Potential for a biopesticide bait to control black beetle, Heteronychus arator (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae).

BACKGROUND Yersinia entomophaga is an entomopathogenic bacterium that is active against scarab beetles, among other insects. In New Zealand, the African black beetle, Heteronychus arator (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), is a major pest of pastures and arable crops but very few control options exist and no insecticides are registered for use in established pastures. RESULTS In laboratory bioassays H. arator adults were susceptible to a bait containing Y. entomophaga at low doses. This bait was more effective against H. arator adults during spring than autumn in small scale field plots (320 mm diameter). A large scale field trial (40 x 40 m plots) reduced adult numbers substantially: approximately twice as many beetles were captured in pitfall traps from untreated plots compared with plots treated with the Y. entomophaga bait at 70 kg ha-1 . This single bait application in spring also reduced subsequent larval populations in summer. CONCLUSIONS Heteronychus arator is a difficult pest to manage using chemical insecticides. This biopesticide with Y. entomophaga as the active ingredient offers a new solution for New Zealand pastures, with potential for application to other crops affected by H. arator and for control of other pests. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.