Development of Vibrational Control Methods for Grapevine Pests in California

Abstract

The glassy-winged sharpshooter (GWSS), Homalodisca vitripennis (Germar) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), is an important vector of the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, the causal agent of Pierce’s disease of grapevine. GWSS communicate by exchanging mating calls that are transmitted through host plants as vibrational signals. Interference with GWSS communication by playback of disruptive signals should lead to reduced population growth, but existing knowledge on mating behavior was insufficient to develop a vibrational control method for this pest. A collaborative research between the United States Department of Agriculture in Parlier, California, and Fondazione Edmund Mach, Italy, led to the description of GWSS mating communication, identification of several candidate disruptive signals for playback interference, and evaluation of the efficacy of a novel vibrational signal playback method in disrupting GWSS mating under field conditions. Results showed that playback of vibrational signals through vineyard trellis significantly reduced mating of GWSS on grapevines compared to control. Although further studies are needed prior to method implementation, data from these studies continue to support application of vibrational mating disruption as a novel method to control GWSS populations.