{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/143215"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/143215","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Linking Semiochemical Ecology and Spatial Dynamics to Improve Integrated Pest Management of Striped Cucumber Beetle, Acalymma vittatum","abstract":"The striped cucumber beetle, Acalymma vittatum (Fabr.), is a major early-season pest of cucurbits in eastern North America because overwintering adults injure seedlings while they are young and highly vulnerable to feeding damage or infection by Erwinia tracheiphila, the causal agent of bacterial wilt. This early vulnerability makes it important to reduce beetle activity before aggregations develop on young crop plants. This dissertation examined striped cucumber beetle semiochemical attraction, spatial capture patterns, baited-trap operating range, and early-season perimeter trap deployment to inform future selective semiochemical-based management strategies. The first study compared semiochemical lures for striped cucumber beetle attraction and non-target bee captures. Treatments containing vittatalactone, the A. vittatum aggregation pheromone, consistently produced the highest striped cucumber beetle captures while maintaining low bee bycatch. Pairing vittatalactone with indole as a companion lure may further improve A. vittatum captures without increasing bycatch. The second study examined how vittatalactone-baited trap captures were distributed across farm landscapes. A. vittatum captures were generally higher nearer tree lines, suggesting that placing traps along wooded field edges may improve early-season interception. The third study used fluorescent-marked beetles released at different distances from a vittatalactone + indole-baited sticky trap to estimate its operational range. Predicted recapture among dispersing beetles fell to 1% at approximately 12 m, suggesting that trap-out will likely require relatively dense trap arrays to maintain effective coverage. The final field study tested whether early-season perimeter trapping with vittatalactone + indole-baited sticky traps could reduce beetle activity within production cucurbit fields. This interval was chosen to intercept overwintered adults before crop-associated cues could compete strongly with traps and to reduce early aggregation on vulnerable seedlings. Trap-out sites had lower striped cucumber beetle activity during crop establishment and early crop development in 2024, although this effect was not repeated in 2025. Together, these findings show that semiochemical trap-out can reduce striped cucumber beetle pressure under some field conditions and, with refinement, could support a viable early-season management strategy.","abstract_html":"The striped cucumber beetle, Acalymma vittatum (Fabr.), is a major early-season pest of cucurbits in eastern North America because overwintering adults injure seedlings while they are young and highly vulnerable to feeding damage or infection by Erwinia tracheiphila, the causal agent of bacterial wilt. This early vulnerability makes it important to reduce beetle activity before aggregations develop on young crop plants. This dissertation examined striped cucumber beetle semiochemical attraction, spatial capture patterns, baited-trap operating range, and early-season perimeter trap deployment to inform future selective semiochemical-based management strategies. The first study compared semiochemical lures for striped cucumber beetle attraction and non-target bee captures. Treatments containing vittatalactone, the A. vittatum aggregation pheromone, consistently produced the highest striped cucumber beetle captures while maintaining low bee bycatch. Pairing vittatalactone with indole as a companion lure may further improve A. vittatum captures without increasing bycatch. The second study examined how vittatalactone-baited trap captures were distributed across farm landscapes. A. vittatum captures were generally higher nearer tree lines, suggesting that placing traps along wooded field edges may improve early-season interception. The third study used fluorescent-marked beetles released at different distances from a vittatalactone + indole-baited sticky trap to estimate its operational range. Predicted recapture among dispersing beetles fell to 1% at approximately 12 m, suggesting that trap-out will likely require relatively dense trap arrays to maintain effective coverage. The final field study tested whether early-season perimeter trapping with vittatalactone + indole-baited sticky traps could reduce beetle activity within production cucurbit fields. This interval was chosen to intercept overwintered adults before crop-associated cues could compete strongly with traps and to reduce early aggregation on vulnerable seedlings. Trap-out sites had lower striped cucumber beetle activity during crop establishment and early crop development in 2024, although this effect was not repeated in 2025. Together, these findings show that semiochemical trap-out can reduce striped cucumber beetle pressure under some field conditions and, with refinement, could support a viable early-season management strategy.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Nunez, Demian Antonio"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy","degree_level":"doctoral","degree_discipline":"Entomology","degree_department":"Entomology","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Kuhar, Thomas P."],"committee_members":["Weber, Donald C.","Yang, Chin-Cheng Scotty","Salom, Scott M.","Leskey, Tracy C."],"year":2026,"date_issued":"2026-05-29","date_published":"2026-05-29","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:55:54Z","subjects":["Integrated Pest Management","Behavioral Control","Applied Agriculture"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:47236"],"render_values":[{"text":"vt_gsexam:47236","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10919/143215","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Kuhar, Thomas P."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Weber, Donald C.","Yang, Chin-Cheng Scotty","Salom, Scott M.","Leskey, Tracy C."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Entomology"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Nunez, Demian Antonio"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2026-05-30T08:02:46Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2026-05-30T08:02:46Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2026-05-29"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Entomology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["doctoral"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Integrated Pest Management","Behavioral Control","Applied Agriculture"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:47236"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10919/143215"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The striped cucumber beetle, Acalymma vittatum (Fabr.), is a major early-season pest of cucurbits in eastern North America because overwintering adults injure seedlings while they are young and highly vulnerable to feeding damage or infection by Erwinia tracheiphila, the causal agent of bacterial wilt. This early vulnerability makes it important to reduce beetle activity before aggregations develop on young crop plants. This dissertation examined striped cucumber beetle semiochemical attraction, spatial capture patterns, baited-trap operating range, and early-season perimeter trap deployment to inform future selective semiochemical-based management strategies. The first study compared semiochemical lures for striped cucumber beetle attraction and non-target bee captures. Treatments containing vittatalactone, the A. vittatum aggregation pheromone, consistently produced the highest striped cucumber beetle captures while maintaining low bee bycatch. Pairing vittatalactone with indole as a companion lure may further improve A. vittatum captures without increasing bycatch. The second study examined how vittatalactone-baited trap captures were distributed across farm landscapes. A. vittatum captures were generally higher nearer tree lines, suggesting that placing traps along wooded field edges may improve early-season interception. The third study used fluorescent-marked beetles released at different distances from a vittatalactone + indole-baited sticky trap to estimate its operational range. Predicted recapture among dispersing beetles fell to 1% at approximately 12 m, suggesting that trap-out will likely require relatively dense trap arrays to maintain effective coverage. The final field study tested whether early-season perimeter trapping with vittatalactone + indole-baited sticky traps could reduce beetle activity within production cucurbit fields. This interval was chosen to intercept overwintered adults before crop-associated cues could compete strongly with traps and to reduce early aggregation on vulnerable seedlings. Trap-out sites had lower striped cucumber beetle activity during crop establishment and early crop development in 2024, although this effect was not repeated in 2025. Together, these findings show that semiochemical trap-out can reduce striped cucumber beetle pressure under some field conditions and, with refinement, could support a viable early-season management strategy."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstractgeneral","label":"General Abstract","values":["Striped cucumber beetles (Acalymma vittatum) are often the first major insect pest cucurbit growers contend with each spring. They damage squash, cucumbers, melons, and other cucurbit crops through feeding and by spreading Erwinia tracheiphila, the causal agent of bacterial wilt. Because crop risk is greatest when plants are young and small, growers often need to act proactively before beetle populations are fully established. This dissertation examined striped cucumber beetle semiochemical attraction, the spatial distribution of beetle captures across farm landscapes, and trap operating range to inform an early-season trap-out strategy meant to protect cucurbits when they are most vulnerable in the spring. The first study compared semiochemical lures for cucumber beetle attraction and non-target bee captures. Treatments that included vittatalactone, the striped cucumber beetle aggregation pheromone, consistently captured the most striped cucumber beetles while keeping bee bycatch low, supporting vittatalactone for selective early-season trapping. Pairing vittatalactone with indole may increase beetle catch without increasing bee bycatch. The second study showed that striped cucumber beetle captures were generally higher near tree lines within the farm landscape, suggesting that placement along these areas may increase trap efficiency. The third study tested the relationship between distance and capture rate for a vittatalactone + indole-baited sticky trap using fluorescent-marked beetles released at different distances. Predicted recapture fell to about 1% at roughly 12 m from the trap, indicating that individual traps influence a relatively small local area and that successful trap-out will likely require close spacing to ensure coverage. The final field study tested whether early-season perimeter traps baited with vittatalactone + indole could reduce beetle activity inside cucurbit fields. This interval was chosen to intercept overwintered adults before they aggregated on young plants and before crop-associated cues could compete strongly with the traps. In 2024, treated farms had lower striped cucumber beetle activity during crop establishment and early crop development, although this effect was not repeated in 2025. The 2024 result shows that semiochemical trap-out can reduce beetle pressure under some field conditions and that, with refinement, a viable early-season semiochemical management strategy for striped cucumber beetles is possible."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Doctor of Philosophy"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["ETD"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Linking Semiochemical Ecology and Spatial Dynamics to Improve Integrated Pest Management of Striped Cucumber Beetle, Acalymma vittatum"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Kuhar, Thomas P."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Weber, Donald C.","Yang, Chin-Cheng Scotty","Salom, Scott M.","Leskey, Tracy C."],"dc:contributor.department":["Entomology"],"dc:creator":["Nunez, Demian Antonio"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2026-05-30T08:02:46Z"],"dc:date.available":["2026-05-30T08:02:46Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2026-05-29"],"dc:description.abstract":["The striped cucumber beetle, Acalymma vittatum (Fabr.), is a major early-season pest of cucurbits in eastern North America because overwintering adults injure seedlings while they are young and highly vulnerable to feeding damage or infection by Erwinia tracheiphila, the causal agent of bacterial wilt. This early vulnerability makes it important to reduce beetle activity before aggregations develop on young crop plants. This dissertation examined striped cucumber beetle semiochemical attraction, spatial capture patterns, baited-trap operating range, and early-season perimeter trap deployment to inform future selective semiochemical-based management strategies. The first study compared semiochemical lures for striped cucumber beetle attraction and non-target bee captures. Treatments containing vittatalactone, the A. vittatum aggregation pheromone, consistently produced the highest striped cucumber beetle captures while maintaining low bee bycatch. Pairing vittatalactone with indole as a companion lure may further improve A. vittatum captures without increasing bycatch. The second study examined how vittatalactone-baited trap captures were distributed across farm landscapes. A. vittatum captures were generally higher nearer tree lines, suggesting that placing traps along wooded field edges may improve early-season interception. The third study used fluorescent-marked beetles released at different distances from a vittatalactone + indole-baited sticky trap to estimate its operational range. Predicted recapture among dispersing beetles fell to 1% at approximately 12 m, suggesting that trap-out will likely require relatively dense trap arrays to maintain effective coverage. The final field study tested whether early-season perimeter trapping with vittatalactone + indole-baited sticky traps could reduce beetle activity within production cucurbit fields. This interval was chosen to intercept overwintered adults before crop-associated cues could compete strongly with traps and to reduce early aggregation on vulnerable seedlings. Trap-out sites had lower striped cucumber beetle activity during crop establishment and early crop development in 2024, although this effect was not repeated in 2025. Together, these findings show that semiochemical trap-out can reduce striped cucumber beetle pressure under some field conditions and, with refinement, could support a viable early-season management strategy."],"dc:description.abstractgeneral":["Striped cucumber beetles (Acalymma vittatum) are often the first major insect pest cucurbit growers contend with each spring. They damage squash, cucumbers, melons, and other cucurbit crops through feeding and by spreading Erwinia tracheiphila, the causal agent of bacterial wilt. Because crop risk is greatest when plants are young and small, growers often need to act proactively before beetle populations are fully established. This dissertation examined striped cucumber beetle semiochemical attraction, the spatial distribution of beetle captures across farm landscapes, and trap operating range to inform an early-season trap-out strategy meant to protect cucurbits when they are most vulnerable in the spring. The first study compared semiochemical lures for cucumber beetle attraction and non-target bee captures. Treatments that included vittatalactone, the striped cucumber beetle aggregation pheromone, consistently captured the most striped cucumber beetles while keeping bee bycatch low, supporting vittatalactone for selective early-season trapping. Pairing vittatalactone with indole may increase beetle catch without increasing bee bycatch. The second study showed that striped cucumber beetle captures were generally higher near tree lines within the farm landscape, suggesting that placement along these areas may increase trap efficiency. The third study tested the relationship between distance and capture rate for a vittatalactone + indole-baited sticky trap using fluorescent-marked beetles released at different distances. Predicted recapture fell to about 1% at roughly 12 m from the trap, indicating that individual traps influence a relatively small local area and that successful trap-out will likely require close spacing to ensure coverage. The final field study tested whether early-season perimeter traps baited with vittatalactone + indole could reduce beetle activity inside cucurbit fields. This interval was chosen to intercept overwintered adults before they aggregated on young plants and before crop-associated cues could compete strongly with the traps. In 2024, treated farms had lower striped cucumber beetle activity during crop establishment and early crop development, although this effect was not repeated in 2025. The 2024 result shows that semiochemical trap-out can reduce beetle pressure under some field conditions and that, with refinement, a viable early-season semiochemical management strategy for striped cucumber beetles is possible."],"dc:description.degree":["Doctor of Philosophy"],"dc:format.medium":["ETD"],"dc:identifier.other":["vt_gsexam:47236"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10919/143215"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["Integrated Pest Management","Behavioral Control","Applied Agriculture"],"dc:title":["Linking Semiochemical Ecology and Spatial Dynamics to Improve Integrated Pest Management of Striped Cucumber Beetle, Acalymma vittatum"],"dc:type":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Entomology"],"thesis:degree_level":["doctoral"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:55:54Z"}