Beetle herding: Development of strategies to optimize biological control of air potato using attractants

Dioscorea bulbifera is an invasive plant species able to grow up into forest canopies and cover forest floors with no known natural predators outside its native range of Asia and Africa. Lilioceris cheni, the air potato beetle, is a Chrysomelidae specialized in eating its host D. bulbifera. In this study, we investigated attraction of L. cheni to its host plant volatiles in the presence and absence of wind using a wind tunnel as well as conspecific damage volatiles. Using a wind tunnel and freshly cut leaves from D. bulbifera beetles were tested on their choice of leaves or no leaves in the presence or absence of wind. Our research on L. cheni shows a significant response to the presence of a D. bulbifera leaf placed upwind, with the presence of wind. In the absence of wind and/or leaves, L. cheni was shown to disperse randomly between the upwind and downwind targets suggesting L. cheni uses volatiles from D. bulbifera in proper host selection. Further tests show L. cheni also chose host plants with conspecific damage more than nondamaged host plants in the wind tunnel. The information gathered through this study further adds to the discussion of Chrysomelidae as an agent in integrated pest management and suggests lures could be created to attract L. cheni to D. bulbifera sites. Further investigation of L. cheni and its host selection cues are needed to further understand how L. cheni identifies D. bulbifera.