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Project Leaders: D. A. Rutz1,
P. E. Kaufman1, and J. K. Waldron2
1Department of Entomology, Cornell
University, Ithaca, NY
2New York State IPM, Cornell University,
Geneva, NY
Type of Grant: Biological control and
pest biology
Project locations: Results applicable
throughout the Northeast
Abstract :
This project seeks to advance a reliable, effective,
non-pesticidal, alternative pasture fly management technology for producers
through the development of a face fly parasitoid readily adaptable to
commercial production. This information will be used as the first brick
in the foundation of a pasture-fly IPM program. Currently, there are
no commercial sources of beneficial organisms for pasture fly management.
The absence of such a control agent is a limiting factor in the pasture-based
IPM and it is therefore critical that this study be performed. Our ultimate
goals with A. tristis are to be able to enhance opportunities for both
on-pasture, as well as, commercial rearing of this beneficial species
and to promote implementation with stakeholders. This study sought to
develop effective rearing techniques for the indigenous staphylinid
beetle parasitoid Aleochara tristis, a potentially significant biological
control agent of the economically important face fly. A. tristis was
successfully reared on house fly eggs (adult beetles) and live face
fly pupae. House fly pupae (neither live nor frozen-then-thawed) were
not utilized by A. tristis in choice and no-choice studies for immature
beetle development. Crushed house fly pupae (live or frozen) were not
utilized as an adult food. Occasionally, adult beetles had difficulty
emerging from face fly puparia. As described below, a fungal infection
caused the loss of the colony at a time when we were unable to begin
anew. We plan to continue our research with A. tristis in 2004 and build
upon the valuable lessons learned this past summer.
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