Tracking an invasive crane fly pest complex in North AmericaSujaya Rao, Aaron Liston & Jon Umble, Oregon State University

Abstract

Two exotic crane fly species, Tipula paludosa and T.

oleracea, inadvertently introduced into North America, damage grasses in home lawns, golf courses, sod farms and seed production fields. Damage has also been observed in commercial peppermint. Both species are spreading and have been detected as far south as California in the west and in upstate New York in the east. We developed a mitochondrial cytB sequence technique for rapid separation of the two species, and for determining habitats where larvae of both species are present. The DNA analysis technique will be used for tracking further range expansion by the two species.

Distribution of T. paludosa and T. oleracea in N. America

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

T. oleraceaT. paludosa

aestivation

Adult emergence

Larval feeding

Primer sequences used Primer SequenceCytb-10821F 5’-CGA CAA ATA TCA TTT TGA GGA GCA ACA GCytb-11290R 5’-ATT ACT CCT CCT AGC TTA TTA GGA ATT G

Cytb-9F 5’-ATG AAT TTG AGG GGG ATT TGCytb-308R 5’-AGA GGG TTA GCT GGG ATA AA

Crane fly species Habitats where leatherjackets were collected

Tipula paludosa golf course; public park; home lawn; commercial peppermint

Tipula oleracea golf course; commercial peppermintTipula tristis seed production fields: perennial ryegrass;

commercial meadowfoamNephrotoma ferruginea

commercial peppermint

T. (Platytipula) sp. commercial meadowfoamT. (Triplicitipula) sp.

seed production fields: annual ryegrass and perennial ryegrass; commercial meadowfoam

Adults

Differences between T. paludosa and T. oleracea

Voltinism

Eggs

T. paludosaT. oleraceaT. paludosaT. oleracea

Damage by exotic crane fly larvae

Peppermint

Home lawn

Mitochondrial cytB sequences for rapid larval identification

Diagnostic marker (research in progress)

A single representative phylogenetic tree obtained from maximum parsimony analysis of the mitochondrial cytB sequence data.

Geographic distribution in Oregon – adult survey

Host range in Oregon - survey of larvae*

* Larvae identified using mt cytB sequence

Publications: Rao, S., Liston, A., Crampton, L. and Takeyasu, J. 2006. Identification of larvae of exotic Tipula paludosa (Diptera: Tipulidae) and T. oleracea in North America using mitochondrial cytB

sequences. Annals of the Entomological Society of America (In Press). Umble, J. and Rao, S. 2004. Exotic Tipula paludosa and T. oleracea (Diptera: Tipulidae) in the United States: Geographic distribution in western Oregon. Pan-Pacific Entomologist 80:42-

52. Rao, S. and Gelhaus, J. 2003. Peppermint, a new host record for crane flies (Diptera: Tipulidae). Pan-Pacific Entomologist 79: 45-46

All sites sampled T. oleracea T. paludosa

T. paludosa T. oleracea

Photo: Tom Cook

Photo: Tom Cook