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

Insects

Alec McClay¹  Rosemarie De Clerck-Floate²  Urs Schaffner³  Sonja Stutz³  HarietL. Hinz³  AndrewJ. McConnachie⁴ 

[1] 12 Roseglen Private, Ottawa, ON K1H 1B6, Canada;Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, 5403—1 Ave. S., Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1, Canada;CABI, Rue des Grillons 1, CH-2800 Delémont, Switzerland;Weed Research Unit, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Biosecurity and Food Safety, Orange, NSW 2800, Australia;

关键词: host-specificity testing;    impact studies;    ox-eye daisy;    weed biological control;    Asteraceae;    Tortricidae;   

DOI  :  10.3390/insects12050438

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

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.

【 授权许可】

Unknown