Advancements in Mass Rearing the Air Potato Beetle Lilioceris cheni

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Mass rearing the air potato beetle, Lilioceris cheni, is a vital contribution to the integrated pest management of the invasive air potato vine. Here, the authors report on the production, distribution, and advancements of a mass rearing method. It was determined that adults are most successful on a diet of fresh air potato leaf. Although to reduce the amount of leaf tissue needed for overwintering populations, they can survive on artificial diet for several months and can be starved for several days to two weeks depending on previous diet. Larvae cannot survive continuously on artificial diet. This information allows those mass rearing beetles to reduce the amount of tissue grown at points in the annual cycle and shows that adult beetles can survive starvation while being distributed or for short periods after release. It also indicates that fresh air potato vine must be available in at least small quantities year-round. This information will assist those attempting to mass rear and distribute the beetle. ABSTRACT: The air potato beetle, Lilioceris cheni Gressitt and Kimoto (Coleoptera:Chrysomelidae), is a successful biological control agent of the air potato vine, Dioscorea bulbifera L. (Dioscoreales: Dioscoreaceae), in the southern United States. Lilioceris cheni is currently being mass-reared by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Plant Industry (FDACS-DPI) for biological control releases and research. The facility rears and releases over 50,000 adult beetles annually at approximately 1000 different locations. In addition to data on beetle production and distribution, studies on alternative larval and adult diets are described. Adults fed bulbils as the sole food source had reduced life spans compared with beetles given fresh air potato leaves. Adults survived without air potato leaves or bulbils for several days to two weeks depending on availability of leaves at emergence. Larvae did not survive on a modified artificial Colorado potato beetle diet containing fresh air potato vine leaves. Adults survived while consuming artificial diet but ceased oviposition. They, however, resumed egg laying less than one week after being returned to a diet of fresh air potato vine leaves.