Insect Herbivores Associated with Nymphaea mexicana (Nymphaeaceae) in Southern United States: Potential Biological Control Agents for South Africa

Cacosceles newmannii (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is an emerging pest of sugarcane in South Africa. The larvae of this cerambycid beetle live within the sugarcane stalk and drill galleries that considerably reduce sugar production. To provide an alternative to chemical control, entomopathogenic nematodes and fungus were investigated as potential biological control agents to be used in an integrated pest management system. The nematodes Steinernema yirgalemense, S. jeffreyense, Heterorhabditis indica, and different concentrations of the fungus Metarhizium pinghaense were screened for efficacy (i.e., mortality rate) against larvae of C. newmannii. The different biocontrol agents used, revealed a low level of pathogenicity to C. newmannii larvae, when compared to control treatments.

Download Full-text

Notes on Insects, Especially Gymnaetron spp. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Associated with Toadflax, Liniaria vulgaris Mill. (Scrophulariaceae), in North America

The Canadian Entomologist ◽

10.4039/ent91116-2 ◽

1959 ◽

Vol 91 (2) ◽

pp. 116-121 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

J. Morris Smith

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Biological Control ◽

North America ◽

Natural Enemies ◽

The Other ◽

Biological Control Agents ◽

Linaria Vulgaris ◽

Canadian Provinces

Linaria vulgaris Mill., known commonly as toadflax or butter-and-eggs, is worldwide in its distribution but is a serious weed only in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba (Zilke and Coupland, 1954), where it is increasing in importance (Beck, 1954; Carder, 1956; Forbes, 1957). Smith (1956) correlated its relative insignificance as a weed in the other provinces and in the northwestern United States with the occurrence of the curculionid beetle Gylmnaetron antirrhini (Payk.). Investigations on this and other insects that feed on toadflax and an evaluation of their possible use as biological control agents are reported in this paper; also included are some observations on the weedand its natural enemies made since 1950 in all provinces west of Quebec and in the northwestern United States.

Download Full-text

Life history and host specificity of the Japanese flea beetlesTrachyaphthona sordidaandT.nigrita(Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), potential biological control agents against skunk vine,Paederia foetida(Rubiaceae), in the southeastern parts of the United States and Hawaii

Entomological Science ◽

10.1111/j.1479-8298.2008.00266.x ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 143-152 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Chie OKAMOTO ◽

Kiyoshi TSUDA ◽

Daisuke YAMAGUCHI ◽

Shinsuke SATO ◽

Robert W. PEMBERTON ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Biological Control ◽

Life History ◽

Host Specificity ◽

The United States ◽

Biological Control Agents ◽

Paederia Foetida

Download Full-text

Seasonal abundance and parasitism of Mesoclanis seed flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in South Africa, and implications for the biological control of Chrysanthemoides monilifera (Asteraceae) in Australia

Bulletin of Entomological Research ◽

10.1017/s0007485300042140 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 88 (4) ◽

pp. 407-414 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

P.B. Edwards

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Biological Control ◽

Nature Reserve ◽

Seasonal Abundance ◽

Western Cape ◽

Flowering Period ◽

Eastern Cape ◽

Biological Control Agents ◽

Kwazulu Natal

AbstractThe seasonal abundance and rates of parasitism of three species of Mesoclanis seed flies was studied in South Africa. The three species occur on Chrysanthemoides monilifera, and were recorded during most months of the year, whenever C. monilifera was flowering. At three sites in KwaZulu-Natal, numbers of eggs per capitulum of Mesoclanis polana Munro were highest on C. monilifera rotundata between June and November (winter/spring), towards the end of the main flowering flush. Parasitism of M. polana was between 50% and 90% for most of the year. Two other species of Mesoclanis (M. magnipalpis Bezzi and M. dubia Walker) occurred together on C. m. rotundata in the Eastern Cape (St Francis Bay), where parasitism during the year was between 55% and 95%. Peak numbers of eggs per capitulum (M. magnipalpis and M. dubia combined) occurred in May/June (winter), in the latter part of the main flowering flush. Mesoclanis magnipalpis was the only species recorded on C. m. pisifera in De Hoop Nature Reserve (Western Cape), where there was only one peak of oviposition (May/June), coinciding with the short and discrete flowering period of this subspecies. Parasitism was between 50% and 65%. At least nine species of parasitoid were reared from immature Mesoclanis stages. Eurytoma sp. (Eurytomidae) was a dominant parasitoid at all sites. Results are discussed in relation to the possible effectiveness of species of Mesoclanis seed flies as biological control agents of C. monilifera in Australia.

Download Full-text