Host Plant Phenotype and the Impact and Development ofCarmenta mimosa,a Biological Control Agent ofMimosa pigrain Australia

1998 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 182-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin J Steinbauer
Author(s):  
Khalid S. Alshallash Khalid S. Alshallash

In four glasshouse experiments, the effectiveness of the adult green dock beetle Gastrophysa viridula (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), at the effective number of applied individuals, for use as a biological control agent of curled dock, Rumex crispus (Polygonaceae) were studied. The feeding of the beetle was investigated at four different numbers of beetle (0, 1, 2, 3) and at four seedling growth stages of the plant, defined by the average of leaf area per plant (1-1.22 , 2-4.45, 3-11.56, and 4-71.52 cm2/plant). Grazing by one, two or three dock beetles did not result in a significant reduction in dock dry weight or shoot numbers at the youngest growth stage. However, both at later seedling growth stages were significantly affected (P ? 0.0001), at any beetles number. The increase of beetle numbers caused nonsignificant increased effect, in some trials, confirming the impact of a single beetle. Three months after beetle grazing, dock seedlings of first, second and third growth stages were not able to regrow, however, some plants at the 4th growth stage, re-emerged. This suggested that the highest effect of beetle's feeding occurs on the early seedling stages. Statistical analysis showed a positive correlation (0.77) between dry weight and shoot number at all the four seedling growth stages, thus confirming the impact of the beetle on both the dry weight and shoot numbers. Combining beetle grazing with other control methods at older dock seedling stages could, therefore, provide better suppression


Zootaxa ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 1983 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
LAURENCE A. MOUND ◽  
DESLEY TREE

The Sericothripinae is a largely tropical group of about 140 species that are often strikingly bicoloured and have complex surface sculpture, but for which the biology is poorly known. Although 15 genera have been described in this subfamily, only three of these are currently recognised, with five new generic synonymies indicated here. In Australia, Sericothrips Haliday is introduced, with one European species deployed as a weed biological control agent. Hydatothrips Karny comprises 43 species worldwide, with six species found in Australia, of which two are shared with Southeast Asia, and four are associated with the native vine genus, Parsonsia. Neohydatothrips John comprises 96 species worldwide, with nine species in Australia, of which one is shared with Southeast Asia and two are presumably introduced from the Americas. Illustrated keys are provided to the three genera and 16 species from Australia, including six new species [Hydatothrips aliceae; H. bhattii; H. williamsi; Neohydatothrips barrowi, N. bellissi, N. katherinae]. One new specific synonym is recognised [Hydatothrips haschemi Girault (=H. palawanensis Kudo)], also four new generic synonyms [Neohydatothrips John (=Faureana Bhatti; Onihothrips Bhatti; Sariathrips Bhatti; Papiliothrips Bhatti); Sericothrips Haliday (=Susserico- thrips Han)].


Insects ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirk Babendreier ◽  
Min Wan ◽  
Rui Tang ◽  
Rui Gu ◽  
Justice Tambo ◽  
...  

The impact and sustainability of two interventions that have been formulated to introduce integrated pest management (IPM) into rice and maize crops in Southwestern China, Laos, and Myanmar between 2011 and 2016, and were assessed at the end of 2017. From 22 Trichogramma rearing facilities established during the interventions, 11 were still producing substantial quantities of biocontrol agents 1.5 years after project support had ended, while seven had stopped operations completely, and four were doing stock rearing only. Through the implementation of biological control-based IPM, slightly higher yields were achieved in maize and rice (4–10%), when compared to control farmers, but the difference was not statistically significant. However, the use of pesticides nearly halved when farmers started using Trichogramma egg-cards as a biological control agent. Support from either public or private institutions was found to be important for ensuring the sustainability of Trichogramma rearing facilities. Many of the suggested IPM measures were not adopted by smallholder farmers, indicating that the positive impacts of the interventions mostly resulted from the application of Trichogramma biological control agents. The following assessment suggests that further promotion of IPM adoption among farmers is needed to upscale the already positive effects of interventions that facilitate reductions in synthetic pesticide use, and the effects on sustainable agricultural production of rice and maize in the target area more generally.


2010 ◽  
Vol 71 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 1237-1244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Padovan ◽  
Andras Keszei ◽  
Tobias G. Köllner ◽  
Jörg Degenhardt ◽  
William J. Foley

1990 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
pp. 427-432 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. S. McClay ◽  
R. E. McFadyen ◽  
J. D. Bradley

AbstractBucculatrix parthenica Bradley sp. n., a moth native to Mexico, is described. It has been released and established in Queensland, Australia, as a biological control agent for its host plant, Parthenium hysterophorus. The moth oviposits on leaves of its host. First and second instar larvae are leaf miners, and later instars feed externally on the leaves. The life cycle occupies about 25 days under field conditions. B. parthenica was narrowly oligophagous in host-specificity tests. In Mexico the insect is scarce but in Queensland it has become abundant enough to cause extensive defoliation of its host plant at some sites. Its rapid increase in Queensland is attributed to the absence of parasitism.


Plant Disease ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 98 (5) ◽  
pp. 580-589 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Aghighi ◽  
L. Fontanini ◽  
P. B. Yeoh ◽  
G. E. St. J. Hardy ◽  
T. I. Burgess ◽  
...  

Human activities have had an adverse impact on ecosystems on a global scale and have caused an unprecedented redispersal of organisms, with both plants and pathogens moving from their regions of origin to other parts of the world. Invasive plants are a potential threat to ecosystems globally, and their management costs tens of billions of dollars per annum. Rubus anglocandicans (European blackberry) is a serious invasive species in Australia. Herbicide and cultural control methods are generally inefficient or require multiple applications. Therefore, a biological control program using stem and leaf rust strains is the main option in Australia. However, biological control using rusts has been patchy, as host factors, climate, and weather can alter the impact of the rust at different locations. In 2007, Yeoh and Fontanini noticed that blackberry plants on the banks of the Donnelly and Warren rivers in the southwest of Western Australia were dying in areas that were being regularly monitored for the impact of rust as a biological control agent. The symptoms on blackberry became known as the disease “blackberry decline”. Continuous and intensive investigations are required to discover the different biotic and abiotic components associated with specific declines in plant populations. The only agent so far introduced to Australia for the biological control of blackberry is the rust Phragmidium violaceum.


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