scholarly journals European ectoparasitoids of two classical weed biological control agents released in North America

2011 ◽  
Vol 143 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franck J. Muller ◽  
Peter G. Mason ◽  
Lloyd M. Dosdall ◽  
Ulrich Kuhlmann

AbstractThe ceutorhynchine weevils Hadroplontus litura (F.) and Microplontus edentulus (Schultze) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), are established in North America as biological control agents for Canada thistle, Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop., and scentless chamomile, Tripleurospermum perforatum (Mérat) M. Lainz (Asteraceae), respectively. In North America, both weeds occur sympatrically and in similar habitats as another ceutorhynchine, Ceutorhynchus obstrictus (Marsham) (cabbage seedpod weevil), an important pest of canola, Brassica napus L., and Brassica rapa L. (Brassicaceae). Ceutorhynchinae weevils released to control weeds in cultivated crops may serve as alternate hosts if agents released for biological control of C. obstrictus are not specific to that species. Parasitoids associated with M. edentulus and H. litura inflict similar levels of mortality on their hosts, yet a single species was associated with the latter host, whereas 13 species attacked the former. The stem-mining M. edentulus appears to be at some risk but not the root-crown feeding H. litura, should the parasitoids Trichomalus perfectus (Walker) and Mesopolobus morys (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) be introduced as biological control agents of the silique-feeding C. obstrictus. These findings suggest that feeding niche may be an important criterion for developing a nontarget species test list for host-range testing of potential biological control agents.

Weed Science ◽  
1982 ◽  
Vol 30 (S1) ◽  
pp. 25-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lloyd A. Andres

Little effort has been directed toward integrating biological control; that is, the use of living natural enemies to control weeds, with more conventional weed control practices. The usual focus of biological control has been on the introduction of weed insects and pathogens from foreign areas to control naturalized range, pasture, and/or aquatic weeds, principally single species that had become dominant over a plant community. The released natural enemies were allowed to reach their own balance with the target weed without added assistance. As economic and environmental perspectives change along with our knowledge and technological capability, however, it becomes worthwhile to review periodically if and how biological control might be integrated with other farming practices. Because my biological control experience has centered on the use of weed-feeding insects, this discussion will focus on methods of enhancing and integrating insect impact on weeds with other weed-control activities.


EDIS ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
James P. Cuda ◽  
Patricia Prade ◽  
Carey R. Minteer-Killian

In the late 1970s, Brazilian peppertree, Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi (Sapindales: Anacardiaceae), was targeted for classical biological control in Florida because its invasive properties (see Host Plants) are consistent with escape from natural enemies (Williams 1954), and there are no native Schinus spp. in North America. The lack of native close relatives should minimize the risk of damage to non-target plants from introduced biological control agents (Pemberton 2000). [...]


2006 ◽  
Vol 138 (3) ◽  
pp. 285-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary A.P. Gibson ◽  
David R. Gillespie ◽  
Lloyd Dosdall

AbstractThe species of Pteromalidae (Chalcidoidea) introduced to British Columbia, Canada, from Europe in 1949 as Trichomalus fasciatus (Thomson, 1878), Xenocrepis pura Mayr, 1904, and Habrocytus sp. for classical biological control of Ceutorhynchus obstrictus (Marsham, 1802) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) are shown to be misidentifications of Trichomalus perfectus (Walker, 1835), Mesopolobus morys (Walker, 1848), and Stenomalina gracilis (Walker, 1834), respectively. Species reared subsequently from seedpods of Brassica spp. (Brassicaceae) in British Columbia and reported in the literature under the first three names are shown to be misidentifications of, respectively, Trichomalus lucidus (Walker, 1835), Mesopolobus moryoides Gibson, 2005, and one or both of Pteromalus puparum (L., 1758) and T. lucidus. There is no evidence that either T. perfectus or M. morys established in North America, but S. gracilis is newly recorded from southern British Columbia based on specimens reared from Brassicaceae seedpods in 2004 and 2005.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (8) ◽  
pp. 855-861 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory S. Wheeler ◽  
Ellen C. Lake ◽  
Min B. Rayamajhi ◽  
Melissa C. Smith

2011 ◽  
Vol 143 (4) ◽  
pp. 399-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franck J. Muller ◽  
Lloyd M. Dosdall ◽  
Peter G. Mason ◽  
Ulrich Kuhlmann

AbstractIn Europe, Ceutorhynchus turbatus Schultze and Ceutorhynchus typhae (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) feed on seeds from hoary cress and shepherd's purse (Cardaria draba (L.) Desv. and Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik.); both plants are invasive in North America. In North America, C. turbatus is a candidate for biological control of hoary cress, C. typhae is adventive, and both are sympatric with cabbage seedpod weevil (Ceutorhynchus obstrictus (Marsham)), an invasive alien pest of canola (Brassica napus L. and Brassica rapa L., Brassicaceae). We investigated host associations among C. turbatus, C. typhae, and their parasitoids in Europe. Of particular interest was host specificity of Trichomalus perfectus (Walker) and Mesopolobus morys (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), candidates for biological control of C. obstrictus in North America. We found no evidence that T. perfectus attacks C. turbatus or C. typhae; however, M. morys was the most common parasitoid associated with C. turbatus.


2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 823-828
Author(s):  
Alex N Neidermeier ◽  
Darrell W Ross ◽  
Nathan P Havill ◽  
Kimberly F Wallin

Abstract Two species of silver fly, Leucopis argenticollis (Zetterstedt) and Leucopis piniperda (Malloch) (Diptera: Chamaemyiidae), from the Pacific Northwest region of North America have been identified as potential biological control agents of hemlock woolly adelgid (Hemiptera: Adelgidae: Adelges tsugae Annand) in eastern North America. The two predators are collectively synchronized with A. tsugae development. To determine whether adult emergence of the two species of silver fly are also synchronized with one another, we collected adult Leucopis which emerged from A. tsugae-infested western hemlock [Pinaceae: Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.] from four sites in the Pacific Northwest over a 29-d period. Specimens were collected twice daily in the laboratory and identified to species using DNA barcoding. The study found that more adult Leucopis were collected in the evening than the morning. Additionally, the daily emergences of adults over the 29-d sampling period exhibited sinusoidal-like fluctuations of peak abundance of each species, lending evidence to a pattern of temporal partitioning. This pattern could have logistical implications for their use as biological control agents in eastern North America, namely the need to release both species for maximum efficacy in decreasing A. tsugae populations.


2007 ◽  
Vol 97 (4) ◽  
pp. 387-397 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Baur ◽  
F.J. Muller ◽  
G.A.P. Gibson ◽  
P.G. Mason ◽  
U. Kuhlmann

AbstractFour species of Mesopolobus Westwood were reared as parasitoids of Ceutorhynchinae hosts in Europe during surveys in 2000–2004. An illustrated key is given to differentiate the four species, M. gemellus Baur & Muller sp. n., M. incultus (Walker), M. morys (Walker) and M. trasullus (Walker), plus M. moryoides Gibson, a parasitoid of the cabbage seedpod weevil, Ceutorhynchus obstrictus (Marsham), in North America. Pteromalus clavicornis Walker is recognized as a junior synonym of M. incultussyn. n., and Pteromalus berecynthos Walker (also a junior synonym of M. incultus) is considered a correct original spelling. For Disema pallipes Förster (a junior synonym of Mesopolobus morys), a lectotype is designated. Mesopolobus morys is for the first time accurately associated with the seed weevil Ceutorhynchus turbatus (Schultze), a potential agent for classical biological control, of hoary cress, Lepidium draba L. (Brassicaceae), in North America. Mesopolobus gemellus is associated with another seed weevil, Ceutorhynchus typhae (=C. floralis) (Herbst), in pods of shepherd's purse, Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik. (Brassicaceae). Implications of the host–parasitoid associations are discussed relative to the introduction of species to North America for classical biological control of the cabbage seedpod weevil.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document