COS 1-5 - Connecting ecology and stored product insect pest management: monitoring across the Great Plains

Abstract: Pest management for insects inhabiting areas of stored grain has often been focused on local factors for predicting population growth and movement, with acknowledgement of human mediated movement of insects across geographic regions. Many of these insects originated in more natural habitats outside of grain storage and other facilities and migration from these natural refuges into grain storage is often likely for reinfestation after insecticide treatments such as fumigation. In addition, warmer geographic locations can often maintain generation cycles throughout the year providing active populations for northward migration as spring and summer temperatures warm. Understanding migration routes from both natural, local habitats and from southerly populations of these stored product insect pests will better inform management timing and population admixing including for insecticide resistance management. The goals of this study were to assess spatial and temporal dynamics associated with flying insect populations of stored product insect pests from north to south across the Grain Plains region. Our approach to addressing these spatial and temporal dynamics is a multi-year, collaborative system of baited traps near grain storage from North Dakota south into Mexico. Our first year of sampling has significant variation in the number of insects captured across locations throughout the warm season (April through October). For example, the Indian meal moth was found in high numbers only at one location that shipped and received large amounts of corn, while lesser grain borers were found more closely related to grain bins holding wheat. More southern locations also had several high population peaks throughout the season, while northern locations typically only had a single high peak of high insect abundance. The first year of data from this study shows that although large-scale monitoring projects can be intensive, they produce ecological data that can be translated across a region and can expand local population knowledge in a more comprehensive context for stronger predictions and targeted pest management programs. Broadening our geographical areas for tracking these insect pests also brings ecological principles into the management discussions surrounding these postharvest agricultural pests increasing knowledge of potential reservoirs or corridors that may be providing refuge for these insects.