Host Range of Herpetogramma basalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), a Biological Control Agent for the Invasive Weed Alternanthera philoxeroides (Centrospermae: Amaranthaceae) in China

Abstract

Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb. is an invasive herbaceous amphibious weed species in China. A pyralid moth Herpetogramma basalis (Walker) was discovered feeding on A. philoxeroides through field surveys and may be a potentially useful biocontrol agent. To determine the host range of H. basalis and evaluate its potential to control A. philoxeroides, no-choice and multiple-choice tests were conducted. Herpetogramma basalis fed on target weeds and 29 nontarget plant species. In addition to the target weed A. philoxeroides, H. basalis developed to adult on eight other nontarget species. Herpetogramma basalis survived to adulthood successfully on A. philoxeroides and less successfully on several other Amaranthaceae species. In multiple-choice studies, H. basalis showed a strong oviposition preference for A. philoxeroides over Amaranthus tricolor L. (Centrospermae: Amaranthaceae). Amaranthus tricolor was the only crop plant that supported the complete development of H. basalis. We cautiously recommend H. basalis for the biological control of A. philoxeroides in China.

Host-Plant Selection Behavior of Ophraella communa, a Biocontrol Agent of the Invasive Common Ragweed Ambrosia artemisiifolia

“…When larval and/or adult insects encounter target or non-target plants, the morphology and chemical properties of the plant surfaces are first evaluated by the contact receptors (antennae, mouthparts, ovipositors) of the insects, and the inner chemical characteristics of the plants are assessed to determine whether they are acceptable or antagonistic [49]. In non-choice tests, herbivorous insects are typically confined to only one test plant species; therefore, they tend to have a broader host range than in choice tests [5,20,50]. Host range overestimation may lead to the rejection of candidate biological control agents that are adequately hostspecific under field conditions [4].…”

Infestation of Portulaca oleracea (Portulacaceae) plants by Neotuerta platensis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae in Brazil: evaluations for five consecutive years

“…The population of these insects decreases with food scarcity (Tavares et al, 2014b). These insects reduce their metabolism, migrate or remain in the same area hosting alternative plants waiting for the next period of regrowth or germination of the main host plant (Smith et al, 2018;Chu et al, 2019). Only one study reported the infestation of Neotuerta platensis Berg, 1882 (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae on P. oleracea as revealed in Palmira, Colombia (Altieri and Doll, 1977).…”

Complete Chloroplast Genome of Alternanthera sessilis and Comparative Analysis with Its Congeneric Invasive Weed Alternanthera philoxeroides

“…As a native species, A. sessilis has been frequently employed in studies of the adaptation and invasive mechanisms of A. philoxeroides, yielding valuable insights. In contrast to A. sessilis, A. philoxeroides demonstrates superior photosynthetic capacity, a faster stem growth rate, a broader temperature tolerance range, enhanced competitive abilities, and a greater capacity for invasion [9]. A. philoxeroides holds distinct advantages over A. sessilis, whether facing biotic or abiotic stressors [10].…”