South East Asia pest thrips species, Thrips parvispinus (Karny), is a serious pest on a number of agricultural and horticultural crops in a number of plant families. Based on an integrated approach of morphology and DNA barcoding, invasion of this serious pest is reported first time from India on papaya plantations. Molecular data have corroborated with the morphological identification. Haploty...

The goal of this paper is to highlight important benefits and limitations of ubiquitous technology-based approaches to pest control that are often utilized outside the framework of integrated pest management (IPM). Particularly in Pennsylvania and other states on the fringe of the Cornbelt, where pest pressures can be lower or different than in large portions of the Midwest, farmers and pest ma...

Aphids are a major concern in agricultural crops worldwide, and control by natural enemies is an essential component of the ecological intensification of agriculture. Although the complexity of agricultural landscapes is known to influence natural enemies of pests, few studies have measured the degree of pest control by different enemy guilds across gradients in landscape complexity. Here, we u...

For at least the past decade, an unusual decline of black walnut (Juglans nigra) has been observed in several western states. Initial symptoms involve a yellowing and thinning of the upper crown, which progresses to include death of progressively larger branches (Figure 1). During the final stages large areas of foliage may rapidly wilt. Trees often are killed within three years after initial s...

Pest management in Arizona during the 1990’s has been filled with unique challenges and solutions. This tumultuous period was dotted with pest outbreaks, grower adaptation and perseverance, and spectacular recovery and progress. The elements that helped broker these tremendous successes cotton growers now enjoy—at least with respect to pest management— were comprised of multiple groups who work...

A key component of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in agricultural systems is ®eld monitoring for pests prior to reaching a management decision. The study objective was to quantify a common design constraint of commercial IPM sampling programs: the trade-o€ between sampling time and accuracy of the resulting pest management decision. Using consperse stink bug (Euschistus conspersus Uhler) in p...

Timely availability of expert support to the farmers for appropriate decision-making on ‘whether and what pest management option is required’ is imperative for effective Integrated Pest Management (IPM). For several decades Economic Threshold Level (ETL) has been the basis for decision-making but in modern IPM emphasis is given on agro-ecological situation wherein IPM decisions are based on lar...

The hibiscus mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus Green, was first reported in the Caribbean in 1994 in Grenada. This was the first record of the insect as a major pest in the New World. By the beginning of 2001, the pest had spread to over 25 territories from Guyana and Venezuela in the South to Bahamas in the North. The pest has also extended its distribution to Central America (Belize) and Nor...