Tracking Plum Curculio (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Movement in Blueberry and Peach Fields Using Protein Immunomarkers

ABSTRACT Plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar (Herbst), is a native fruit pest. Adults emerge from overwintering sites in wooded areas and disperse into crop fields in the spring. However, their movement patterns within fields after this initial dispersal remain poorly understood. In this study, we used protein markers to investigate the in‐field dispersal of C. nenuphar adults in peach ( Prunus persica L.) and highbush blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum L.) fields. Chicken egg albumin (egg whites) was applied along field borders and bovine casein (cow's milk) within field interiors. Adults were collected daily using beat sampling, and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were used to detect egg and/or milk proteins on individual insects. This approach provided a form of behavioural forensics, allowing us to trace each insect's movement within the field. Results indicated a strong edge effect in both crops, with 64.3% and 78.0% of adults collected along the border in blueberry and peach, respectively. However, adults collected from interior areas were significantly more likely to be marked with both proteins, suggesting they had dispersed inward through the border rows but rarely returned outward. These findings reveal a consistent colonisation pattern in both crops, where C. nenuphar populations initially establish along field edges before gradually moving into the interior. This provides a behavioural basis for implementation of border‐based management strategies, which could reduce insecticide use through targeted applications while maintaining effective control of C. nenuphar .