Mesoclanis polana (weed bioagent)
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Mesoclanis polana (click on image to enlarge it)
Author(s): Entomology, CSIRO
Source: Wikimedia Common
Author(s): Entomology, CSIRO
Source: Wikimedia Common
Mesoclanis polana (weed bioagent) (Munro, 1931) - (bitou seedfly)
This seed fly is native to southern Africa where it breeds in the flower and seed heads of the invasive shrub Chrysanthemoides monilifera (bitou bush or boneseed) which has spread from southern Africa to Australia and parts of the Pacific.
As one of several biological control agents introduced into Australia against C. monilifera, releases of M. polana have started in 1996. The fly is now widely distributed. It has been estimated to reduce seed production of the weed by around 25-30%. Its total impact on the weed population is not clear since the fly also acts as a pollinator for the weed (Gross et al., 2017).
