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Host Specificity and Environmental Impact of Two Leaf Beetles (Galerucella calmariensis and G. pusilla) for Biological Control of Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 June 2017

Bernd Blossey ,
Dieter Schroeder ,
Stephen D. Hight  and
Richard A. Malecki
Bernd Blossey
Affiliation:
Int. Inst. of Biol. Control, European Stn. 1, Chemin des Grillons, CH-2800 Delémont, Switzerland
Dieter Schroeder
Affiliation:
Int. Inst. of Biol. Control, European Stn. 1, Chemin des Grillons, CH-2800 Delémont, Switzerland
Stephen D. Hight
Affiliation:
USDA, ARS, Insect Biocontrol Lab., Bldg. 406, BARC-East, 10300 Baltimore Ave., Beltsville, MD 20705-2350
Richard A. Malecki
Affiliation:
U.S. Fish and Wildl. Serv., New York Cooperative Fish & Wildl. Res. Unit, Fernow Hall, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY 14853
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Abstract

Many prime wetlands in North America have been degraded following encroachment by the exotic plant purple loosestrife. Conventional methods are unsuccessful in providing long-term control. Host specificity studies demonstrated the suitability of two leaf beetles, Galerucella calmariensis and G. pusilla, as biological weed control agents. Adults oviposited only on plants within the genus Lythrum. The only species other than purple loosestrife where adult feeding and oviposition occurred and that supported successful larval development was winged lythrum. Swamp loosestrife and winged lythrum may be vulnerable to limited attack by newly emerged teneral adults. Evaluation of the potential environmental impact of the two leaf beetles showed that benefits of an introduction outweigh potential risks to winged lythrum or swamp loosestrife. Their field release was approved in 1992.

Keywords

Purple loosestrife, Lythrum salicaria L. # LYTSAwinged lythrum, Lythrum alatum Pursh # LYTALGalerucella calmariensis L.Galerucella pusilla DuftschmidLeaf beetleswetlandsDecodon verticillatus (L.) Ell # DEOVELYTSALYTAL
Type
Special Topics
Information
Weed Science , Volume 42 , Issue 1 , March 1994 , pp. 134 - 140
Copyright
Copyright © 1994 by the Weed Science Society of America 

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