Data from: Biosurveillance for an invasive pest of maize, Prostephanus truncatus, across North America and in Greece

Aim of Dataset

In this work, we performed a two-year latitudinal biosurveillance program for Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae), related bostrichids, and Sitophilus spp. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in and around grain production and some natural areas to evaluate how landscape elements, latitude, and season affected their spatiotemporal dynamics.

Sampling locations & traps

The biosurveillance program was conducted by use of a trapping network in central North America in 2021 and 2022 and also in Greece in 2022. Trapping locations were selected along a latitudinal series across major grain-producing states in central North America from 19.6 to 46.8° N, including Estado de México in México, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota (Figure 1; Supplementary Table 1). The number of sites was expanded in 2022 compared to 2021 to provide a more comprehensive picture. At each location, we set up three-trap transects in each of two to three habitats: (1) near row crops (e.g., wheat, maize or soybean), (2) near a food storage facility (e.g. bins, elevator, or processor), and (3) in a natural habitat with no grain source nearby. Pitfall traps (Storgard Dome™ traps, Trécé, Inc., Adair, OK, USA) and 4-funnel Lindgren traps (Bioquip, Rancho Dominguez, CA, USA) spaced 5–10 m apart with a vented collection cup (9.5 × 15.2 cm D:H) at the base were used. The Lindgren traps included a 9 cm (D) piece of 0.4% w/w deltamethrin-incorporated netting or a 1-inch piece of No-Pest Strip (Hot Shot, Reynold’s Consumer Products, Lake Forest, IL) as the kill mechanism, as these have successfully been used in traps in the past (Wilkins et al. 2021). There were either three or four Lindgren or four pitfall traps in a given transect. The Lindgren traps were baited with a commercial formulation of male-produced P. truncatus aggregation pheromone (IL-953, Insects Limited, Westfield, IN, USA), Sitophilus spp. aggregation pheromone separately (IL-703, Insects Limited), multi-species pheromone lures for the cigarette beetle, Lasioderma serricorne (F.) (Coleoptera: Anobiidae), the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), and Trogoderma spp. (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) (IL-708, Insects Limited), and a R. dominica pheromone septa (Item#3158, Trece, Inc., Adair, OK, USA). A batch of lures was purchased in May 2021, and another batch was purchased in April 2022. The pitfall trap only contained the Sitophilus spp. and/or P. truncatus lure. We also added a small amount of maize or wheat to keep insects in the pitfall trap based on synergized response with food cues + pheromones for Sitophilus spp. (Trematerra and Girgenti 1989). The traps were deployed for 7-d periods either on a weekly or monthly basis depending on location from 14 June to as late as 7 Dec 2021 and 4 May to 6 Dec 2022. In Greece, the same protocol as above was utilized in a compressed timeframe consisting of 4 weeks during the key maize harvest in September 2022 at 4 sites between Volos and Thessaloniki (Central and Northern Greece).

Insect identification and specimen deposition

Insects were identified to species or genus where possible for all specimens using the USDA and Canadian taxonomic keys for stored product insects (Bousquet 1990; USDA 1991). Each trap capture was noted separately along with identifying information, and the abundance of P. truncatus, P. punctatus, other Bostrichidae, and Sitophilus spp. (including S. zeamais and S. oryzae) were recorded. Insects were identified using a dissecting microscope (SMZ18, Nikon Inc., Tokyo, Japan) at 30 x magnification. All specimens for project were deposited at the Kansas State University Museum of Entomological and Prairie Arthropod Research in the Department of Entomology.