Interaction among two biological control agents and the developmental stage of their target weed,Dalmatian toadflax,Linaria dalmatica (l.) Mill. (Scrophulariaceae) |
| |
Authors: | Marc A. Saner Philippe Jeanneret Heinz Müller‐Schärer |
| |
Affiliation: | 1. International Institute of Biological Control, An Institute of CAB International, European Station , 2–37 Champagne Ave S., Delémont, Switzerland;2. Champagne Ave S. 2–37, Ottawa, K1S4P1, Canada;3. Station Fédérale de Recherches Agronomiques de Changins , Nyon, CH‐1260, Switzerland;4. Swiss Federal Research Station for Fruit Growing, Viticulture and Horticulture , W?denswil, Switzerland |
| |
Abstract: | An experiment with potted Linaria dalmatica (L.) Mill. was set up to test the effects of root‐feeding by Eteobalea (syn. Stagmatophora) intermediella Riedl (Lep. Cosmopterigidae) and stem‐mining by Mecinus janthinus Germar (Col. Curculionidae), as well as the interaction among the insects and the developmental stage of the host plant. During the summer season, mining by M. janthinus decreased the stem biomass substantially, while E. intermediella did not produce statistically significant effects on the performance of host plant individuals (the experimental conditions represented the effect of the univoltine M. janthinus adequately, but the potentially important effect of mining by the second generation of E. intermediella, at the beginning of the growing season, was not assessed). M. janthinus survived almost exclusively on plants in the flowering stage, although adult females readily used vegetative (younger) plants for oviposition. E. intermediella had a higher chance of survival on vegetative plants. Both species have recently been released as biological control agents on L. dalmatica in North America. For this purpose the complementary survival rates on the two developmental stages of the host plant is advantageous. |
| |
Keywords: | impact miners weed interaction Linaria dalmatica Cosmopterigidae Mecinus |
|
|