Environmental Entomology (1983) 12, 439-441

Patrick F. Dowd and L.T. Kok (1983)
Influence of soil conditions on Carduus thistles and development of the thistle head weevil, Rhinocyllus conicus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)
Environmental Entomology 12 (2), 439-441
Abstract: Plumeless thistle, Carduus acanthoides L., and musk thistle, Carduus thoermeri Weinmann, potted plants were inoculated with eggs of Rhinocyllus conicus Froelich and subjected to four combinations of moist, dry, fertile, and infertile soil conditions in the greenhouse. Significant differences were found between weights of weevils developing in musk thistle under fertile vs. infertile, and moist vs. dry conditions. Insect survival rates showed similar trends, but differences were not significant. Similar results were obtained for plumeless thistle, although significant differences in weights resulted only from fertile vs. infertile conditions.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): Loke T. Kok

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
general biology - morphology - evolution
environment/habitat manipulation

---

Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Carduus thoermeri (weed)
	Carduus acanthoides (weed)
Rhinocyllus conicus (weed bioagent)	Carduus thoermeri (weed)
Rhinocyllus conicus (weed bioagent)	Carduus acanthoides (weed)