Division of Insect Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, U.S.A. 2

Similar documents
Vine Mealybug Biology & Control Strategies

Mealybug Species. Vine Mealybug. Grape and Obscure Mealybugs. Longtailed Mealybug. Pink Hibiscus Mealybug. Gills Mealybug

Sampling program for grape mealybugs improves pest management

Fátima Gonçalves, Cristina Carlos, Susana Sousa, Márcio Nóbrega, José C. Franco, José Manso, António Pinto, Laura Torres

Vineyard Insect Management what does a new vineyard owner/manager need to know?

Biological Control of the Mexican Bean Beetle Epilachna varivestis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) Using the Parasitic Wasp Pediobius foveolatus

Giant whitefly. Perennial Crops. Biological Control Update on. Citrus Leafminer Olive fruit fly. Giant Whitefly. Release

MONITORING WALNUT TWIG BEETLE ACTIVITY IN THE SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY: OCTOBER 2011-OCTOBER 2012

The Vine Mealybug Spreads to Coastal Production Areas

Mealybug Management. Using Lorsban. Advanced Insecticide

Control of Vine Mealybug, Planococcus ficus, in Wine Grapes using New Reduced-risk Insecticides in a Pest Management Program

California Agriculture

Arthropod Management in California Blueberries. David Haviland and Stephanie Rill UC Cooperative Extension, Kern Co. Blueberry Field Day 20 May 2009

Spotted wing drosophila in southeastern berry crops

Studies in the Postharvest Handling of California Avocados

Entomopathogenic fungi on field collected cadavers DISCUSSION Quality of low and high altitude hibernators

Influence of GA 3 Sizing Sprays on Ruby Seedless

Vine Mealybug Control Update Following the Movement of an Insecticide in the Vine

Treating vines after hail: Trial results. Bob Emmett, Research Plant Pathologist

Managing Navel Orangeworm (NOW) in Walnuts. Kathy Kelley Anderson Farm Advisor Stanislaus County

Influence of Cultivar and Planting Date on Strawberry Growth and Development in the Low Desert

Comparing canola and lupin varieties by time of sowing in the Northern Agricultural Region

Biology and phenology of scale insects in a cool temperate region of Australia

MANAGING INSECT PESTS IN BERRIES AND FRUITS. Small Farm School 8 September 2012 Bruce Nelson, CCC Horticulture Department

Corn Earworm Management in Sweet Corn. Rick Foster Department of Entomology Purdue University

2012 Estimated Acres Producers Estimated Production Units Estimated Farm Value Farm Crawfish 182,167 1,251 90,973,725 Lbs.

EFFECT OF CULTURAL MANIPULATION OF "MUMMY" WALNUTS ON WINTER SURVIVAL OF NAVEL ORANGEWORM

Progress Report Submitted Feb 10, 2013 Second Quarterly Report

Non-Structural Carbohydrates in Forage Cultivars Troy Downing Oregon State University

GRAPEVINE. Solutions for the Growing World

Sweet corn insect management by insecticides in Ohio, 2015 Final report 12/31/2015

California Raisin Marketing Board Crop Production Research

Coffee prices rose slightly in January 2019

Metallic Wood Borer in the News. Emerald Ash Borer

Colorado State University Viticulture and Enology. Grapevine Cold Hardiness

Vineyard IPM Scouting Report for week of 26 July 2010 UW-Extension Door County and Peninsular Agricultural Research Station Sturgeon Bay, WI

APPENDIX Thirty Trees Sampling Method for CBB Monitoring

WALNUT HEDGEROW PRUNING AND TRAINING TRIAL 2010

Coffee market continues downward trend

THOUSAND CANKERS DISEASE AND WALNUT TWIG BEETLE IN A THREE YEAR OLD ORCHARD, SOLANO COUNTY

Michigan Grape & Wine Industry Council 2012 Research Report. Understanding foliar pest interactions for sustainable vine management

The Benefits of Insecticide Use: Avocados

Vineyard IPM Scouting Report for week of 15 September 2014 UW-Extension Door County and Peninsular Agricultural Research Station

Mealybugs, a family of soft, oval-bodied

Vivekanandan, K. and G. D. Bandara. Forest Department, Rajamalwatta Road, Battaramulla, Sri Lanka.

Coffee market ends 2017/18 in surplus

Citrus Crop Guide. New registration for citrus gall wasp

Dispersal Behavior of Vine Mealybug (Planococcus ficus) in California Grapevines. Sejin Chung ABSTRACT

Vineyard Site Selection and Layout. Dean Volenberg UW-Extension Door County

Dry Beans XIII-5 Mexican Bean Beetle

Monitoring of Biocontrol. Cane Stalk Borer. Trevor Falloon Sugar Industry Research Institute Kendal Road, Mandeville

2017 SUSTAINABLE AG EXPO

QUARTERLY REVIEW OF THE PERFORMANCE OF THE DAIRY INDUSTRY 1

Metallic Wood Borer in the News. Emerald Ash Borer

The Pomology Post. Hull Rot Management on Almonds. by Brent Holtz, Ph.D., University of California Pomology Advisor

MONTHLY COFFEE MARKET REPORT

2005 Research: Monitoring, Sanitation, and Insect Pest Management in Figs

Seasonal trends in hectares planted, sales volumes on markets and market prices. Pieter van Zyl, Potatoes South Africa

Area-Wide Program to Eradicate the European Grapevine Moth, Lobesia botrana in California, USA.

Detection, Rapid Response and Containment of Coffee Berry Borer

Coffee market remains volatile but lacks direction

Mango Retail Performance Report 2017

Marvin Butler, Rhonda Simmons, and Ralph Berry. Abstract. Introduction

TITLE: SEASONAL PHENOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT OF SPOTTED WING DROSOPHILA IN RASPBERRY CROPS IN NY DEC-2012 PROGRESS REPORT

Final Report. TITLE: Developing Methods for Use of Own-rooted Vitis vinifera Vines in Michigan Vineyards

Light Brown Apple Moth; Biology, monitoring and control

Project leaders: Barbara Bentz and Jim Vandygriff, USDA Forest Service, RMRS, Logan, UT

Vineyard IPM Scouting Report for week of 18 June 2012 UW-Extension Door County and Peninsular Agricultural Research Station Sturgeon Bay, WI

Central Coast Vineyard News

Growing divergence between Arabica and Robusta exports

University of California Cooperative Extension Tulare County. Grape Notes. Volume 3, Issue 4 May 2006

MONTHLY COFFEE MARKET REPORT

IPM Implementation benefits from the partnership between scientists and growers: a case study in a Tuscan wine-growing area

BMSB in Western Region California s and Utah s Increasing Concerns

Current research status and strategic challenges on the black coffee twig borer, Xylosandrus compactus in Uganda

THE THREAT: The disease leads to dieback in shoots and fruiting buds and an overall decline in walnut tree health.

Volatility returns to the coffee market as prices stay low

THOUSAND CANKERS DISEASE of WALNUT: STATUS in CALIFORNIA

Introduction Methods

ALTERNATIVE CONTROL METHODS FOR GRAPE LEAFHOPPER: PART 2 FINAL REPORT 1/22/01

Vineyard IPM Scouting Report for week of 14 May 2012 UW-Extension Door County and Peninsular Agricultural Research Station Sturgeon Bay, WI

Factors to consider when ripening avocado

Whiteflies. Catharine Mannion, Ph.D. University of Florida/IFAS Tropical Res. and Edu. Center

The Bean Plataspid, Megacopta cribraria, Feeding on Kudzu: an Accidental Introduction with Beneficial Effects

Coffee market settles lower amidst strong global exports

Mealybugs have become increasingly important

Mating Disruption an AreawideApproach to Controlling the Borer Complex in cherry

SELF-POLLINATED HASS SEEDLINGS

Managing Insect Pests of Ripening Grapes

Insects in Vegetables: A Review of 2011 and What to Know for 2012

Effect of Planting Date and Maturity Group on Soybean Yield in the Texas South Plains in 2001

Title: Western New York Sweet Corn Pheromone Trap Network Survey

EFFECT OF TOMATO GENETIC VARIATION ON LYE PEELING EFFICACY TOMATO SOLUTIONS JIM AND ADAM DICK SUMMARY

Emerald Ash Borer in Colorado

The Courtship of Honeybees, Buckwheat and Watermelon Blossoms

ALBINISM AND ABNORMAL DEVELOPMENT OF AVOCADO SEEDLINGS 1

MONTHLY COFFEE MARKET REPORT

Problem Set #3 Key. Forecasting

Dry Beans XIII-14. Western Bean Cutworm Larva. Identification (and life cycle/seasonal history)

Coffee Season 2013/14 Finishes in Balance but Deficit Expected Next Year

Transcription:

Abiotic and biotic pest refuges in California vineyards 389 ABIOTIC AND BIOTIC PEST REFUGES HAMPER BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF MEALYBUGS IN CALIFORNIA VINEYARDS K.M. Daane, 1 R. Malakar-Kuenen, 1 M. Guillén, 2 W.J. Bentley 3, M. Bianchi, 4 and D. González, 2 1 Division of Insect Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, U.S.A. 2 Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, California, U.S.A. 3 University of California Statewide IPM Program, Kearney Agricultural Center, Parlier, California, U.S.A. 4 University of California Cooperative Extension, San Luis Obispo, California, U.S.A. INTRODUCTION Four mealybug species cause economic damage in California vineyards. These are the grape mealybug, Pseudococcus maritimus (Ehrhorn); obscure mealybug, Pseudococcus viburni (Signoret); longtailed mealybug, Pseudococcus longispinus (Targioni-Tozzeti); and vine mealybug, Planococcus ficus (Signoret) (Godfrey et al., 22). The grape, obscure, and longtailed mealybugs belong to the Pseudococcus maritimus-malacearum complex a taxonomically close group of mealybugs (Wilkey and McKenzie, 1961). However, while the origins of the grape and longtailed mealybugs are believed to be in North America, the ancestral lines of the obscure mealybug are unclear. Regardless, these three species have been known as pests in North America for nearly years. The vine mealybug, in contrast, was first identified in California in the Coachella Valley in the early 199s (Gill, 1994). It has since spread into California s San Joaquin Valley and central coast regions, with new infestations reported each year. The four species are similar in appearance; however, mealybugs in the P. maritimusmalacearum complex have longer caudal filaments than vine mealybug (Godfrey et al., 22). There are also some biological differences that change the level of economic damage and the effectiveness of biological control agents. For example, mealybugs in the P. maritimus-malacearum complex can feed on the vine s fruit, trunk, canes, or leaves (Geiger and Daane, 21). The vine mealybug feeds on these same plant parts and also on the vine roots, where it finds some protection from temperature extremes and parasitoids (Malakar-Kuenen et al., 21). All four species excrete honeydew as they feed, which promotes sooty mold fungi (Flaherty et al., 1992) and lowers grape bunch quality (Geiger et al., 21). However, the vine mealybug excretes far more honeydew per individual than the three species in the P. maritimus-malacearum complex. Also, vine mealybug can have four to six generations per year (Malakar-Kuenen, 21), nearly twice as many as the grape mealybug (Geiger and Daane, 21), which increases its potential for rapid increase and economic damage. A number of predators have been recorded attacking mealybugs in California. This group includes lady beetles (Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant, Hyperaspis sp. and Scymnus sp.), green lacewings (Chrysopa oculata Say, Chrysopa nigricornis Burmeister, Chrysopa coloradensis Banks, Chrysoperla comanche Banks and Chrysoperla carnea [Stephens]), brown lacewings (Hemerobius californicus Banks), and a cecidomyiid fly (Dicrodiplosis californica Felt) (Daane et al., 1996; Geiger and Daane, 21). Spiders are the most abundant insect predators in California vineyards (Costello and Daane, 1999); however, their role in mealybug control is unknown. While many of these predators are present in vineyards, their ability to provide mealybug control (unless mass-released) has not been demonstrated.

39 Daane et al. Most successful mealybug biological control programs have used encyrtid parasitoids. Indeed, both the grape and longtailed mealybugs have long been reported to be primarily controlled by a complex of encyrtids. For example, Clausen (1924) recorded more than 8% parasitism of grape mealybug in the San Joaquin Valley; five species were reported, with Zarhopalus corvinus (Girault) being the dominant parasitoid. Recent surveys showed that the two dominant species are Acerophagus notativentris (Girault) and Pseudaphycus angelicus (Howard) (Daane et al., 1996, Geiger and Daane, 21). In contrast, no parasitoids were reared from thousands of obscure mealybugs collected from central coast vineyards between 1992 and 1994 (Daane, unpub.). Similarly, initial surveys showed low parasitism levels of the vine mealybug in the Coachella Valley (González, unpub.). Here, we discuss the effectiveness of recent classical biological control efforts against the obscure and vine mealybugs. In 1996, two parasitoids of the obscure mealybug, Pseudaphycus flavidulus (Brethes) and Leptomastix nr sp. epona, were imported into California, cleared through quarantine, and released into central coast vineyards between 1997 and 1999. Recoveries of both species were made during the release period. In a separate program, coordinated by D. González, parasitoids were imported for vine mealybug control (González, 1998). Five parasitoid species were imported, including Anagyrus pseudococci (Girault) and Leptomastidea abnormis (Girault). These last two species appeared to be the most effective and were the ones released in the Coachella Valley (both parasitoid species were already present in California but the imported material is considered to be better adapted to desert conditions, González, unpub.). For both the obscure and vine mealybug programs, the low levels of parasitism observed were attributed, in part, to ant interference. Ants collecting honeydew from homopterans have long been known to interfere with parasitoid activity (e.g., Bartlett, 1961; Traniello, 1989). Here, we compare parasitoid effectiveness in projects against the obscure mealybug (central coast) and vine mealybug (Coachella Valley and San Joaquin Valley). We discuss the different regional influences caused by different ant species and mealybug biology. Finally, we discuss the importance host refuge size (from parasitoids) and the role ants might play as a biological force in the expansion of host refuges. MATERIAL AND METHODS Field Sites Obscure mealybug. In 1999, two vineyards were used to determine (1) the establishment and the effectiveness of P. flavidulus and L. epona releases in the central coast region (San Luis Obispo County) and (2) the influence of the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr), on parasitoid effectiveness and distribution. At each vineyard, a 1-acre block (12 rows by 5 vines) was selected in which 3, five-vine plots were established. Treatments (ants or no ants) were assigned in a randomized block design. Ants were excluded by coating the basal 6-9 cm of the vine trunk with Tanglefoot (Tanglefoot, Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.A.), which was reapplied weekly. On each sample date, one vine from each five-vine plot was sampled. Samples were taken throughout the season on a biweekly or monthly schedule, depending on seasonal ant activity. In 21, a survey of mealybugs and parasitoid activity was made at the release sites and surrounding vineyards to determine parasitoid establishment and effectiveness.

Abiotic and biotic pest refuges in California vineyards 391 Vine mealybug. Field studies were conducted in 2 and 21 in vineyards in two disparate grape growing regions: three vineyards in the Coachella Valley (Riverside County) and three vineyards in the San Joaquin Valley (Fresno County). Previous observations suggested that levels of ant tending and parasitoid activity varied greatly between these two regions. Therefore, the goal of this study was to compare vine mealybug and parasitoid population dynamics between the desert region (Coachella Valley) and the cooler San Joaquin Valley. At each location three blocks were studied to determine (1) the seasonal abundance and within-vine distribution of the vine mealybug and its parasitoids and (2) the influence of ants on parasitoid efficiency. Ants present were Solenopsis xyloni McCook and Formica aerata (Françoeur) in the San Joaquin Valley and Formica perpilosa Wheeler and Solenopsis molesta (Say) in the Coachella Valley. The six vineyards sampled represented three cultivars (Thompson Seedless, Flame Seedless, and Superior), and both drip and furrow irrigation systems; however, none of the vineyards were treated with insecticides for mealybug control and in each vineyard the sample methodology for mealybugs was similar between and within each region. Mealybug, Parasitoid, and Ant Sampling There are no simple and effective methods to monitor most mealybug species (but see Millar et al., 22). For both the obscure and vine mealybug studies we used a combination of timed counts and destructive sampling techniques (see Geiger and Daane, 21). We used timed counts to estimate mealybug numbers. Each vine was divided into sections (e.g., lower trunk, cordon [the horizontal supporting arms or scaffolding of the vine], canes, leaves, grape bunches), and each section was searched for 3 or 5 minutes (sample-time varied between years and projects). The developmental stage and condition (alive or parasitized) of all mealybugs found were recorded. To complement these timed counts, we periodically took destructive samples in which all the bark, grape canes, leaves, spurs and fruit bunches on each of three vines (in each vineyard) was collected. The material was brought to the laboratory and dissected to determine the number, developmental stage and condition of the mealybugs. With the exception of crawlers, all mealybugs in samples were held for parasitoid emergence. Information about parasitoids was collected during both the timed samples and the destructive samples. Additionally, each month we collected ca mealybugs (all stages pooled, from second instars through adults), which were placed individually in gelatin capsules and held for parasitoid emergence. In the vine mealybug study, we also collected mealybugs from (1) exposed locations (e.g., leaves or grape bunches) and (2) hidden locations (e.g., deep under the bark). These mealybugs were also held in gelatin capsules for parasitoid emergence. Ant foraging activities were estimated by a 2-minute timed count of ants moving up and down the trunk or along the cordon. The presence of foraging ants was also noted on different vine sections. RESULTS Obscure Mealybug Surveys in 21 found evidence that P. flavidulus had established, but L. epona was not recovered. Mealybug densities were high (more than 2% of grape bunches were infested) unless the vineyard block had been treated with an insecticide. Pseudaphycus flavidulus was found in four of six vineyard blocks surveyed, including the two release sites. Levels of parasitism were low (with less than 5% of the observed mealybugs being mummified).

392 Daane et al. 12 Mealybugs / 5 min. sample 8 6 4 2 Ant-excluded Ant-tended Parasitism (%) / 5 min. sample 8 6 4 2 Ant-excluded Ant-tended Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Figure 1. Ant exclusion trial in a central coast vineyard showed significantly more mealybugs on ant-tended vines. Edna Valley Vineyards, San Luis Obispo, California, 1999. Figure 2. Ant exclusion trial in a central coast vineyard showed significantly less parasitoid activity on anttended vines. Edna Valley Vineyards, San Luis Obispo, California, 1999. In all vineyard blocks that were infested with mealybugs, there were also large populations of the Argentine ant. In one of the ant exclusion trials (Edna Valley Vineyards), the Tanglefoot barrier effectively prevented ants from foraging on treated vines. Mealybug densities were significantly reduced (Fig. 1) and parasitism levels increased (Fig. 2) when ants were completely excluded. At the site of this trial, 72% of all parasitoids recovered were P. flavidulus and 18% were L. epona. In the second vineyard block with an ant exclusion trial (McGregor Vineyard), the Argentine ant population was much larger and ants occasionally broke through the sticky barriers by walking over a bridge of dead ants, even though the Tanglefoot was reapplied weekly. At that site, the between-treatment differences in mealybug density and percentage parasitism were not nearly as great (data not shown). When ant exclusion was only partial, only P. flavidulus was recovered. In laboratory experiments, P. flavidulus was more efficient at foraging for mealybugs in the presence of the Argentine ant, as compared with L. epona (data not provided). Vine Mealybug Seasonal abundance and distribution. In the Coachella Valley, vine mealybug density increased rapidly to an early peak in April, followed by a rapid decline after harvest (from late April through June in the Coachella Valley) and then a relatively low, but steady density for the remainder of the season (Fig. 3). For the three vineyards monitored, peaks in crawler density suggest the occurrence of four generations (data not provided).

Abiotic and biotic pest refuges in California vineyards 393 Average VMB / vine / timed count 125 75 5 25 Harvest Immatures Adult females Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Oct Figure 3. Seasonal abundance of immature (crawlers excluded) and adult vine mealybug in the Coachella Valley. Data combined from three vineyard blocks sampled in Coachella and Thermal, California, 21. 8 Bunch Leaf VMB distribution (%) 6 4 2 New Cane Old Cane Cordon Upper Trunk Lower Trunk Root Apr 14 May 11 Jun 15 Jul 14 Aug 14 Sept 1 Oct 23 Nov 29 Figure 4. Vine mealybug population distribution (%) on the vine in the Coachella Valley. Note a continual presence of mealybugs on the roots. Data combined from three vineyard blocks sampled in Coachella and Thermal, California, 21. Changes in the vine mealybug within-vine distribution showed greater seasonal variation than did mealybug density. The most notable aspect of the within-vine distribution is that some vine mealybugs were found on the roots on all sample dates (Fig. 4). The proportion of the mealybug population on the roots was smallest during the late April through June period, when grape bunches are maturing and when the mealybug density was peaking. As the vine mealybug population entered the warmest summer months the proportion of the population found underground and on the lower portion of the vine trunk increased These data suggest that the vine mealybug was seeking protection (probably from heat) underground. There was also a clear association with ants, and we believe the underground habitat would not be nearly as suitable if not for ants (mostly F. perpilosa) tending the mealybugs and improving the underground habitat by moving soil away from the root sections and creating small caverns for mealybugs along the ant trails. The ants also removed honeydew, which kept the underground refuge habitable. Above ground, most of the vine mealybug feeding, even on the new canes, was under a thin bark layer. In fact, very few of the mealybugs were ever truly in exposed locations (leaves and fruit) for long periods. The greatest period of exposure was from May to June, when the mealybugs began feeding on leaves and grape bunches. Ants did not tend these sections as consistently or aggressively as those they did the roots and trunk sections.

394 Daane et al. In the San Joaquin Valley, the vine mealybug seasonal abundance pattern showed an initial increase about one month later than in the Coachella Valley (compare Figs. 3 and 5). Unlike in the Coachella Valley, mealybug abundance continued to increase until July and August, followed by a reduction in August and September (Fig. 5). The late-season reduction was not accompanied by an increase in summer temperatures but was associated with increased parasitism levels. All stages were found throughout the summer feeding on leaves and canes in exposed locations, suggesting that San Joaquin Valley temperatures had little affect on vine mealybug densities. For example, there appears to be five to six generations per year in the San Joaquin Valley, which is one or two more than in the Coachella Valley. These results suggest that vine mealybug may have upper temperature thresholds that either slow development or increase mortality (masking the increase in density of each new generation) of the vine mealybug populations in the Coachella Valley. Average VMB / vine / timed count 5 4 3 2 Immatures Adult females Harvest Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Oct Figure 5. Seasonal abundance of immature (crawlers excluded) and adult vine mealybug in the San Joaquin Valley. Data are from a raisin vineyard near Del Rey, California, 21. VMB Distribution on the Vine, Whole-vine Samples Thompson Seedless 75 5 25 Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Oct Distribution of VMB Population (%) per Section Bunch Leaf New Cane Old Cane Cordon Upper Trunk Lower Trunk Root Figure 6. Vine mealybug population distribution (%) on the vine in the San Joaquin Valley. Data are from a raisin vineyard near Del Rey, California, 21. In both the Coachella and San Joaquin valleys, there was a seasonal movement of mealybugs vertically up the vines that corresponded with warmer spring temperatures and the maturation of the grape crop. However, in contrast with the Coachella Valley, few mealybugs overwintered on the roots in the San Joaquin Valley. In fact, the greatest proportion of the vine mealybug population was

Abiotic and biotic pest refuges in California vineyards 395 found on the upper trunk, cordon, or canes (Fig. 6). Perhaps more surprising, there was no summer migration down to cooler areas underneath the soil during the months of July and August, as was found in the Coachella Valley vineyards. Throughout the growing season, a significant proportion of vine mealybugs remained on the canes and the leaves in exposed positions. As in the Coachella Valley, in the San Joaquin Valley the ants (F. aerata and S. xyloni) tended mealybugs more extensively near the ground level. While ants were observed on the trunk, leaves, and canes, the mealybugs in those locations were left unattended for longer periods. Unlike in the Coachella Valley, in the San Joaquin Valley we did not observe a close association between ants (F. aerata and S. xyloni) and mealybugs at the base of the vine s trunk. Resident parasitoid effectiveness. In the Coachella Valley, mummies or parasitoids were recovered from March through September. Two encyrtid primary parasitoids were recovered A. pseudococci (75% of all recovered parasitoids) and L. abnormis (13%) as well as a signiphorid hyperparasitoid, Chartocerus sp. (12%). Levels of parasitism were low, never exceeding 12% of the collected mealybugs on any sample date. Anagyrus pseudococci and L. abnormis were recovered at the end of March and then sporadically until the beginning of October. No parasitism was observed from mid-october until March in the following season. While the largest numbers of mealybugs were on the roots and lower trunk during most of the season, no parasitoids were recovered from the root zone, and very few were recovered from the lower trunk (Fig. 7). However, other researchers have found mummified mealybugs in the root zone (K. Godfrey, California Department of Food and Agricultural, pers. comm.); although the mealybugs may have been parasitized above ground and then later moved or were carried by ants underground. Parasitoid Complex & Distribution, 21 Season, Coachella Valley Parasites emergence (%) 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Bunch Leaf New Cane Old Cane Cordon Upper Trunk Lower Trunk Total Anagyrus Leptomastidea Chartocerus Root Figure 7. Data combined from all sample methodologies and all vineyards sampled show no parasitoids were recovered from the root sections. Coachella and Thermal, California. 21 season. Parasitism levels were much greater in the San Joaquin Valley (Fig. 8) than in the Coachella Valley, with A. pseudococci being the dominant parasitoid. From biweekly collections of live mealybugs, the first parasitoids were reared from February collections; however, the percentage parasitism remained low (less than 2%) until June. As the mealybugs moved to the leaves in July, there was a dramatic increase in parasitism to 7-8% of exposed vine mealybugs. By late October, the only live mealybugs were those in hidden locations, deep under the bark and inside the feeding holes of wood boring larvae. Of these mealybugs in hidden locations, less than 2% were parasitized (data combined from all three vineyards sampled). Corresponding to the seasonal period of increased parasitism, we found the greatest proportion of vine mealybug population had moved to feeding locations on the

396 Daane et al. Vine Mealybug Parasitism in the San Joaquin Valley, 21 Season Parasitism (%) of Live Mealybugs 75 5 25 May 17 Jun 26 July 11 July 2 July 27 Aug 3 Aug 1 Aug 17 Aug 24 Aug 31 Oct 23 Nov 16 Figure 8. In the San Joaquin Valley, there was high parasitoid activity after August. Most (greater than 9%) parasitoids recovered were Anagyrus pseudococci. Sanger, California. 21 season. canes and leaves, which often placed them in exposed locations. While foraging F. aerata were present on almost every vine, the ants only occasionally tended mealybugs in the upper vine sections. In terms of available refuge, these mealybugs were leaving vine sections where either the vine structure or the foraging ants provided relatively good protection from parasitoids and moving to sections that were more exposed to parasitoids, perhaps for a better food source. DISCUSSION For both the obscure mealybug on the central coast of California and the vine mealybug in the Coachella Valley, parasitism levels were low. Data collected on percentage parasitism in ant exclusion studies and from observations made on ant foraging suggest that ants reduced parasitoid effectiveness. As noted previously, ants have long been associated with the interference of biological control. However, comparing the ant tending in the three mealybug studies (central coast, Coachella Valley and San Joaquin Valley), we found very different types of ant-mealybug-parasitoid interactions. In the central coast, the Argentine ant populations were extremely dense throughout the vine, providing an almost continual tending of all mealybugs present anywhere on the vine. In the Coachella Valley, the dominant ant (F. perpilosa) was very active near the vine trunk and provided a better underground habitat (on the vine roots) for the mealybugs by creating free space in their network of tunnels and removing honeydew in this enemy-free space. This close association between ant and mealybug became crucial during seasonal periods when most vine mealybugs were underground or near the soil surface. In the Central Valley, the primary ants (F. aerata and S. xyloni) did not appear to have as close an association with the vine mealybug as ant species in the other regions studied. Formica aerata, in particular, provided neither improved shelter nor constant tending and honeydew removal. In this region, as the vine mealybugs moved up the vine and onto the leaves, they were more exposed to parasitism. Still, high rates of parasitism late in the season were not enough to provide economic control (Malakar- Kuenen and Daane, unpub.). We think that a better understanding of the effects of foraging ants can be had by describing the area of refuge that they provide to mealybugs. In refuge theory (enemy-free space), the proportion of the host (here, mealybug) population in a refuge is immune to attack from natural enemies (Hawkins et al., 1993); therefore, a large refuge allows a greater proportion of the host population to escape natural enemies. We found that mealybug-tending ants in the three systems studied created different sized refuges from parasitoids. In the central coast vineyards studied, the obscure mealybug was in exposed locations on leaves or canes during a good portion of the season. However the aggres-

Abiotic and biotic pest refuges in California vineyards 397 sive tending by Argentine ants created a large biological refuge that covered almost the entire vine. In the Coachella Valley, the vine mealybug was not in exposed locations for much of the season, with a large proportion of the population residing underground on the roots throughout the year. This underground habitat was created or improved by mealybug tending ants, especially F. perpilosa, which clearly enlarged the root habitat available for vine mealybug and moved mealybugs throughout the protective refuge. In the San Joaquin Valley, the two ant species found associated with the vine mealybug (F. aerata and S. xyloni) were neither in larger numbers, like the Argentine ant in the central coast vineyards, or in close association with the mealybugs, like F. perpilosa in the Coachella Valley. As a larger proportion of the San Joaquin Valley vine mealybug population moved onto exposed locations during the summer months, there was no corresponding movement of F. aerata with the mealybugs, which were left exposed and available to A. pseudococci attack. In this study, we investigated three different mealybug systems in California vineyards, all three with important ant-mealybug interactions. In each case there was a different relationship between ants, mealybugs, and their parasitoids. These results would not have been predicted from a literature review or observations in other regions. For one of our studied insects, the vine mealybug, parasitoids are reported to play an important role in pest suppression (Berlinger, 1977; Duso, 1989). However, the prolonged periods of underground habitation, with ant tending, are not reported for vineyards in other regions. Similarly, while a certain level of parasitoid mortality from foraging ants might be predicted to occur anywhere, the size and aggressiveness of California populations of the invasive Argentine ant, while tending the obscure mealybug, are not duplicated in the ant s South American home range, making field comparisons of impact on parasitoids difficult. We have often observed Argentine ants to catch and kill adults of P. flavidulus and L. epona immediately after their release. Other researchers have also observed homopteran-tending ants disturbing or killing adult parasitoids (Hübner and Völkl, 1996; Heimpel et al., 1997; Völkl and Kroupa, 1997; Barzman and Daane, 21), but placing this interference in the context of a biological increase in the pest refuge has not been commonly discussed. These data illustrate that it is difficult to predict natural enemy effectiveness before field release from observations of natural enemy effectiveness in the country of origin or in the laboratory. REFERENCES Bartlett, B. R. 1961. The influence of ants upon parasites, predators, and scale insects. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 54: 543-551. Barzman, M. S. and K. M. Daane. 21. Host-handling behaviours in parasitoids of black scale, Saissetia oleae (Homoptera: Coccidae): a case for ant-mediated evolution. Journal of Animal Ecology 7: 232-24. Berlinger, M. J. 1977. The Mediterranean vine mealybug and its natural enemies in Southern Israel. Phytoparasitica 5: 3-14. Clausen, C. P. 1924. The parasites of Pseudococcus maritimus (Ehrhorn) in California (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea). Part II. Biological studies and life history. University of California Publications in Entomology 3: 223-292. Costello, M. J. and K. M. Daane. 1999. Abundance of spiders and insect predators on grapes in central California. Journal of Arachnology 27: 531-538. Daane, K. M., D. González, M. Bianchi, W. J. Bentley, K. E. Godfrey, D. Powell, J. Ball, K. S. Hagen, S. Triapitsyn, E. Reeves, P. A. Phillips, A. L. Levin, and G. Y. Yokota. 1996. Mealybugs in grape vineyards. Grape Grower 28(5): 1, 12. Duso, C. 1989. Indagini bioecologiche su Planococcus ficus (Sign.) nel Veneto (Indigenous bioecology of P. ficus in the Veneto region). Bollettino del Laboratorio di Entomologia Agraria Filippo Solvestri 46: 3-2.

398 Daane et al. Flaherty, D. L., L. P. Christensen, and W. T. Lanini. 1992. Mealybugs, pp. 159-165. In Flaherty, D.L., L. P. Christensen, W. T. Lanini, J. J. Marois, P. A. Phillips, and L. T. Wilson (eds.). Grape Pest Management. University of California Division of Agricultural and Natural Resources Publication No. 3343, Oakland, California, U.S.A. Geiger, C. A. and K. M. Daane. 21. Seasonal movement and sampling of the grape mealybug, Pseudococcus maritimus (Ehrhorn) (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae), in San Joaquin Valley vineyards. Journal of Economic Entomology 94: 291-31. Geiger, C. A., K. M. Daane, and W. J. Bentley 21. Development of a sampling program for improved management of the grape mealybug. California Agriculture 55(3): 19-27. Gill, R. 1994. Vine mealybug. California Plant Pest and Disease Report Jan-June 1994: 8. Godfrey, K. E., Daane, K. M., Bentley, W. J., Gill, R. J, and Malakar-Kuenen, R. 22. Mealybug in California vineyards. University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Publication 21612. Oakland, CA. González. D. 1998. Biological control of the vine mealybug in the Coachella Valley. California Table Grape Commission Annual Report. Vol. 26: 4 pages. Hawkins, B. A., M. B. Thomas, and M. E. Hochberg. 1993. Refuge theory and biological control. Science 262: 1429-1432. Heimpel, G. E., J. A Rosenheim, and M. Mangel. 1997. Predation on adult Aphytis parasitoids in the field. Oecologia 11: 346-352. Hübner, G. and W. Völkl. 1996. Behavioral strategies of aphid hyperparasitoids to escape aggression by honeydew-collecting ants. Journal of Insect Behavior 9: 143-157. Malakar-Kuenen, R., K. M. Daane, K. E. Godfrey, J. C. Ball, W. J. Bentley, G. Y. Yokota, M. A. Martin, and D. González. 21. Population dynamics of the vine mealybug and its natural enemies in the Coachella and San Joaquin Valleys. University of California, Kearney Plant Protection Group, Plant Protection Quarterly 11(2): 1-5. Millar, J. G., Daane, K. M., McElfresh, J. S., Moreira, J., Malakar-Kuenen, R., Guillen, M., and Bentley, W. J. 22. Development and optimization of methods for using sex pheromone for monitoring the mealybug Planococcus ficus (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae) in California vineyards. Journal of Economic Entomology 95(4): 76-714. Traniello, J. F. A. 1989. Foraging strategies of ants. Annual Review of Entomology 34: 191-21. Völkl, W. 1992. Aphids or their parasitoids: Who actually benefits from ant-attendance? Journal of Animal Ecology 61: 273-281. Völkl, W. and A. S. Kroupa. 1997. Effects of adult mortality risks on parasitoid foraging tactics. Animal Behaviour 54: 349-359. Wilkey, R. F. and H. L. McKenzie. 1961. Systematic status of the Pseudococcus maritimusmalacearum complex of mealybugs (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae). California Department of Agriculture Bulletin 5: 245-249.