Originating in South America, the pea leafminer (Liriomyza huidobrensis) has been a pest of vegetable and ornamental crops in southern Ontario since 1999. Several common crops in the area have incurred extensive economic losses, especially celery and spinach. There are currently few available means of effective control. Host plant preference among eight previously reported host crops was observed under field conditions during the summer of 2001 in the Bradford region of Ontario. Preference was determined on both young and mature foliage by quantitatively measuring stippling and mining damage per cm2. The biological activity of adult leafminers was observed at the same location under high pest pressure using celery as a host. We compared leafminer responses to synthetic colours and to colours of eight host crops. Sticky traps were used to compare leafminer response to four synthetic colours (white, blue, yellow and green). Diel activity was determined over a twenty-four hour period using yellow sticky traps. Beginning at 0600, the numbers of male and female leafminers captured on sticky traps were recorded at two-hour intervals. An understanding of leafminer behaviour will aid in the development of effective control strategies for the pea leafminer in southern Ontario.
Species 1: Diptera Agromyzidae Liriomyza huidobrensis (pea leafminer)
Keywords: insect behaviour
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA