U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 close



Research
                Research Home
                            National Programs
                            Research Projects
                            Scientific Manuscripts
                            International Engagement
                            Scientific Software/Models
                            Databases and Datasets
                            Office of Scientific Quality Review
            Media
                News & Features
                            Multimedia
                            Briefing Room
                            Down on the Farm
                            Press Room
                            Science in Your Shopping Cart
                            Scientific Discoveries
                            Tellus
                            Under the Microscope
            About ARS
                About ARS Home
                            Staff Directory
                            Labs and Research Centers (Map)
                            Headquarter Offices
                            Organizational Chart
                            Employee Services (REE Employees Only)
                            Office of Outreach, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity
            Work With Us
                Work With Us Home
                            ARS Vacancies at USAJOBS
                            Careers at ARS Information
                            Scientific Collaborations
                            Extramural Agreements
                            1890 Faculty Research Sabbatical ProgramSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Office of International Research Engagement and Cooperation OBCL Research Highlights March 2023





- About OIREC
- International Research Partnerships
- Global Food Security
- Regional Contacts
- Office of International Research Engagement and Cooperation Team
- About OBCL
- OBCL Research Highlights
- Archive OBCL Research Highlights

Sino-ABCL Develops Protocol to Rear Aprostocetus sp. For Roseau Cane Scale Biological Control *By Chenxi Liu, USDA ARS Sino-American Biological Control Laboratory (SABCL)* **Extensive injury and die-off of Phragmites australis associated with the exotic roseau cane scale, *Nipponaclerda biwakoensis*.** Roseau cane or common reed (Phragmites spp.) is the dominant plant species and a critical component of the Mississippi River Delta in Louisiana, protecting the marsh ecosystem from erosion and storm-related impacts, maintaining shipping channels and oil infrastructure. The recent widespread dieback of Phragmites stands in the Mississippi River Delta is due, in part, to damage from herbivory by the non-native roseau cane scale, *Nipponaclerda biwakoensis*. **Current research shows that natural enemies play an important role in suppressing populations of roseau cane scale in their native range.** Sino-ABCL researchers conducted three years of study in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and identified at least four different species of parasitic wasps in China, that are *Astymachus japonicus*, *Boucekiella depressa*, *Aprostocetus sp.* and *Platencyrtus parkeri*. As part of our work on selecting and testing a candidate biological control agent to help in managing invasive populations of roseau cane scale, *Aprostocetus sp.* (Figure 1) has been identified as being of particular interest. It is of interest because it shows high parasitism rates, is present across all collection regions, is not known to be a generalist, and is not already present as an adventive parasitoid in the invasive range of *N. biwakoensis*. **Sino-ABCL started to develop the rearing protocol of *Aprostocetus**sp.* in 2022.** Similar to other parasitiod mass rearing projects, Sino-ABCL conducted this research developing/optimizing three steps:  1) plant propagation, 2) scale inoculation, and 3) wasp exposure. Briefly, Sino-ABCL initiated phragmites plant propagation using rhizome material dug up from the field (Figure 2) and then covered with mesh cages (Figure 3). As the plants developed more below ground rhizome mass, unparasitized *N. biwakoensis* scale collected from the field (Figure 4) were inoculated onto the plants (Figure 5) and allowed to propagate. Finally, the scale populations with the highest population density were exposure to*Aprostocetus* wasp (Figure 6). Further research on the life history of *Aprostocetus* wasp will be explored to better understand the biological characteristics of the parasitoid. Aprostocetus  Figure 1. Aprostocetus sp. Growing phragmites plantsFigure 2. Growing phragmites plants using rhizome material. Pharagmites mesh cagesFigure 3. Phragmites plants covered with mesh cages. Collecting uparasitized N. biwakoensis scale in fieldFigure 4. Collecting unparasitized N. biwakoensis scale in the field InnoculationFigure 5. Inoculation of crawlers developed in the gravid female scales. Exposure of roseau cane scalesFigure 6. Exposure roseau cane scales to Aprostocetus wasp Contact: Chenxi Liu *The Sino-American Biological Control Laboratory (SABCL) was established in 1988 through an agreement between USDA ARS and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) and is based in the Institute of Plant Protection in Beijing. The objective of the Sino-ABCL is to search for, identify, and evaluate the potential of natural enemies of pest insects, weeds, and plant diseases that affect Chinese and U.S. agriculture, develop biological control agents, and evaluate biodiversity of insects based on DNA barcoding. Sino-ABCL established a collaborative working group with local collaborators, most of whom are from local agricultural research units, academies, and universities from 30 provinces in China. These collaborators help Sino-ABCL researchers conduct field surveys for biocontrol agents across China. Sino-ABCL has more than 30 years’ experience in classical biological control and other areas of pest management targeting species that include Asian Longhorn Beetle, salt cedar, soybean aphid, wheat stem sawfly, leafy spurge, emerald ash borer, brown marmorated stink bug, spotted wing drosophila and roseau cane scale. As a fundamental part of its research program, Sino-ABCL conducts studies in insect physiology, insect taxonomy, and insect biochemistry and molecular biology.*


Return to top


Research
                            Media
                            About ARS
                            Work With Us


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov