DPI's Bureau of Entomology, Nematology and Plant Pathology (the botany section is included in this bureau) produces TRI-OLOGY six times a year, covering two months of activity in each issue. The report includes detection activities from nursery plant inspections, routine and emergency program surveys, and requests for identification of plants and pests from the public. Samples are also occasionally sent from other states or countries for identification or diagnosis.
Section Reports
Our Mission…getting it done
The Division of Plant Industry is composed of five bureaus that employ over 600 scientists, environmental specialists, agricultural and laboratory technicians along with administrative and support staff. Our mission is to protect Florida’s native and commercially grown plants and the state’s apiary industry from harmful pests and diseases.
In 2009, new pests and diseases arrived while others spread to new counties. A few of the pests we encountered this year are listed below. More information about these and other pests is available from DPI Pest Alerts at http://www.fl-dpi.com/enpp/pi-pest-alert.html.
Spotted Wing Drosophila, Drosophila suzukii, was first found in Florida in rural Hillsborough County in August 2009. Crops potentially at risk in Florida include thin-skinned fruits such strawberries, blackberries and blueberries.
Laurel Wilt Disease is a deadly disease of redbay (Persea borbonia) and other tree species in the laurel family (Lauraceae). The disease is caused by a fungus (Raffaelea lauricola) that is introduced into host trees by a non-native insect, the redbay ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus). More information is available from our Save The Guac Campaign.
Another Asian Ambrosia Beetle, Xyleborinus andrewesi, was recently collected in Ft. Myers, Florida from a sugar apple (Annona squamosa) tree. Xyleborinus andrewesi is widely distributed throughout the Old World tropics and has been reported from Hawaii, Cuba and Jamaica.
The Africanized honey bee (AHB) population has grown and will continue to grow in Florida due to its numerous pathways into the state and the lack of effective eradication products or techniques.
Mikania micrantha, mile-a-minute, Chinese creeper, or bittervine is a serious agricultural and environmental weed and is included on the Noxious Weed Lists of the USDA and several states, including Florida. In November 2009, it was detected in Miami-Dade County for the first time in the Continental United States.
The Ligurian leafhopper, Eupteryx decemnotata, was intercepted on topiary rosemary plants from California. This species has recently experienced rapid range expansion. It is a pest of herbs in the mint family including rosemary, sage, marjoram, catnip, mint and oregano.
We welcome your comments and suggestions for improvement on the new format of TRI-OLOGY. Please feel free to contact me or Dr. Patti Anderson and let us know.
Wayne N. Dixon, Ph.D., editor
Assistant Director, DPI
Highlights
Following are a few of the notable entries from this volume of TRI-OLOGY. These entries are reports of interesting plants or unusual pests, some of which may be problematic. See Section Reports for complete information.
Vatiga illudens (Drake) (cassava lace bug), a Continental United States record, was found on Manihot esculenta (cassava), growing at a private residence. This species is one of two cassava lace bug species in the genus Vatiga that are economic pests of the crop in the Neotropics.
Gowdeyana punctifera Malloch (a soldier fly), a State record, was reared on bark beetle-infested avocado logs. The species is widespread in the United States and also occurs in Mexico. Larvae of this and most other known members of the soldier fly subfamily, Pachygastrinae, are found under bark of dead or dying trees. It has been stated that larvae are predaceous on bark beetles.
Sobarocephala quadrimaculata (Soos) (a clusiid fly), a County record, was collected on a Multi-Lure trap in a citrus tree. Members of this genus are small yellow flies, and most species have distinctive patterns of black spots on the thorax and abdomen.
Bactericera cockerelli (potato psyllid, teneral adult)
Photograph courtesy of Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, bugwood.org.
Bactericera cockerelli (Sulc) (potato psyllid) was intercepted on peppers from Mexico in a regulatory incident. This species has been a well-known pest for many decades, causing “psyllid yellows of potatoes.” More recently, it has been found to transmit Candidatus Liberibacter psyllaurous, a pathogen that causes zebra chip disorder in potato tubers.
Oeceoclades maculata (monk orchid)
Photograph courtesy of Bob Upcavage, Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants
Oeceoclades maculata (Lindl.) Lindl. (monk orchid) is one of the few weedy orchid species. In fact, for several years, it was listed as an invasive by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (FLEPPC), but it has since been reevaluated and delisted.
Root system of Cucurbita moschata ‘La Estrella’ heavily galled due to the infection induced by Meloidogyne javanica and M. mayaguesis Photograph courtesy of Mariana P. Beckman and Janete A. Brito, DPI
Meloidogyne mayaguensis Rammah & Hirschmann, 1988, the Guava root-knot nematode, a new County record, was found infecting the root system of Cucurbita moschata ‘La Estrella’ (tropical pumpkin), in Manatee County. This nematode species induces severe root galling in many crops, including cucurbits. Several plant species have been found to be good hosts for this root-knot nematode species in Florida.
Persea americana (avocado) healthy leaves and fruit Photograph courtesy of Walter Hodge, Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants
Raffaelea lauricola (laurel wilt), was sampled on Persea borbonia (red bay) in a DPI research laboratory. Then isolates of the laurel wilt pathogen were used to inoculate containerized avocados (Persea americana Mill. ‘Simmonds’). The inoculated avocados developed wilt symptoms, after which discolored vascular tissue was cultured in order to recover the fungal pathogen. The pathogenic fungus was recovered from all inoculated plants.
Patti J. Anderson, Ph.D., managing editor
Wayne N. Dixon, Ph.D., editor
Acknowledgements:
The editors would like to acknowledge the work of all those who contributed information and explanations by providing data, photographs or text and by carefully reading early drafts. We also thank Scott Weinberg for his skillful use of web authoring tools to produce this report.
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry
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