The tomato potato psyllid (TPP), Bactericera cockerelli (Sulc) (Hemiptera: Triozidae), is the main vector of the bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum (Lso), a major disease of solanaceous crops. Feeding of TPP is associated with Lso transmission. However, very little is known about the stylet penetration activities linked to acquisition and inoculation of Lso. The electrical penetration graph (EPG)‐DC system was used to monitor stylet penetration activities during acquisition and inoculation of Lso by individual TPP on tomato [Solanum lycopersicum L. (Solanaceae)]. Female TPP from Lso‐free and Lso‐infected colonies were used in acquisition and inoculation tests, respectively. In the acquisition tests, TPP were tested for Lso after EPG recording of their stylet penetration activities on Lso‐infected tomato shoots. In the inoculation tests, samples from the tomato plants on which the stylet penetration of Lso‐infected TPP had been recorded were tested for Lso infection. The relationships between qPCR results and the EPG waveforms (C, G, D, E1, and E2) representing the main stylet penetration activities performed by individual insects in inoculation and acquisition tests were investigated. Results confirmed that a single adult TPP is capable of infecting a plant with Lso. Our data suggest that acquisition of the bacteria occurs during phloem ingestion (E2), and inoculation is likely associated with salivation into the phloem sieve elements (E1). The durations of EPG parameters were not significantly different between Lso‐infected and Lso‐free TPP (later shown by qPCR) in acquisition tests. In inoculation tests, the durations of E1 or E2 recorded from TPP on Lso‐infected and Lso‐free plants that were later shown by qPCR were not significantly different. However, C was shorter on Lso‐infected plants than on Lso‐free plants, where TPP performed phloem activities. The minimum plant access period required for Lso transmission by a single TPP was estimated to be ca. 2 h, with an acquisition threshold of about 36 min.

Global use of phosphine as a fumigant has increased in response to the need to replace methyl bromide and with the improved formulations ECO2FUME and VAPORPH3OS Phosphine is registered as a postharvest fumigant on kiwifruit in New Zealand and has been used commercially to reduce the risk of detecting live pests Scale insects mealybugs and diapausing twospotted spider mites were exposed to a range of phosphine treatments A 48h low temperature (1746C) fumigation (64083311 ppm) achieved 100 mortality of all life stages of oleander scale insects while a 12h exposure killed all longtailed mealybug life stages A 36h low temperature (2533C) fumigation (43322712 ppm) treatment achieved 100 mortality of all greedy scale insect life stages A 48 to 96h treatment (36001200 ppm) at 115C caused 913100 mortality of diapausing twospotted spider mite adults Use of phosphine as a commercial treatment for kiwifruit is discussed

Low oxygen and/or generally recognised as safe (GRAS)/food additive (FA) treatments in combination with cool storage have the potential to disinfest a range of commodities of various pests This paper reports on research to determine the tolerance of second/third and fifth instar codling moth larvae fifth instar lightbrown apple moth larvae mixed stages of greedy scale and obscure mealybugs and diapausing twospotted mite adults to ultra low oxygen (ULO lt;05 O2) and ULO combined with two GRAS/ FA compounds ethyl acetate and ethyl formate ULO alone did not consistently enhance mortality of these pests compared with air cool storage However addition of 30005000 ppm of ethyl acetate or ethyl formate reduced the time taken to achieve 99 mortality from weeks or months to between 8 h and 5 days depending on the pest

New Zealand flower thrips (NZFT Thrips obscuratus (Crawford)) were exposed to a range of ethyl formate (EF) and pyrethrumbased postharvest treatments on apricots Research showed that EFCO2 or EFN2 were effective treatments against NZFT and caused negligible damage to apricot fruit quality However pyrethrum dipping did not effectively control NZFT and caused significant internal damage to apricot fruit Lethal concentration (LC99) estimates were developed for adult and larval NZFT using a range of EF concentrations (0127 EFCO2) and temperatures (5 15 and 25C) It is estimated that treatments of 1 (307 g/m3) EF at 5 or 25C or a higher concentration of 15 (463 g/m3) at 15C will achieve 99 mortality of NZFT adults and larvae on apricot fruit with 95 confidence

Mastrus ridens (Horstmann) (Hymenoptera Ichneumonidae) was imported from Argentina into New Zealand as part of a classical biological control programme against codling moth (CM) Cydia pomonella (L) (Lepidoptera Tortricidae) A laboratory colony was successfully established and maintained in quarantine and experiments were conducted to understand the biology and behaviour of the parasitoid to maximise its efficiency prior to release Nave females parasitised a maximum of four CM larvae/day laying a total of 12915 eggs However a single CM larva could support the development of a maximum of 10 parasitoids The body sizes of emerging M ridens females in the colony decreased with an increase in the number of pupae developing on a single CM larva because of competition Female M ridens preferred larger CM larvae to smaller larvae in cocoons for oviposition Superparasitism host feeding and the number of CM larvae hosting damaged parasitoid eggs increased with decreasing host/parasitoid ratios