Support the development of a classicalbiological control program to manage the bagrada BUG, an invasive pestthat has become one of the most damaging pests to cole crops incalifornia

This $457,606 cooperative agreement from the US Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will support the development of a classical biological control program to manage the Bagrada bug in California under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care federal grant program (CFDA 10.025). Activities include mass rearing the imported Bagrada bug parasitoid Gryon aetherium to make releases within California, developing identification tools for G. aetherium, and surveying and monitoring for changes in Bagrada bug and G. aetherium density and distribution. Subawards will be provided to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for parasitoid identification tools and taxonomy work, and to USDA ARS for non-target testing of biological control agents and culturing and releasing additional agents. The goal is to establish G. aetherium in Bagrada bug affected areas of California and document its spread to help manage this invasive pest of cole crops.

Activities to be performed include: 1) mass rear theimported bagrada BUG parasitoid gryon aetherium in order to makereleases of this new agent within the state of california; 2) developand publish identification tools so that non-experts can reliablyidentify g. Aetherium; and 3) survey and monitor california for changesin the density and distribution of bagrada BUG and g. Aetherium. The goal of this project, now that a state field release permit has beengranted, is to make releases of the bagrada parasitoid g. Aetherium inareas around california that are affected by bagrada BUG outbreaks, andto document establishment of this parasitoid in those regions. Acontinued comprehensive examination of the taxonomy and systematics ofthe parasitoid candidates will result in the development of clearidentification tools for g. Aetherium and any further parasitoids ofbagrada BUG that are discovered. This will also produce useful taxonomicmaterials such as detailed descriptions, keys to species andphylogenetic relationships within genera, which can be helpful in thediscovery of parasitoids of future stinkbug pests. The continuedmonitoring of bagrada BUG populations and determining where g. Aetheriumbecomes established, will allow the tracking of any changes to bagradapopulations as the parasitoid establishes and spreads within california.along with the final report at the completion of this project, relevantresults will be published in peer reviewed scientific journals andindustry magazines such as capca adviser. The main beneficiaries of thisbiological control project will be the cole crop growers of california, especially organic producers who currently have few options to managebagrada BUG.subawards will be provided to florida department of agriculture andconsumer services for development of morphological and moleculardiagnostic tools for parasitoid identification and clarification ofparasitoid taxonomy and to USDA ARS for non-target testing of gryonaetherium and trissolcus hyalinipennis, and culturing and releasing ofbagrada BUG biocontrol agents.