Name: Marcylyn B.

Manuel
MS in Entomology
Student No: 1902104
Subject: Entom 130 Insect Behavior
Submitted to: Prof. Nora Hill G. Evasco

Insect Behaviour in Insect Pest Management

(Assignment No. 2)

Crop protection from pathogens, viruses, weeds, and pests is important for safeguarding
crop productivity (Oerke and Dehne, 2004). Major progress has been achieved in food stuff
production as farmers have utilized chemical pesticides to manage diseases and pests in most
agricultural sectors since the last 60 years (Hashemi and Damalas, 2010; Sharifzadeh et al.,
2018). However, overuse and incorrect use of pesticides has caused concerns about the adverse
effects of these chemicals on both human health and the environment. Pest resistance, emergence
of new pests, and destruction of useful insects are other consequences of pesticide overuse.
Therefore, alternative pest control methods have received considerable attention in developed
and developing countries to maintain the increasing trend of food production without harming
the environment and human health and to promote a more sustainable form of agricultural
production.
Pest control is moving towards a dramatic reduction in pesticide-based approaches in
favor of more eco-friendly strategies characterized by the promotion of ecological intensification
of agriculture and reduction of human inputs (Garibaldi et al, 2019: Beckman et al, 2020).
Behavioural manipulation is perfectly suitable to assist in these tasks, since it is based on
communication disruption techniques aimed at interfering with the common habits of the
principal pests in order to minimize their negative impacts on crop production (Foster and Harris,
1997). Nowadays, the use of semiochemicals is a consolidated practice, used worldwide on many
different crop systems. On the other hand, semiophysicals are emerging as a new technology
which is quickly gaining considerable interest in both producers and industries with business in
crop protection (Neiri et al, 20210.
Behavioral manipulation for pest control involves the use of natural and or artificial
signals, such as pheromones, kairomones, sounds and vibrations, to interfere with fundamental
behaviors, such as feeding and mating(Cokl at. al, 2009: Agarwal, et. al, 2020). These techniques
fit well with the concept of a multidisciplinary approach and allow a strong and synergic
interaction between apparently distant disciplines such as biology, ecology, mechanics,
chemistry and informatics.
Kairomone-based lures to attract noxious insects into traps is one of the example. Traps
are no longer passive and time-consuming tools that must be checked periodically by specialized
personnel but they are now being replaced by smart-tech devices. Integrated cameras and sensors
now deliver considerable amounts of data in real time, 24 hours a day. The camera lenses can
achieve high sensitivity even minuscule species such as thrips can be feasible targets. The
development of new and improved blends is a crucial aspect through which to maximize trap
efficiency. In particular, bioactive volatiles, produced by bacteria that work as bio-catalyzers, are
powerful synergists to kairomone-based baits. An example of this is the lactic acid bacterium,
Oenococcus oeni, which significantly improves the attractiveness of commercial food baits of
the Spotted Wing Drosophila, Drosophila suzukii(Durovic, 2021).
 Another example is the vibrational signals as a tool for mating disruption. The playback
of rivalry signals is a perfect example of a species-specific approach to pest control with a null
impact on the environment. Insects such as stinkbugs, which communicate at medium and short
range with vibrational signals, rely on the perception of co-specific substrate-borne signals to
identify and locate a potential partner. By introducing disruptive signals, which mimic natural
stinkbug female rivalry signals, into the host plants, it is possible to affect the pair formation
process and thus to prevent mating. The playback of specific and generic signals (i.e., white
noise, music) can also affect the mating behaviour of insects. In the case of the potato psylla,
Bactericera cockerelli, a vector of zebra chip disease, the playback of conspecific female calls to
the host plant significantly decreased mating success, whereas the use of unspecific signals
affected mate finding (Dias et al, 2021: Avosani et al, 2020).

Behavioural manipulation methods for pest management can be developed in a variety of

ways, from detailed studies of behaviour in the laboratory and fieldto nearly serendipitous
observations of pest populations in the field (e.g. effects of fungicides on Colorado potato
beetle). However, without a thorough understanding of the behaviour and ecology of the pest, the
chances for developing a successful method other than by serendipity are slight, and the ability to
modify and refine the method to enhance its efficacy for pest management is limited.

The behaviour of insects is influenced by many stimuli, both external and internal, and
failure to account for the effects of these stimuli may result in apparent variable results with a
behavioral manipulation. Internal stimuli related to different physiological and experiential states
are important sources of behavioral variability and should not be ignored. The examples of the
excellent studies on tsetse and other flies testify to the benefits of identifying and using multiple
types of stimuli in behavioral manipulation for pest management.
Understanding the range of behaviours exhibited by a pest throughout its life cycle assists
in the identification of those most suitable for manipulation as well as allowing one to develop
elaborate combinations of behavioural manipulations. Examples of these more elaborate methods
include combinations of distinct behaviours with a common behavioral mechanism, e.g. sex
pheromone and food odors in traps for the Japanese beetle; combinations of complementary
behaviours, like the attractant and feeding stimulant used in toxic baits for olive fruit fly and
combinations of converse behaviors, e.g. the stimulo-deterrent diversion strategy for herbivores.
There have been a limited number of successful examples of behavioural manipulation
methods in pest management. Whether these and new behavioural manipulation methods
continue to occupy a relatively small niche or play a major role in pest management is likely to
depend on the amount of research on the causes of insect behavior and the development of
creative methods for utilizing the results of this research.

References
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