Analysis of the glassy-winged sharpshooter system

The capacity to predict the geographic distribution and relative abundance of invasive species is pivotal to developing policy for eradication or control and management. An example is the glassy-winged sharpshooter Homalodisca vitripennis (Germar) (GWSS) in California which vectors the bacterial pathogen Xylella fastidiosa (Wells) that causes Pierce’s disease in grape and scorch-like diseases in other plants. A weather driven demographic model of grape, GWSS, its two parasitoids (Gonatocerus ashmeadi Girault and G. triguttatus Girault) and the pathogen was developed to show how the geographic distribution and abundance of GWSS as affected by weather and natural enemies in California can be easily assessed. The distribution of X. fastidiosa is limited to the warm inland areas of southern California. Biological control of GWSS further decreases the pathogen's relative range. Two climate warming scenarios show that increasing temperatures will increase GWSS severity in the agriculturally rich central valley of California. The utility of holistic analyses for formulating control policy and tactics for invasive species is discussed.

Gutierrez A.P., Ponti L., Hoddle M., Almeida R.P.P., Irvin N.A., 2011. Geographic distribution and relative abundance of the invasive glassy-winged sharpshooter: effects of temperature and egg parasitoids. Environmental Entomology 40: 755-769.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1603/EN10174 | Open access

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