Seasonal sex ratio of <i>Bactericera cockerelli</i> in potato and tomato crops in Hawkes Bay and Canterbury

Abstract

Since its discovery in New Zealand in 2006 the tomato/potato psyllid (TPP) Bactericera cockerelli (Sulc) (Hemiptera Triozidae) has been regarded as a significant pest of solanaceous crops in the horticultural industry To date there is little knowledge of the population dynamics of male and female TPP in the field An understanding of these dynamics will aid in the potential use of traps as pest management tools During the 201011 growing season weekly yellow sticky trap catches were used to assess the malefemale sex ratio of TPP in a total of nine tomato and potato crops in Hawkes Bay and mid Canterbury More male TPP were caught on traps at all nine sites throughout the season Furthermore the TPP malefemale ratio was highest early in the season This malebiased dominance may suggest several things an uneven proportion of males compared with females in the population that male TPP are more attracted to the hue of yellow than females an increased activity by males as a consequence of matesearching behaviour and/or a decrease in activity by egglaying females