African Entomology (1997) 5, 41-50

Martin P. Hill, P.E. Hulley, J. Allsopp and G. Van Harmelen (1997)
Glandular trichomes on the exotic Solanum sisymbriifolium Lamarck (Solanaceae): effective deterrents against an indigenous South African herbivore
African Entomology 5 (1), 41-50
Abstract: An examination of the leaves of several native and exotic Solanum species revealed that they all possessed glandular and non-glandular trichomes. The density of glandular trichomes was, however, very much lower on the leaves of the indigenous species than on the leaves of a weed species, Solanum sisymbriifolium Lamarck, and two other South American Solanum species. This difference could have contributed to the depauperate faunas supported by the exotic species. The morphology and behaviour of an idigenous Solanum-feeding tortoise beetle, Conchyloctenia tigrina Oliver (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), and a South American tortoise beetle, Gratiana spadicea (Klug) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), were compared. The study revealed that while the exudate produced by the glandular trichomes afforded S. sisymbriifolium a level of resistance to C. tigrina, it is probably only of the factors limiting the recruitment of indigenous herbivores onto S. sisymbriifolium.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
resistance/tolerance/defence of host

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Solanum sisymbriifolium (weed)		South Africa
Conchyloctenia tigrina (weed bioagent)	Solanum sisymbriifolium (weed)		South Africa
Gratiana spadicea (weed bioagent)	Solanum sisymbriifolium (weed)		South Africa