Small-scale dispersal of a biological control agent – Implications for more effective releases

Publication date: Available online 31 January 2019Source: Biological ControlAuthor(s): Ashley B.C. Goode, Carey R. Minteer, Philip W. Tipping, Brittany K. Knowles, Ryann J. Valmonte, Jeremiah R. Foley, Lyn A. GettysAbstractEichhornia crassipes (Martius) Solms Laubach (Liliales: Pontederiaceae) was introduced to Florida in the 1880s as an ornamental and it once infested thousands of square kilometers across the state. Megamelus scutellaris Berg (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) was developed as a classical biological control agent for this plant primarily because its free-living life stages allow it to better integrate with herbicides, which are currently used as the main control method for E. crassipes in Florida. Mass rearing and distribution programs can accelerate the benefits of biological control by augmenting natural dispersal, but an optimal release strategy must consider the entire system including the agent, the target weed, and the habitat. The effectiveness of various release strategies was evaluated using a tank experiment where single and multiple releases of either adult M. scutellaris only or E. crassipes infested with M. scutellaris eggs were compared to control treatments. The post-release dispersal capability of brachypterous M. scutellaris was evaluated using a linear transect of E. crassipes. Two density release treatments were tested and emerging nymphs were used as a proxy for female dispersal distances. All release treatments resulted in successful M. scutellari...

Source: Biological Control - January 31, 2019 Category: Biology Source Type: research