Diapause Induction in Gratiana boliviana (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), a Biological Control Agent of Tropical Soda Apple in Florida

2011 ◽  
Vol 104 (6) ◽  
pp. 1319-1326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Diaz ◽  
William A. Overholt ◽  
Dan Hahn ◽  
Ana C. Samayoa
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Diapause Induction ◽  
Tropical Soda Apple

Differential Performance of Tropical Soda Apple and Its Biological Control Agent Gratiana boliviana (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in Open and Shaded Habitats

2011 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 1437-1447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Diaz ◽  
Carlos Aguirre ◽  
Gregory S. Wheeler ◽  
Stephen L. Lapointe ◽  
Erin Rosskopf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Differential Performance ◽  
Tropical Soda Apple

scholarly journals Classical Biological Control of Tropical Soda Apple with Gratiana boliviana

EDIS ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Diaz ◽  
Julio Medal ◽  
Kenneth Hibbard ◽  
Amy Roda ◽  
A. Fox ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
South Carolina ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Control Program ◽  
Classical Biological Control ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Tropical Soda Apple ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Stocking Rates

Tropical soda apple is a prickly shrub native to South America. First reported in Glades Co., Florida in 1988, it later spread to Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina. It is a major problem in pastures and conservation areas. Negative impacts of tropical soda apple include reduction of cattle stocking rates, competition with native plants, and the costs associated with its control. Dense thickets of the weed also can disrupt the movement of wildlife. This 4-page fact sheet provides a summary of the major steps of the successful biological control program against tropical soda apple in Florida. The article covers the importance of the weed, identification and biology of the biological control agent, rearing and release efforts, establishment and impact, and efforts to communicate the outcomes of the program to stakeholders. Written by R. Diaz, J. Medal, K. Hibbard, A. Roda, A. Fox, S. Hight, P. Stansly, B. Sellers, J. Cuda and W. A. Overholt, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, November 2012. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in971

The Effects of Photoperiod on Diapause Induction in Hypena opulenta (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), a Biological Control Agent Against Invasive Swallow-Worts in North America

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 580-585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian M Jones ◽  
Martin Lukas Seehausen ◽  
Robert S Bourchier ◽  
Sandy M Smith
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
North America ◽  
Time Window ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Release Site ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Diapause Induction ◽  
Fine Tuning ◽  
Critical Threshold ◽  
Optimal Time

Abstract Many insects exhibit a short-day diapause response, whereby diapause is induced when daylength falls below a critical threshold. This response is an adaptation to ensure synchrony between periods of insect activity, and the availability of resources, but it can cause problems when organisms are moved to new locations, where early or late-induced diapause can prove a barrier to establishment. We explored the role of photoperiod in diapause induction in Hypena opulenta, a recently introduced classical biological control agent for invasive swallow-worts in North America. We conducted four experimental cage releases as well as a growth chamber experiment to determine the threshold photoperiod for diapause induction in H. opulenta. We determined that the critical photoperiod for inducing diapause in 50% of H. opulenta is 15 h 35 min, which the moth only experiences in the Ottawa release site around summer solstice. This may lead to univoltinism, premature diapause, and poor establishment at some North American release sites. Our results can inform practical aspects of the biological control program for H. opulenta, such as fine-tuning methodologies for stockpiling diapausing pupae in the laboratory and narrowing down the optimal time window for releases at a given location. Additionally, our results will be important for the development of a temperature-based phenology model to more accurately predict voltinism in H. opulenta across the invasive range of swallow-worts in North America.

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