Insects (2021) 12 (5 - 438)

Sonja Stutz, Rosemarie De Clerck-Floate, Hariet L. Hinz, Alec McClay, Andrew J. McConnachie and Urs Schaffner (2021)
Host range and impact of Dichrorampha aeratana, the first potential biological control agent for Leucanthemum vulgare in North America and Australia
Insects 12 (5 - 438)
Abstract: We evaluated the potential of the European root-feeding moth Dichrorampha aeratana as a biological control agent for the invasive weed Leucanthemum vulgare (oxeye daisy) in North America and Australia. The taxonomic proximity of the ornamental Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum × superbum) to L. vulgare and its popularity in North America made finding sufficiently host-specific biological control agents a challenge. No-choice tests conducted with 74 non-target species revealed partial or complete larval development on 11 species. In multiple-choice oviposition and larval development tests that were conducted in field cages, larvae were found on five of these, however in multiple-choice tests conducted under open-field conditions, larvae were only found on the ornamentals Shasta daisy and creeping daisy (Mauranthemum paludosum). Larval feeding by D. aeratana had no measurable impact on Shasta daisy, but larval feeding and plant competition reduced the biomass and number of flower heads of L. vulgare. We conclude that D. aeratana is a suitable biological control agent because it will not affect the ornamental value of Shasta or creeping daisies and because it is unlikely to feed on any other economically important or native species. We also expect D. aeratana to contribute to the suppression of L. vulgare populations.
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Full text of article
Database assignments for author(s): Sonja Stutz, Rosemarie A. De Clerck-Floate, Hariet L. Hinz, Alec McClay

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

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Leucanthemum vulgare (weed)		Switzerland
Dichrorampha aeratana (weed bioagent)	Leucanthemum vulgare (weed)		Switzerland