Influence of Sweet Potato Cultivars in Combination with a Biological Control Agent (Nematoda: Heterorhabditis heliothidis ) on Larval Development of the Banded Cucumber Beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

1989 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 897-899 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Schalk ◽  
C. S. Creighton
1992 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 163 ◽  
Author(s):  
PA Horne

The distributions and life histories of two species of carabid beetles, Notonomus gravis and Notonomus philippi, are compared. N. gravis inhabits the western grassland plains of Victoria and N. philippi inhabits woodland in the Otway Ranges and areas east of Melbourne. Adults of both species show peak activity in summer after emergence, with larval development from autumn to spring. The development of N. philippi occurs approximately one month earlier than that of N. gravis. Both species readily accept larval Lepidoptera as food, are nocturnal and are the dominant carabids in their respective habitats. N. gravis has potential as a biological control agent, and the carabid communities may be used as environmental indicators.


Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 438
Author(s):  
Sonja Stutz ◽  
Rosemarie De Clerck-Floate ◽  
Hariet L. Hinz ◽  
Alec McClay ◽  
Andrew J. McConnachie ◽  
...  

We evaluated the potential of the European root-feeding moth Dichrorampha aeratana as a biological control agent for the invasive weed Leucanthemum vulgare (oxeye daisy) in North America and Australia. The taxonomic proximity of the ornamental Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum × superbum) to L. vulgare and its popularity in North America made finding sufficiently host-specific biological control agents a challenge. No-choice tests conducted with 74 non-target species revealed partial or complete larval development on 11 species. In multiple-choice oviposition and larval development tests that were conducted in field cages, larvae were found on five of these, however in multiple-choice tests conducted under open-field conditions, larvae were only found on the ornamentals Shasta daisy and creeping daisy (Mauranthemum paludosum). Larval feeding by D. aeratana had no measurable impact on Shasta daisy, but larval feeding and plant competition reduced the biomass and number of flower heads of L. vulgare. We conclude that D. aeratana is a suitable biological control agent because it will not affect the ornamental value of Shasta or creeping daisies and because it is unlikely to feed on any other economically important or native species. We also expect D. aeratana to contribute to the suppression of L. vulgare populations.


2005 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tong-Xian Liu ◽  
Philip A. Stansly

The potential of a lady beetle, Nephaspis oculatus (Blatchley), to serve as a biological control agent of the sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) Biotype “B” (= B. argentifolii Bellows & Perring), was evaluated on hibiscus under confined conditions, in large cages (60 × 60 × 60 cm) and on sweetpotato leaves in small clear cup cages (0.9 L). Nephaspis oculatus suppressed B. tabaci populations and provided marketable hibiscus plants when released 1 d after whitefly introduction in large cages at ratios of 1:4 and 1:20 beetle:whitefly. When beetles were released 7 d after the whitefly infestation, significant pest reduction and marketable plants were obtained with the 1:4 beetle:whitefly ratio but not the 1:20 ratio. In clear cup cages on sweet potato leaves, significant suppression was obtained at beetle:whitefly ratios of 1:6.7, 1:10 and 1:20 when N. oculatus was released 1 d after the whitefly infestation. These results help define release parameters for successful use of N. oculatus as a biological control agent of whiteflies under confined conditions.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harms Nathan ◽  
Cronin James

Host quality can have dramatic effects on performance of biological control agents but its importance is understudied. We used a combination of field measurements and laboratory experiments to determine the range of foliar nitrogen (FN) that larvae of the alligatorweed flea beetle (Agasicles hygrophila) are exposed to in the field and its importance to larval development and dispersal. Seasonal variability in FN was assessed at field sites spanning southern to northern Louisiana every 2–3 weeks during the growing season for four years. In a series of laboratory experiments, alligatorweed FN was manipulated to examine its influence on larval development and survival (under different temperature regimes), adult biomass, and dispersal of the biological control agent, A. hygrophila. Foliar nitrogen and rearing temperature had strong independent effects on larval development rate. We demonstrated that increasing nitrogen in leaf tissues shortens larval A. hygrophila developmental time and increases survival to adulthood, regardless of exposure temperature during development. It also suggests that foliar nitrogen may have important effects on biological control of alligatorweed, particularly as a result of seasonal variation in temperature and plant nutrition at field sites and could contribute to observed variation in A. hygrophila efficacy in the field.


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