Managing cabbage seedpod weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in canola (Brassicaceae) – are Lygus (Hemiptera: Miridae) affected?

Cabbage seedpod weevil (Ceutorhynchus obstrictus Marsham; Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and Lygus Hahn (Hemiptera: Miridae) species are part of the late season insect pest complex of canola (Brassica Linnaeus; Brassicacea) in the southern prairies of Canada. From 2010 to 2013, large strips in 73 commercial fields were studied in southern Alberta to validate action thresholds for cabbage seedpod weevil and assess the impact of insecticide spraying at the early flower stage for cabbage seedpod weevils on abundance of Lygus at the pod stage. Only fields planted in April accumulated the damaging populations of cabbage seedpod weevils, such that the application of an insecticide resulted in significant yield protection. The economic injury level for the cabbage seedpod weevil was calculated at 20 cabbage seedpod weevils per 10 sweeps, but an action threshold of 25–40 is recommended because sampling mainly occurs along the edge where cabbage seedpod weevils are initially concentrated. At the pod stage, Lygus were lower in strips sprayed with insecticides at the early flower stage than in those not sprayed, but the differences were not statistically significant. Furthermore, Lygus were generally below economically damaging levels in early seeded fields. Therefore, there is no benefit of spraying early seeded fields to attempt to prevent Lygus outbreaks when cabbage seedpod weevils are below thresholds because Lygus may pose a risk only in fields planted later in the season.

The parasitoid communities associated with Ceutorhynchus species (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Ontario and Québec, Canada

Surveys were conducted in Ontario and Québec, Canada to determine the parasitoid communities associated with Ceutorhynchus Germar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) weevil species that are potential nontarget hosts of candidate biological control agents of the cabbage seedpod weevil, Ceutorhynchus obstrictus (Marsham). New host plant associations are documented for Ceutorhynchus americanus Buchanan, Ceutorhynchus neglectus Blatchley, and Ceutorhynchus omissus Fall. More than 18 species of Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera) were associated with six Ceutorhynchus species reared from siliques and stems of Brassicaceae plants. Silique-feeding Ceutorhynchus species supported a more diverse parasitoid community than stem-feeding or root crown-feeding species. The major components of the parasitoid assemblage of the native C. neglectus included Mesopolobus gemellus Baur and Muller, Mesopolobus moryoides Gibson, Trichomalus lucidus (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) and a cryptic species complex previously reported as Necremnus tidius (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). These species, plus Trimeromicrus maculatus Gahan (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) were the main parasitoids attacking the native C. omissus. The major parasitoids associated with the accidently introduced Ceutorhynchus erysimi (Fabricius) and Ceutorhynchus typhae (Herbst) included T. maculatus, the N. tidius species complex, M. gemellus, and M. moryoides. Trichomalus perfectus (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), a major parasitoid of C. obstrictus in Europe, is an accidental introduction first reared in Canada from that host in 2009 and first collected from C. omissus in 2011. Mesopolobus gemellus is shown to have a broad host range. These findings highlight the need for a cautious approach before introducing new biological control agents.