Tracking an invasive crane fly pest complex in North America

1
Tracking an invasive crane fly pest complex in
North America Sujaya Rao, Aaron Liston Jon
Umble, Oregon State University
Photo Tom Cook
Photo Tom Cook
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.
Damage by exotic crane fly larvae
Distribution of T. paludosa and T. oleracea in N.
America
Home lawn

Peppermint

Geographic distribution in Oregon adult survey
Mitochondrial cytB sequences for rapid larval
identification
Differences between T. paludosa and T.
oleracea
Primer sequences used
T. paludosa
T. oleracea
All sites sampled
T. oleracea
T. paludosa
Host range in Oregon - survey of larvae
Eggs
Adults
T. oleracea
T. paludosa
Adult emergence
A single representative phylogenetic tree
obtained from maximum parsimony analysis of the
mitochondrial cytB sequence data.
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct
Nov Dec
Larval feeding
aestivation
Voltinism
Diagnostic marker (research in progress)
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
  8042-52.
• Rao, S. and Gelhaus, J. 2003. Peppermint, a new
  host record for crane flies (Diptera Tipulidae).
  Pan-Pacific Entomologist 79 45-46