Title: | Application of vibrational signals to study and manipulate an insect vector: the case of Philaenus spumarius (Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae) |
Author(s): | Avosani S; Ciolli M; Verrastro V; Mazzoni V; |
Address: | "Organic department, International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies - Institute of Bari (CIHEAM-Bari), Valenzano, Italy. Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Trento, Italy. C3A, Center Agriculture Food Environment, University of Trento, San Michele all'Adige, Italy. Research and Innovation Center, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Italy" |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1526-4998 (Electronic) 1526-498X (Linking) |
Abstract: | "BACKGROUND: Vibrational stimuli can support pest management as they provide environmentally friendly methods to manipulate insect pest behaviors. Different vibrational stimuli were used to study and influence the behavior of the meadow spittlebug, Philaenus spumarius, the European vector of Xylella fastidiosa. In playback experiments, we tested the reactions of the spittlebug toward the male calling signals (test 1) and the male-male signal (test 2). In test 3, we evaluated the use of conspecific signals and noises to repel insects/disrupt mating. RESULTS: Test 1 provided new insights regarding the role of the male calling signal in intraspecific communication, in particular that this signal likely does not underlie aggregation or aggression toward conspecifics. Test 2 demonstrated that the male-male signal is used by males to express distress when physically interacting, whilst, when played back into a host plant, it has not any repellent effect on the spittlebug. Test 3A suggested that males exploit short silence gaps to localize the signaling partner, while test 3B showed that a continuous noise with a specific frequency range successfully disrupt mating, as only one male out of 20 localized the female on the plant. CONCLUSION: Playbacks obtained from prerecorded P. spumarius' signals were successfully used to accomplish ethological studies; even so, this approach did not show a real potential to be used as a control strategy. However, noises designed to mask the spittlebug signals significantly disrupted species mating and could integrate other techniques aimed at reducing the spread of X. fastidiosa after appropriate implementation. (c) 2022 Society of Chemical Industry" |
Keywords: | Animals *Hemiptera *Insect Repellents Insect Vectors Male behavioral control biotremology spittlebug vector sustainability; |
Notes: | "MedlineAvosani, Sabina Ciolli, Marco Verrastro, Vincenzo Mazzoni, Valerio eng England 2022/06/02 Pest Manag Sci. 2022 Oct; 78(10):4061-4071. doi: 10.1002/ps.7025. Epub 2022 Jun 21" |