Craig R. Roubos, roubosc@ufl.edu and Oscar E. Liburd, oeliburd@ufl.edu. University of Florida, Entomology and Nematology Department, Bldg 970 Natural Area Drive, Gainesville, FL
Blueberry gall midge, Dasineura oxycoccana Johnson, is a key pest of Rabbiteye blueberry, Vaccinium ashei Reade, in the Southeast. In Florida, adult midges begin emerging in January or early February and females begin to lay eggs in developing flower buds. Larvae feed on bud tissue, killing the buds and reducing the total number of flowers, subsequently affecting yields. The current sampling strategy for D. oxycoccana involves collecting flower buds and counting the larvae that emerge. A method for capturing adult D. oxycoccana could provide earlier indication of infestation compared with the bud collection method. Three trap designs were evaluated to determine the best trap for detecting D. oxycoccana. The designs included an adhesive-coated Petri dish, an oil-coated plastic lid, and an inverted funnel with collection jar. The experimental design was a completely randomized block with four replicates. Traps were spaced 15m apart and approximately 0.3m from blueberry bushes. The trap with an adhesive-covered Petri dish caught significantly more D. oxycoccana adults than the other two trap types. This trap design caught an equal number of males and females. We recorded the first capture of D. oxycoccana on February 10 and peak captures occurred during the third week of February. Overall, the adhesive-coated Petri dish emergence trap demonstrates potential to monitor emergence and other biological activities of D. oxycoccana.
Species 1: Diptera Cecidomyiidae
Dasineura oxycoccana (blueberry gall midge, cranberry tipworm)