies are the most important pests of economic crops in Egypt causing huge damage to them by their direct feeding, formation of sooty mold on plants and vectoring of plant viruses. An updated list of the 25 species of whiteflies (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) known to occur in Egypt and an identification key are provided.

Orange Spiny Whitefly, Aleurocanthus spiniferus Quaintance (Insecta: Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)

Orange spiny whitefly, Aleurocanthus spiniferus Quaintance, is a native pest of citrus in tropical Asia. In the early 1920s, pest outbreak infestation levels caused Japan to begin a biological control program. Primarily, orange spiny whitefly affects host plants by sucking the sap but it also causes indirect damage by producing honeydew and subsequently promoting the growth of sooty mold. Sooty mold is a black fungus that grows on honeydew. Heavy infestations of orange spiny whitefly, or other honeydew-producing insects such as scales, mealybugs, aphids, and other whitefly species, can cause sooty mold to completely cover the leaf surface and negatively affect photosynthesis. This document is EENY-341, one of a series of Featured Creatures from the Entomology and Nematology Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Published: January 2005. EENY341/IN618: Orange Spiny Whitefly, Aleurocanthus spiniferus (Quaintance) (Insecta: Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) (ufl.edu)