scholarly journals Host Range and Impact of Dichrorampha aeratana, the First Potential Biological Control Agent for Leucanthemum vulgare in North America and Australia

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.

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shihai Chu ◽  
Shengbo Cong ◽  
Ruhai Li ◽  
Youming Hou

Abstract Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb. is an invasive herbaceous amphibious weed species in China. A pyralid moth Herpetogramma basalis (Walker) was discovered feeding on A. philoxeroides through field surveys and may be a potentially useful biocontrol agent. To determine the host range of H. basalis and evaluate its potential to control A. philoxeroides, no-choice and multiple-choice tests were conducted. Herpetogramma basalis fed on target weeds and 29 nontarget plant species. In addition to the target weed A. philoxeroides, H. basalis developed to adult on eight other nontarget species. Herpetogramma basalis survived to adulthood successfully on A. philoxeroides and less successfully on several other Amaranthaceae species. In multiple-choice studies, H. basalis showed a strong oviposition preference for A. philoxeroides over Amaranthus tricolor L. (Centrospermae: Amaranthaceae). Amaranthus tricolor was the only crop plant that supported the complete development of H. basalis. We cautiously recommend H. basalis for the biological control of A. philoxeroides in China.


Author(s):  
Fazila Yousuf ◽  
Peter A. Follett ◽  
Conrad P. D. T. Gillett ◽  
David Honsberger ◽  
Lourdes Chamorro ◽  
...  

AbstractPhymastichus coffea LaSalle (Hymenoptera:Eulophidae) is an adult endoparasitoid of the coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) (Coleoptera:Curculionidae:Scolytinae), which has been introduced in many coffee producing countries as a biological control agent. To determine the effectiveness of P. coffea against H. hampei and environmental safety for release in Hawaii, we investigated the host selection and parasitism response of adult females to 43 different species of Coleoptera, including 23 Scolytinae (six Hypothenemus species and 17 others), and four additional Curculionidae. Non-target testing included Hawaiian endemic, exotic and beneficial coleopteran species. Using a no-choice laboratory bioassay, we demonstrated that P. coffea was only able to parasitize the target host H. hampei and four other adventive species of Hypothenemus: H. obscurus, H. seriatus, H. birmanus and H. crudiae. Hypothenemus hampei had the highest parasitism rate and shortest parasitoid development time of the five parasitized Hypothenemus spp. Parasitism and parasitoid emergence decreased with decreasing phylogenetic relatedness of the Hypothenemus spp. to H. hampei, and the most distantly related species, H. eruditus, was not parasitized. These results suggest that the risk of harmful non-target impacts is low because there are no native species of Hypothenemus in Hawaii, and P. coffea could be safely introduced for classical biological control of H. hampei in Hawaii.


2005 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Osterbauer ◽  
A. Trippe ◽  
K. French ◽  
T. Butler ◽  
M. C. Aime ◽  
...  

Phragmidium violaceum occurs on several species of Rubus, including R. armeniacus, R. fruticosus agg., and R. laciniatus, in Europe, South Africa, Iran, and Iraq, and has been introduced as a biological control agent for invasive blackberries in Australia, New Zealand, and Chile. To our knowledge, this is the first official report of P. violaceum infecting Himalaya and evergreen blackberries in North America. Accepted for publication 16 September 2005. Published 23 September 2005.


Mycoscience ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 179-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daisuke Kurose ◽  
Naruto Furuya ◽  
Kenichi Tsuchiya ◽  
Harry C. Evans ◽  
Djamila H. Djeddour ◽  
...  

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.


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