An investigation was carried out in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, Canada, to identify natural regulatory factors, such as soil acidity and weed incidence, that could influence the occurrence of blueberry maggot (Rhagoletis mendax) populations in commercial lowbush blueberry fields (Vaccinium angustifolium). Over the range observed, the soil acidity had no detectable influence on the distribution and mortality of R. mendax larvae and pupae. Adult migrational patterns were affected by the cultural practice of burning on alternate years causing the emerging adults of burned fields to move toward sareasin production. There was also a positive correlation between the growth intensity of indigenous weeds and blueberry maggot infestation levels.
Phyllophaga anxia iridescent virus (PaIV) is reported from Phyllophaga anxia (LeConte) grubs in southern Quebec. It is the first naturally-occurring viral disease of P. anxia and the first record of an iridovirus infection in North American scarabaeid beetles. Although intrahemocoelic injection of 2 to 3 pl of purified PaIV produced a high percentage of grub mortality in the laboratory, PaIV appeared to have little significance as a natural regulator of P. anxia and allied species in the field.
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