Insect Herbivores Associated With Ludwigia Species, Oligospermum Section, in Their Argentine Distribution

Abstract

The South American water primroses, Ludwigia grandiflora (Michx.) Greuter & Burdet, L. grandiflora subsp. hexapetala (Hook. & Arn.) G.L. Nesom & Kartesz , Ludwigia peploides (Kunth) P.H. Raven, and L. p. subsp. montevidensis (Spreng.) P.H. Raven (Onagraceae, Section Oligospermum), have become invasive in several watersheds of the United States and Europe. Surveys were carried out in center-east of Argentina to find insect species that might serve as biological control agents for L. g . subsp. hexapetala in California and elsewhere. Stems (0.5–0.6 m) of Ludwigia species, Sect. Oligospermum, were collected in 41 sites and analyzed in the laboratory; immature insects were reared to adults. The plant species found in the area were L. grandiflora (2 sites) , L. g. subsp. hexapetala (33 sites), and L. p. subsp. montevidensis (4 sites). There was a variety of insect guilds feeding on L. g. subsp. hexapetala , including six species with stem-borer larvae, one species with fruit-feeding larvae, four species with defoliating larvae, two species with defoliating larvae on young leaves and axil meristems, one species of cell content feeder, and three species of sap feeders. Nine of these species also have defoliating adults. Biological information on most of them is provided. Of these insect herbivores, only two species were also found on L. grandiflora , and one on L. peploides . Several of the species found on L. g. hexapetala , such as the cell-content feeder Liothrips ludwigi (Thysanoptera), the stem-borers Merocnemus binotatus (Boheman) and Tyloderma spp. (Coleoptera), are promising candidates for biocontrol agents.

Biological and Host Range Characteristics of Lysathia flavipes (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), a Candidate Biological Control Agent of Invasive Ludwigia spp. (Onagraceae) in the USA

“…ex Aiton, and Oenothera glazioviana Micheli (= O. erythrosepala Borbás) [ 29 ]. Hernández and Cabrera Walsh [ 21 ] observed feeding by a Lysathia spp., which is likely to be L. flavipes , on L. grandiflora , Ludwigia elegans (Cambess.) H. Hara, Ludwigia leptocarpa (Nutt.)…”

“…were conducted in the 1970s in Argentina by Cordo and DeLoach [ 19 , 20 ]. More recently, an expanded comprehensive survey conducted by scientists from the Fundación para el Estudio de Especies Invasivas (FuEDEI) identified 19 insect species across 6 feeding guilds that feed on L. hexapetala in Argentina [ 21 ]. An insect commonly observed on Ludwigia spp.…”

Prey colour biases in jumping spiders (Habronattus brunneus) differ across populations

“…In our study, we found two groups of potentially palatable red prey, both of which were found in high abundance at one of our non‐red‐averse sites (Winter Park): thrips and red trichogrammatid wasps (see Supporting Information Figure S2). Many thrips are bright red during their immature instars (Hernandez & Walsh, ) and field observations indicate that Habronattus jumping spiders will feed on thrips generally (LAT, unpub. data).…”

Biological Control of Parasites

“…(Coleoptera) have shown promise in the control of weeds [17]. Both the adult and larval stages of the predatory thrips, Scolothrips sexmaculatus, are known to feed on spider mites and other thrips [18].…”