Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gxg78 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T09:24:02.510Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Field Test of the Weevil Hadroplonthus trimaculatus and the Fleabeetle Psylliodes chalcomera Against Musk Thistle (Carduus nutans)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 June 2017

Paul H. Dunn  and
Gaetano Campobasso
Paul H. Dunn
Affiliation:
U.S. Dep. Agric., Agric. Res. Serv., Biol. Control of Weeds Lab.—Europe, Rome, Italy. Mail address: EBCL, American Embassy/AGRIC, Unit 21551 APO AE, 09777
Gaetano Campobasso
Affiliation:
U.S. Dep. Agric., Agric. Res. Serv., Biol. Control of Weeds Lab.—Europe, Rome, Italy. Mail address: EBCL, American Embassy/AGRIC, Unit 21551 APO AE, 09777
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine if field evaluations could be used to select insects for biological control of musk thistle. Host specificity and larval development of a weevil, Hadroplonthus trimaculatus, and a fleabeetle, Psylliodes chalcomera, were studied in field trials near Rome, Italy, in which insects were allowed free choice of several hosts. Natural populations of these two insects, which do not occur in North America, were exposed to North American species of Cirsium, Carduus, and selected crops. Adult insects and larvae on host plants were identified and counted on test plants from North America and native attraction plants. In addition to infesting musk thistle, weevil adults and larvae were recorded on flodman thistle, wavyleaf thistle, and spinosissimum thistle. Consequently, this insect was not suitable for introduction into North America. The fleabeetle would be satisfactory for biological control since no adults or larvae were recorded on Cirsium spp. or economic plants. These studies show that field trials are a valid method for identifying specific and nonspecific candidate insects for biological control of weeds.

Keywords

Musk thistle, Carduus macrocephalus Desfontaines, subsp. macrocephalus Nymanmusk thistle, Carduus macrocephalus Desfontaines, subsp. leiophyllus (Petrovic) Arenesmusk thistle, Carduus nutans L., subsp. leiophyllus (Petrovic) Arenes, # CRUNUmusk thistle, Carduus nutans L., subsp. macrocephalus (Desfontaines) Nyman, # CRUNUplumeless thistle, Carduus acanthoides L., # CRUACflodman thistle, Cirsium flodmanii (Rydbon) Arthur, # CIRFLwavyleaf thistle, Cirsium undulatum Nuttal (Spreng), # CIRUNfleabeetle, Psylliodes chalcomera (Illiger)and weevil, Hadroplonthus trimaculatus (Fabricius)Host specificityweedsweevilfleabeetlesbiological controlCRUNUCRUACCIRFLCIRUN
Type
Special Topics
Information
Weed Science , Volume 41 , Issue 4 , December 1993 , pp. 656 - 663
Copyright
Copyright © 1994 by the Weed Science Society of America 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Literature Cited

1. Batra, S.W.T. 1978. Cardus thistle distribution and biological control in northeastern states. Pages 18–22 in Frick, K. E., ed. Biological control of thistle in the genus Carduus in the United States.—A progress report. Sci. and Educ. Admin., U.S. Dep. Agric. Google Scholar
2. Boldt, P. E. and Campobasso, G. 1981. Biology of two weevils, Ceutorhynchus trimaculatus and Trichosirocalus horridus, on Carduus spp. in Europe. Environ. Entomol. 10:691–696.Google Scholar
3. Colonnelli, E. 1979. Osservazioni sulla nomenclatura e sulla posizione sistematica di alcune entità olartiche di Ceutorhynchinae (Coleoptera, Curculionidae). Frag. Entomol. 15:209–232.Google Scholar
4. Dunn, P. H. 1976. Distribution of Carduus nutans, C. acanthoides, C. pycnocephalus, and C. crispus in the United States. Weed Sci. 24:518–524.Google Scholar
5. Delia Beffa, G. 1961. Coleoptera-Halticinae. Pages 741–753 in Delia Beffa, G., ed. Gli insetti dannosi all'agricoltura. Hoepli, Milano.Google Scholar
6. Dunn, P. H. and Rizza, A. 1976. Bionomics of Psylliodes chalcomera, a candidate for biological control of musk thistle. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 69:395–398.Google Scholar
7. Dunn, P. H. and Rizza, A. 1976. Host specificity of Psylliodes chalcomera, a candidate for biological control of musk thistle. Environ. Entomol. 6:449–454.Google Scholar
8. Kok, L. T. 1978. Status of biological control of musk thistle in Virginia. Pages 23–30 in Frick, K. E. ed. Biological control of thistle in the genus Carduus in the United States—A progress report. Sci. and Educ. Admin., U.S. Dep. Agric. Google Scholar
9. Kok, L. T. and Trumble, J. T. 1979. Establishment of Ceuthorhynchidius horridus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), an important thistle-feeding weevil, in Virginia. Environ. Entomol. 8:221–223.Google Scholar
10. McCarty, M. K. 1964. New and problem weeds, musk thistle. Proc. North Cent. Weed Control Conf. 20:62–63.Google Scholar
11. McGregor, R. L. 1986. Carduus . Pages 895–897 in Barkley, T. M., ed. Flora of the Great Plains. Great Plains Flora Association. Univ. of Kansas Press, Lawrence, KS.Google Scholar
12. Rees, N. E. 1977. Impact of Rhinocyllus conicus on thistle in southwestern Montana. Environ. Entomol. 6:839–842.Google Scholar
13. Rizza, A., Campobasso, G., Dunn, P. H., and Stazi, M. 1988. Cheilosia corydon (Diptera: Syrphidae), a candidate for the biological control of musk thistle in North America. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 81:225–232.Google Scholar
14. Surles, W., Kok, L. T., and Pienkowski, R. L. 1974. Rhinocyllus conicus establishment for biocontrol of thistle in Virginia. Weed Sci. 22:1–3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15. Trumble, J. T. and Kok, L. T. 1982. Integrated pest management techniques in thistle suppression in pastures of North America. Weed Res. 22:345–359.Google Scholar