Archie K. Murchie

• BSc Zoology (Glasgow); PhD Entomology (Keele)
• Research Officer at Agri Food and Biosciences Institute

Plant pests (including pathogens) threaten forests, reduce carbon sequestration, disrupt trade, and are costly to manage. Traditionally, forest surveys involve the visual inspection of trees for symptoms of disease; however, this process is time consuming and by the time symptoms are observed, the disease may be widespread. New methods of surveilla...

Abstract Six species of Ips de Geer (Coleoptera: Curculionidae; Scolytinae) occur in Europe. They attack weakened or dead conifers but may become aggressive and mass-attack living trees. All species have expanded their ranges in Europe since the late 19th century. Here, we analyse the patterns of this spread and discuss the factors at play. Startin...

A genome skimming approach of sequencing was undertaken on a subfamily of terrestrial flatworms that had been neglected in genomic studies until now, namely the Microplaninae as represented here by Microplana scharffi. A single run of short-read sequencing enabled retrieval of the complete mitogenome, the two paralogous versions of the 18S gene, th...

Using a combination of short- and long-reads sequencing, we were able to sequence the complete mitochondrial genome of the invasive ‘New Zealand flatworm’ Arthurdendyus triangulatus (Geoplanidae, Rhynchodeminae, Caenoplanini) and its two complete paralogous nuclear rRNA gene clusters. The mitogenome has a total length of 20,309 bp and contains repe...

Ash sawfly (Tomstethus nigritus F.) is typically a sporadic pest of European ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) It is a defoliator of ash in the larval stage, with the potential to cause significant damage. It is found across Europe, including Great Britain (GB), and in some areas of Europe it has completely defoliated established stands of ash. However,...

Pest monitoring is a fundamental requirement of integrated pest management. To minimise and target the use of pesticides, it is necessary to know when insect pests are present within the crop and whether their densities warrant control. There are many designs of trap to monitor insect pests. This chapter gives an overview of the principles of trap...

Entomology is key to understanding terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems at a time of unprecedented anthropogenic environmental change and offers substantial untapped potential to benefit humanity in a variety of ways, from improving agricultural practices to managing vector-borne diseases and inspiring technological advances. We identified high pr...

This datasheet on Arthurdendyus triangulatus covers Identity, Overview, Distribution, Dispersal, Hosts/Species Affected, Diagnosis, Biology & Ecology, Environmental Requirements, Natural Enemies, Impacts, Uses, Prevention/Control, Further Information.

Simple Summary Ash sawfly, Tomostethus nigritus, larvae feed on the leaves of Fraxinus excelsior. In the last 20 years, outbreaks of these insects have become more common, and they cause severe defoliation of the tree crown. This pest is native to Europe, and it was recorded for the first time on the island of Ireland in Belfast, Northern Ireland (...

This is the third in a planned series of data papers presenting modelled vector distributions produced during the ECDC and EFSA funded VectorNet project. The data package presented here includes those Culicoides vectors species first modelled in 2015 as part of the VectorNet gap analysis work namely C. imicola, C. obsoletus, C. scoticus, C. dewulfi...

The United Kingdom (UK) has reported a single detection of the eggs of the invasive mosquito vector Aedes albopictus in each of the three years from 2016 to 2018, all in southeast England. Here, we report the detection of mosquito eggs on three occasions at two sites in London and southeast England in September 2019. Mosquito traps were deployed at...

Trees provide key ecosystem services, but the health and sustainability of these plants is under increasing biotic and abiotic threat, including from the growing incidences of non-native invasive plant pests (including pathogens). The island of Ireland (Ireland and Northern Ireland) is generally accepted to have a high plant health status, in part...

Since the emergence of bluetongue virus in central and northern Europe in 2006, Northern Ireland's (NI) surveillance programme has evolved to include the use of risk assessments and simulation models to monitor the risk of bluetongue incursion. Livestock production is of high economic importance to NI as it exports approximately 75% of its agricult...

The impact of topical applications of deltamethrin and ivermectin to cattle on Culicoides spp. landing and blood-feeding was studied in this work using sticky traps mounted on Friesian heifers’ backs. There was no effect of the insecticides on total numbers of Culicoides trapped or the proportion engorged. Deltamethrin and ivermectin treatment did...

Mosquito‐borne diseases resulting from the expansion of two key vectors, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae), continue to challenge whole regions and continents around the globe. In recent years there have been human cases of disease associated with Chikungunya, dengue and Zika viruses. In Europe, the expansion of Ae. albopictus...

Since the 1960s, the objective for the United Kingdom (UK) government policy and legislation on crop protection practices has been to minimise the impact of pesticide use in agriculture and horticulture to the wider environment. Subsequent European Union (EU) policy and legislation have also targeted this objective through a demanding approvals pro...

Stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans, is a biting fly that can cause severe irritation to livestock resulting in reduced productivity. The most common method of monitoring S. calcitrans is through the use of sticky traps and many designs have been developed using different colours and materials such as alsynite fibreglass and polypropylene sheeting. Lab...

The repellent effects of garlic oil to Lycoriella ingenua and Megaselia halterata were examined in static olfactometers. In a choice between treated and control glass beads, adult female M. halterata were repelled by garlic solutions at concentration levels as low as 0.1% (v/v). When provided with a choice between compost treated with a range of ga...

Biting midges, Culicoides spp. (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), are important vectors of viral pathogens. Following the outbreak of bluetongue serotype 8 in Europe between 2006 and 2009, many Culicoides surveillance programmes were initiated to identify vector-active periods, in accordance with European Commission regulation 2007/1266/EC. This study uti...

Biting midges (Culicoides spp.) are vectors of bluetongue and Schmallenberg viruses. Treatment of mesh barriers is a common method for preventing insect-vectored diseases and has been proposed as a means of limiting Culicoides ingression into buildings or livestock transporters. Assessments using animals are costly, logistically difficult and subje...

Existing data sets on earthworm communities in Europe were collected, harmonized, collated, modelled and depicted on a soil biodiversity map. Digital Soil Mapping was applied using multiple regressions relating relatively low density earthworm community data to soil characteristics, land use, vegetation and climate factors (covariables) with a grea...

Background European Community (EC) legislation has limited the availability of pesticide active substances used in effective plant protection products. The Pesticide Authorisation Directive (PAD) 91/414/EEC, introduced the principle of risk assessment for approval of pesticide active substances. This principle was modified by the introduction of Re...

The increasing concern over the continued use of pesticides is pressurising apple growers to look for alternatives to chemical pest control. The re-discovery, and subsequent conservation, of the beneficial predatory mite, Anystis baccarum (Linnaeus) (Acari: Anystidae), in Bramley apple orchards in Northern Ireland offers a potential alternative con...

Sticky traps were mounted on heifers and sheep to assess Culicoides spp. (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) host preference. Initially, four coloured 200-cm(2) sticky traps (white, clear, yellow and blue) were attached to the backs of each of ten Friesian heifers that were released into open pasture for 24 h, repeated on six occasions. More Obsoletus group...

Apple is host to many species of tortricid moths. Archips podana is an economically important species in the Bramley’s Seedling apple orchards of Northern Ireland. Chemical pesticides are routinely applied to control moth populations. Pheromone trapping has shown that the moths are not concentrated in any particular habitat. Moth damage to fruit is...

Ranges of trapping devices were investigated for their ability to sample predatory mites and insects on branches of apple trees. Straw traps caught significantly more predatory mites whereas corrugated cardboard traps proved better for larger predators such as the common earwig, Forficula auricularia. The most abundant predatory species sampled on...

SUMMARY Biting midges of the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are vectors of a number of viral diseases worldwide. Following the unforeseen outbreak of bluetongue in northern Europe (2006-2009) there was a need to clarify on-farm breeding substrates utilized by temperate Culicoides spp. Six substrates (cow dung, cow slurry, horse dung, s...

Increasing concern over the use of chemical pesti-cides is continuing to pressurise apple growers to look for alternative means of invertebrate pest control. The re-discovery of the beneficial predatory mite, Anystis baccarum (Linnaeus) (Prostigmata: Anystidae), in UK Bramley orchards offers a potential alternative con-trol component for incorporat...

African horse sickness is an economically highly important non-contagious but infectious Orbivirus disease that is transmitted by various species of Culicoides midges. The equids most severely affected by the virus are horses, ponies, and European donkeys; mules are somewhat less susceptible, and African donkeys and zebra are refractory to the deva...

The ‘New Zealand flatworm’, Arthurdendyus triangulatus, is a native of the South Island of New Zealand, which has established in the UK, Ireland and the Faroe Islands. In its introduced range, it is a predator of lumbricid earthworms. To assess the impact of A. triangulatus on earthworm species, flatworm distributions were manipulated into ‘high’,...

Ecological monitoring aims to provide estimates of pest species abundance-this information being then used for making decisions about means of control. For invertebrate species, population size estimates are often based on trap counts which provide the value of the population density at the traps' location. However, the use of traps in large number...

Integrated pest management programs are very important in the control of invertebrate pests withinapple orchards. Many current integrated pest management strategies concentrate on specialist predatory species.However, generalist beneficial insects, such as several mite species, must also be fully researched for their potential incontrolling pests....

The Red Palm Weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier (Curculionidae: Coleoptera), is the most serious and difficult to control insect pest on date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) in the United Arab Emirates. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of trap color on trap effectiveness in catching R. ferrugineus. Traps baited with the m...

This paper presents evidence that a field strain of bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV-8) was transmitted transplacentally and that it was also spread by a direct contact route. Twenty pregnant heifers were imported from the Netherlands into Northern Ireland during the midge-free season. Tests before and after the animals were imported showed that ei...

Mushroom production in Ireland is normally divided between compost production and mushroom cultivation. Sciarid and phorid flies are pests of mushroom cultivation but how they infest the compost is little known. This study sought to determine if compost production could be a significant source of fly pests. The sciarids, Lycoriella ingenua (Dufour)...

Apple orchards are host to many species of both pest and beneficial invertebrates. Many of the pest species can cause severe economic damage if populations are left unchecked. Within Northern Irish Bramley apple orchards only four species are deemed to be of economic importance; Panonychus ulmi, Aculus schlechtendali, Rhopalosiphum insertum and Arc...

Apple orchards often receive winter-washes to help aid invertebrate pest control. These can have detrimental environmental consequences. The application of winter-wash increased Aculus schlechtendali numbers while a decrease in numbers of the beneficial mite Anystis baccarum was observed. The application of early season pesticide treatments produce...

Increasing concern over use of chemical pesticides is continuing to pressurise apple growers to look for alternative means of invertebrate pest control. The re-discovery of the predatory mite, Anystis baccarum, in Northern Irish Bramley orchards offers a potential alternative control component for incorporation into IPM strategies.

To assess any seasonal changes in the gross morphology of their reproductive structures, Arthurdendyus triangulatus were collected periodically from the field during a period of 1 year and also eight flatworms were starved for between 1 and 11 months. There was no evidence that the occurrence of the reproductive structures was seasonal, with the po...

to most apple-growing areas has probably beencaused by the distribution of nursery stock carryingwinter eggs. This mite is stated to be an importantsecondary pest (due to the effects of chemicalsprays killing natural enemies) of commercialorchards throughout the United Kingdom (UK) andEurope (Cross and Berrie, 1994). A wide host rangeincludes decid...

Arthurdendyus triangulatus is an invasive terrestrial flatworm that preys on earthworms. To assess A. triangulatus egg capsule production, flatworms were maintained in ventilated polypropylene tubs (7.5 L) kept in controlled environment (CE) chambers or outdoors in the ground. Controlled environment chambers were maintained at 8°C or 14°C, flatworm...

The ‘New Zealand flatworm’ Arthurdendyus triangulatus is an invasive earthworm predator that is widespread in Northern Ireland. Although this species is most commonly reported from domestic gardens, it is spreading into agricultural grassland. In systematic surveys of grassland fields in Northern Ireland, flatworms were found in 4% (n = 75) in 1991...

The ‘New Zealand flatworm’ Arthurdendyus triangulatus is an invasive earthworm predator that is widespread in Northern Ireland. Although this species is most commonly reported from domestic gardens, it is spreading into agricultural grassland. In systematic surveys of grassland fields in Northern Ireland, flatworms were found in 4% (n = 75) in 1991...

Apple scab is the most serious disease in Northern Ireland Bramley orchards. As a result, as many as 14 fungicide sprays can be applied each season to control the disease. Anystis baccarum is a commonly occurring predatory mite in the orchards. The effects of three commonly used fungicides (captan/penconazole, mancozeb and dithianon) on A. baccarum...

Abstract 1 A simple, yet sensitive polymerase chain reaction based technique was developed for the detection of the apple-grass aphid Rhopalosiphum insertum in the gut of Anystis baccarum, a predatory mite. 2 A range of conserved polymerase chain reaction primers for insect mitochondrial and ribosomal DNA were tested in order to amplify R. insertum...

Anystis baccarum is a common predatory mite in Northern Ireland Bramley orchards. To determine its effect on Aculus schlechtendali populations, sticky traps and sprays of demeton-S-methyl were used to exclude A. baccarum from branches. Out of four trials, exclusion of A. baccarum by sticky traps alone resulted in significantly greater numbers of A....

The internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS1 and ITS2) including the 5.8S region of the ‘New Zealand flatworm’, Arthurdendyus triangulates, are 1004 base pairs in length. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of PCR products (PCR-RFLP) was conducted on A. triangulates specimens from 45 locations in Northern Ireland, Scotland, England a...

The edge distributions of Ceutorhynchusassimilis and its parasitoid Trichomalusperfectus within a crop of winter oilseed rape were investigated between May and July using yellow water-traps arranged on a grid system. A randomisation test, which compared the observed arrangement of trap counts with permuted arrangements, was used to quantify the obs...

Parasitoids can provide effective control of some pests of oilseed rape. Their efficiency is influenced by their spatio-temporal coincidence with their host. Any disociations between their spatial or temporal distributions can provide opportunities to target insecticide against the pest without harming the parasitoid. The cabbage seed weevil, Ceuto...

Since the terrestrial flatworm, Artioposthia triangulata (Dendy), was first recorded in Northern Ireland in 1963, sightings from the general public have been collected by the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland. By the end of 1997, the cumulative total had reached 1019. Prior to 1989, the number of reports averaged 3.5 per year but this...

Trichomalus perfectus (Walker) is the most widespread and abundant parasitoid attacking Ceutorhynchus assimilis Paykull, a major pest of winter oilseed rape, in Europe. In a 2-year study, the effects on T. perfectus of commercial applications of alphacypermethrin and of triazophos to control C. assimilis were investigated. Triazophos had a detrimen...

The responses of Dasineura brassicae and its parasitoids Platygaster subuliformis and Omphale clypealis to allyl and 2-phenylethyl isothiocyanates have been investigated using a new design of trap in winter oilseed rape. Traps baited with allyl isothiocyanate caught more male and female D. brassicae and more female O. clypealis than traps baited wi...

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Keele, 1996.

Apple orchards cover c. 27000 ha in the United Kingdom, of which 14000 ha are dessert varieties, 9000 ha culinary varieties, and 4000 ha are for cider making. The major concentration of dessert apples and culinary apple orchards is in the southeastern county of Kent and the eastern counties of Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. Cider and d...

The fruit tree red spider mite, Panonychus ulmi, is a major pest in almost all fruit growing regions of the world. Spread of P. ulmi to most apple-growing areas has probably been caused by the distribution of nursery stock carrying winter eggs. This mite is stated to be an important secondary pest (due to the effects of chemical sprays killing natu...