BioControl (1999) 44, 421-436

J.C. Medal, R.A. Pitelli, A. Santana, D. Gandolfo, R. Gravena and D.H. Habeck (1999)
Host specificity of Metriona elatior, a potential biological control agent of tropical soda apple, Solanum viarum, in the USA
BioControl 44 (4), 421-436
Abstract: The leaf beetle Metriona elatior from Brazil--Argentina was screened in the Florida (USA)State quarantine facility as a potential biologicalcontrol agent of tropical soda apple, Solanumviarum, a recently arrived weedspecies. Multiple-choice host-specificity tests wereconducted in small cages (60 cm × 60 cm × 60 cm) using 95 plantspecies in 29 families. Adults fed heavily on the maintarget weed (S. viarum), and on turkeyberry,Solanum torvum (noxious weed of Asiaticorigin); fed moderately on red soda apple, Solanum capsicoides (weed of South Americanorigin), and eggplant, Solanum melongena (economic crop); and fed lightly on aquatic sodaapple, Solanum tampicense (weed ofMexican-Caribbean-Central American origin), and onsilverleaf nightshade, Solanum elaeagnifolium(native weed widely distributed). M.elatior adults laid 84 to 97% of their egg masses onS. viarum, and 3 to 16% on S. melongena. Non-choice host-specificity tests were also conductedin quarantine in which M. elatior adults andneonate larvae were exposed to 17 and 19 plantspecies, respectively. Tests with the neonatesindicate that this insect was able to complete itsdevelopment on S. viarum, S. torvum, S. melongena, and S. capsicoides. Althoughsome adult feeding and oviposition occurred on S.melongena in quarantine on potted plants in smallcages, no feeding or oviposition by M. elatiorwas observed in field experiments conducted in Brazil. Surveys in unsprayed S. melongena fields inArgentina and Brazil indicated that M. elatioris not a pest of S. melongena in South America.The evidence obtained from the South-American fieldsurveys, Brazil open-field experiments, and Floridaquarantine host specificity tests indicate that M. elatior causes significant feeding damage toS. viarum, and does not represent a threatto S. melongena crops in the USA. Therefore an application for permission to releaseM. elatior against S. viarum in the USAwas submitted in October 1998.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Julio C. Medal

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
non-target effects/fate in environm.

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Solanum viarum (weed)		U.S.A. (SE)
Metriona elatior (weed bioagent)	Solanum viarum (weed)		Argentina