2006 Annual Report 1.What major problem or issue is being resolved and how are you resolving it (summarize project aims and objectives)? How serious is the problem? Why does it matter? Aphids, thrips, scales, termites, and mites are serious agricultural pests. Most U.S. pests have been introduced from other parts of the world and cause billions of dollars in damage annually. To prevent further introductions, it is essential to have the tools to identify and classify all species that pose a threat as plant pests and to distinguish them from species that do not have pest potential or already occur in the U.S. Without accurate tools for the diagnosis and classification of these pests, it will be impossible to prevent further pest introductions and will add to the financial burden of producing healthy and inexpensive food products for the U.S. consumer. Once pests are introduced, it is important to develop pest management strategies that are environmentally and financially feasible. Identification of aphid, thrips, scale, termite, and mite species, and organization of these species into classification systems, that are the foundation for effective pest management strategies. Introduction of an additional single agricultural pest could prevent the economic growth of one or more agricultural crops, could have serious ramifications on farming communities throughout the U.S., and could detrimentally affect the U.S. economy. Knowledge of pests outside of the country helps to prevent their inadvertent introduction. The primary objective of this project is to develop comprehensive identification and classification systems and predictive phylogenies for each of the following groups (Dysmicoccus bispinosus group of mealybugs or scale insects, Diuraphis and Hyalopterus aphids, invasive aphids of America North of Mexico, Leptothrips and related genera, thrips commonly encountered at U.S. ports-of-entry, and mites in the genus Brevipalpus). Synthesized character data will be used to develop expert identification systems and geographic and host plant databases. As part of Component 1 of National Program 304 Crop Protection and Quarantine, this research allows scientists and others to accurately identify mites, scales, aphids, thrips, termites and whiteflies for use in pest management and quarantine programs. 2.List by year the currently approved milestones (indicators of research progress) 14 months (FY 2005-6) Complete systematic analysis of the aphid genus Diuraphis. Determine native and introduced fauna of invasive aphids of North America. Obtain specimens from eastern North America of Hyalopterus aphids. Develop species concepts of the Dysmicoccus brevipes complex. Gather specimens and develop character analysis techniques of the thrip genus Leptothrips. Complete 3rd paper and publish on intercepted thrips; start key and SEM micrographs of 4th paper on intercepted thrips. Gather material on the mite genus Brevipalpus; develop character matrix for phoenicis, obovatus, and californicus groups. Upgrade existing aphid systematic literature database for web. Develop character matrices for families and mealybugs for Lucid expert system. Add images to termite collection database. Verify existing records of mites literature database. Inventory Kosztarab scale collection and obtain cabinets. 32 months (FY 2006-7) Publish revision of the aphid genus Diuraphis. Compile list of all invasive aphid species of North America. Complete morphological and molecular analyses of Hyalopterus aphids. Complete character matrix of the Dysmicoccus brevipes complex. Develop character matrix and begin library of images of the thrip genus Leptothrips. Complete 4th paper on intercepted thrips. Complete analysis of phoenicis, obovatus, and californicus groups of the mite genus Brevipalpus. Input data from card files for aphid systematic literature database. Place characters and images in Lucid expert system. Develop system for placing termite collection database on web. Add new records to mite literature database. Verify names and label each slide with Kosztarab collection label. 48 months (FY 2007-8) Publish results of invasive aphids of North America. Complete phylogeny of Hyalopterus aphids. Develop phylogeny, draft text, add expert system of the Dysmicoccus brevipes complex. Develop phylogeny and write draft text of the thrip genus Leptothrips. Start on SEM images for 5th paper on intercepted thrips. Complete analysis of remaining species of the mite genus Brevipalpus; sort out Asian and Indian species. Input data and Beta testing of aphid systematic literature database. Beta test mealybug Lucid expert system. Beta test termite collection database. Beta test mite literature database. Enter data into Kosztarab scale collection database. 60 months (FY 2009-10) Publish results on the phylogeny of Hyalopterus aphids. Publish results and put on web of the Dysmicoccus brevipes complex. Publish results on the thrips genus Leptothrips. Complete 5th paper on intercepted thrips. Complete writing and publish monograph of the mite genus Brevipalpus. Place aphid systematic literature database on line. Place mealybug Lucid expert system on line. Place termite collection database on line. Place mite literature database on-line. Integrate Kosztarab collection into overall collection. 4a.List the single most significant research accomplishment during FY 2006. This research is part of National Program 304 Crop Protection and Quarantine, Component 1, that provides tools for scientists and others to accurately identify mites, scales, aphids, thrips, termites and whiteflies for use in pest management and quarantine programs. Armored scale book provides identification tools: Armored scales are among the most damaging and least understood pests inflicting damage to forest trees, fruit and nut crops, and landscape plants. This book provides tools for the identification of the 110 pest species that occur in the U. S. and includes: color plates showing the appearance of each species and the damage that they cause; original line drawings of each species as viewed through the compound microscope; definitive descriptions of each species; and information on the biology, host plants, distribution, economic importance, and important publications on each species. This research is useful to arborists, nurserymen, ornamentals specialists, IPM workers, extension entomologists, plant quarantine inspectors, state nursery inspectors, state and federal identifiers, homeowners, scale systematists, greenhouse growers, farmers, forest entomologists, and many others. 4b.List other significant research accomplishment(s), if any. This research is part of National Program 304 Crop Protection and Quarantine, Component 1, that provides tools for scientists and others to accurately identify mites, scales, aphids, thrips, termites and whiteflies for use in pest management and quarantine programs. Aphid pests introduced into the U.S.: Aphid are pests that feed on many of the world’s agriculturally important crops, trees, and ornamental plants. In addition to direct feeding damage, they are one of the most important insects in the role of transmission of plant diseases. This research identifies over 260 adventive or introduced aphids that are found in America north of Mexico. Pest species that are established in North America represent a substantial impact to U.S. agriculture. The paper identifies principal economic host plants, pest status, date of establishment the U.S. and Canada, and probable origin of the insect. Information is provided about trends of pest introductions from the late 1700’s until present. This research will be of special interest to quarantine personnel at the federal and state levels. 4c.List significant activities that support special target populations. None. 4d.Progress report. None. 5.Describe the major accomplishments to date and their predicted or actual impact. None. 6.What science and/or technologies have been transferred and to whom? When is the science and/or technology likely to become available to the end-user (industry, farmer, other scientists)? What are the constraints, if known, to the adoption and durability of the technology products? Basic information on scale insects, aphids, psyllids, whiteflies, and mites is currently available to customers through our Web site (http://www.ars.usda.gov/Main/site_main.htm?modecode=12-75-41-00). This information includes databases, image galleries, and literature on the above groups. Several hundred samples of scale insects, aphids, psyllids, whiteflies, thrips, and mites were identified for regulatory agencies, other scientists, and the general public. These included urgent identifications of samples from incoming fruits, flowers and other perishable products held at ports of entry by USDA APHIS PPQ. Developed expert identification systems for mealybugs and scale insect families collected at U.S. ports-of-entry to facilitate determination of potential pests of importance to homeland security. 7.List your most important publications in the popular press and presentations to organizations and articles written about your work. (NOTE: List your peer reviewed publications below). Presentation: Miller, D. R., Miller, G. L. “Homoptera” Identification Workshop, University of California, Davis, March 21-24, 2006 Presentation: Ochoa, R., Kane, E. C. Mite Identification Workshop for the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Agriculture, May 7-14, 2006. Web Page: Miller, D. R., Rung, A., Venable, G. L., Gill, R. J. 2005. Scale Families. http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=11385 Web Page: Miller, D. R., Rung, A., Venable, G. L., Gill, R. J., Williams, D. J. 2005. Mealybugs of importance at U. S. ports-of-entry. http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/ docs.htm? docid=11385 Web Page: Miller, G. L., Kane, E., Eibl, J., and Carlson, R. W. Resurrecting Asa Fitch’s Aphid Notes: Historical Entomology for Application Today. (www.ars.usda.gov/Main/docs.htm?docid=11436&page=1) Book Review: Nickle, D. A. 2006. Field Guide to Grasshoppers, Katydids, and Crickets of the United States. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 108:743-746. Interviews: Miller, G. L. Insects and the Civil War. 2006. Interviews on various wire services, radio, and TV (e.g., http://wusa9.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=47886; http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpid=810&show=archivedetails&ArchiveID=1169956&om=1) Review Publications Bochkov, A.V., Ochoa, R. 2005. Three new cheyletid species (Acari: Cheyletidae) from the National Museum of Natural History Entomological Collection. Acarina, Russian Journal of Acarology. 12(2):137-144. Broce, A.B., Zurek, L., Kalisch, J.A., Brown, R., Keith, D.L., Gordon, D., Goedeke, J., Welbourn, C., Moser, J., Ochoa, R., Azziz-Baumgartner, E., Yip, F., Weber, J. 2006. Pyemotes herfsi (Acari: Pyemotidae) a mite new to North America as cause of bite outbreaks. Journal of Medical Entomology. 43(3):610-613. Foottit, R.G., Halbert, S.E., Miller, G.L., Maw, E., Russell, L.M. 2006. Adventive aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) of America north of Mexico. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 108(3):583-610. Mesa, N., De Moraes, G.J., Ochoa, R. 2006. Two new species of Tenuipalpus (Acari: Tenuipalpidae)from southeastern Brazil. Zootaxa. 1138:45-51. Miller, D.R. 2005. Selected Scale Insect Groups (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) in the Southern Region of the United States. Florida Entomologist. 88:482-501. Miller, D.R., Davidson, J. 2005. Economic Armored Scales insects of the United States. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. 442 p. Navia, D., Mendes, M.S., Ochoa, R. 2006. Steneotarsonemus furcatus DeLeon (Prostigmata: Tarsonemidae) infesting rice crops in Brazil. The International Journal of Acarology. 32(2):219-222. Nickle, D.A. 2006. Two new arboreal species of pseudophylline katydids from northern Peru (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Pseudophyllinae). Journal of Orthoptera Research. 15:31-36. Nickle, D.A. 2006. A review of the species Thrips Linnaeus, 1758 (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) from Africa, Europe, and the Mediterranean Region. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 108:443-466. Wheeler, A.G., Miller, G.L. 2006. Simon Snyder Rathvon: Propagandist and Popularizer of Agricultural Entomology in Mid-Nineteenth Century America. American Entomologist. 52(1):36-47.