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ViewAttendees 1

10-Minute Paper

Plant-Insect Ecosystems

P-IE: Ecology

The effects of elevation on avocado lace bug population dynamics on Hawai’i Island

Sunday, November 5, 2023
4:18 PM – 4:30 PM ET
Location: Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, National Harbor 10
In-Person

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Michael Bosch

    ORISE Postdoctoral Research Fellow
    USDA
    Volcano, Hawaii

Avocado lace bug (ALB), Pseudacysta perseae, is a phloem-feeding insect pest of avocado trees. ALB infestations typically lead to early leaf drop resulting in sun-damaged and underdeveloped fruit. On Hawai’i Island, ALB abundances are highest during the cooler months of October to March before flowering and fruit set. At these cooler temperatures, avocado trees typically experience an increase in soluble nutrients such as sugars and amino acids. These nutrients also happen to be vital resources for phloem-feeding insects with regards to juvenile survivorship and adult fecundity. However, cooler temperatures generally decrease development rates for insects and slow population growth. This study investigated how temperature differences associated with elevation directly and/or indirectly (through host-plant quality) affect ALB abundance on Hawai'i Island. Using biweekly abundance surveys across seven months and six avocado groves ranging from 240-640m in elevation, results showed effects of elevation, temperature, and soluble nutrients on ALB abundance. Low elevation groves (240-350m) experienced higher maximum daily temperatures and higher abundances of ALB from October to mid-December, particularly for adults. High elevation groves (470-640m) showed higher leaf sugar and amino acid content, but all groves experienced an increase in sugar content followed by a sharp decline in mid-December. Leaf sugar content was shown to be negatively associated with maximum daily temperature, but positively associated with ALB juvenile abundance. The results of this study suggest a potential trade-off between juvenile development rate and host-plant quality via elevation that could help in predicting infestation risk for avocado growers in Hawai’i.