Mrs Kempsy Adams1, Mr Stefano De Faveri1, Mr R. Andrew Hayes3, Ms Donna Chambers2, Mr Ian Newton2

1Department of Agriculture and Fisheries QLD, Brisbane, Australia, 2Department of Agriculture and Fisheries QLD, Mareeba, Australia, 3University of the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Australia

Biography:

Kempsy Adams is a senior experimentalist with the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries in Queensland and has worked in the horticulture and forestry division for over five years. She has completed work on technical market access for fruit flies and is currently investigating the development of a pheromone lure for the pest insect, Amblypelta nitida.

Abstract:

Fruit Spotting Bugs (FSB) Amblypelta nitida and Banana Spotting Bugs (BSB) Amblypelta lutescens lutescens pose significant threats to various fruit, nut, and berry crops across coastal and sub-coastal regions of Queensland, northern NSW, the Northern Territory, and NW Western Australia.

While the anatomy of Amblypelta spp. has been documented, there remains a notable gap regarding the adults’ progression from ecdysis through to reproductive maturity. This knowledge deficiency poses a considerable challenge for behavioural studies, particularly to understanding adult responses to pheromones. Currently, it is unclear when adult females become receptive to mating cues and when males start actively producing pheromones. This uncertainty complicates efforts to determine whether observed behavioural responses are due to genuine disinterest or simply because the insects are not yet physiologically prepared for mating.

To address this knowledge gap, the reproductive development of male and female A. nitida and A. l. lutescens were investigated by comparing stages of reproductive organ maturation as the adult insect ages with responsiveness in olfactometer tests. The progression of organ development was found to vary significantly between the sexes in both species and the time between ecdysis and reproductive maturation was significantly longer than expected.

Understanding the reproductive physiology of these species has directly impacted current efforts in pheromone identification of Amblypelta nitida. Behavioural experiments are now conducted with more confidence that the insect is in a suitable physiological state.