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 mission of the Division of Plant Industry is to protect Florida’s native and commercially grown plants and the State’s apiary industry from harmful pests and diseases. Perhaps you’d be interested in some of the things we do to protect our state when a pest outbreak occurs.
Occasionally, serious agricultural pests arrive in our state and demand immediate action. In June, 2010, during routine fruit fly monitoring, a trap containing Mediterranean fruit flies, Ceratitis capitata (Medfly), was collected in Boca Raton by one of our inspectors. Since then, flies have been found on traps in mango, loquat and sour orange trees. This is the first major outbreak of Medfly in Florida since 1997- 1998 when nine counties sustained Medfly infestations.
The Medfly is among the most serious agricultural pests because it attacks more than 250 different fruits, vegetables and nuts, including oranges, grapefruit, lemons, apples, guava, mango, tomatoes and peppers. Medflies breed continuously when host fruits are available and population growth may be explosive.
The State/Federal cooperative fruit fly program monitors more than 56,000 fruit fly traps across the state of Florida. To address the current outbreak of Medflies, additional traps were placed around each location where Medflies were found. In addition to traps, other measures to control the pest were carried out, including foliar spot treatment of host trees with Spinosad, an insecticide derived from a naturally occurring soil organism, and approved for use on organic crops. Other treatments included soil drenching and fruit stripping of infested trees. Another important tool is the sterile insect technique. Millions of sterile Medflies are currently released throughout high-risk areas of the state, including the Boca Raton area. Prior to the recent finding of Medflies in Boca Raton, there had been no outbreaks since the sterile release program began in 1998.
More information can be found at the Department’s website and in the Medfly Pest Alert.
We welcome your suggestions for improvement of TRI-OLOGY. Please feel free to contact me or Dr. Patti Anderson with your comments.
Wayne N. Dixon, Ph.D., editor
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.
One of several trapped Ceratitis capitata (Mediterranean fruit fly) shown on a sticky board
Photograph courtesy of Jeffrey W. Lotz, DPI
Ceratitis capitata (Mediterranean fruit fly). In June 2010, after 10 Mediterranean fruit flies were captured in two separate traps baited in Palm Beach County, it became apparent that the largest detected active Mediterranean fruit fly infestation in Florida since 1998 was underway. More...
Strongylium cultellatum (a tenebrionid beetle), a Western Hemisphere record, was found on Persea borbonia (redbay). This is an Asian species previously unknown from this hemisphere. It is unlikely to become an economic problem. However, it points out the existence of unknown pathways for Asian species to enter southern Florida.
Mesalox pitangae (pitanga or Surinam cherry mite) was found on Eugenia uniflora (Surinam cherry; Cayenne cherry). Dr. Jorge E. Peña discovered this mite on young fruits of E. uniflora in Homestead, as did James C. Lee in West Palm Beach. In both cases, the mite was damaging the surface texture of the young fruits. The mite also was found on new growth.
Mass of Mikania micrantha in full bloom at a nursery in Miami-Dade County.
Photograph courtesy of Stephen Beidler, DPI
Septoria mikania-micranthae (leaf spot), was found again, after recently having been reported for the first time in the Northern Hemisphere. It is considered a potential biocontrol pathogen, but research into this organism is in its infancy. The pathogen was found on the invasive vine, Mikania micrantha, a noxious weed that was detected in Miami-Dade County in 2009, also for the first time in this country.
Pratylenchus hippeastri Inserra et al., 2007 (a root-lesion nematode), a new Host record, was found infecting the roots of the ornamental palm Butia capitata (pinto palm).
Iris hexagona Walter (Dixie iris), is the showiest Iris species native to Florida, and the most common as well. It grows in swamps, marshes and wet prairies throughout much of the state, although it is apparently absent from the western Panhandle, the southern tip of the peninsula and the Keys. Its wider range encompasses the Southeast from South Carolina to Texas.
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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