Application to release the defoliating caterpillar Eueupithecia sp.2 for biological control of the weed Parkinsonia aculeata

[摘要] Parkinsonia aculeata (Leguminosae: Caesalpinioideae) is a shrub or tree from the Americas that can form dense thorn thickets that impact negatively on both environment and the pastoral industry in rangeland Australia. It is recognised as one of twenty worst weeds in Australia (Thorp and Lynch 2000) and has been declared in all states and territories.The defoliating caterpillar, Eueupithecia cisplatensis Prout (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), was released in Australia in 2013 for biocontrol of P. aculeata. A second, sibling species of Eueupithecia has been identified as a potential biocontrol agent (Figure 1). This species has not been formally described and so is referred to as Eueupithecia sp.2. Preliminary studies on its host specificity made in the field in Argentina, strongly indicated specificity to P. aculeata. It was then imported into an Australian quarantine where testing was completed on a broad range of plant species, particularly native Australian caesalpinioids, selected on the basis of phylogeny. Excluding P. aculeata, a total of 47 plant species were tested, 42 in Australia and five in the field in Argentina. Eueupithecia sp.2 has proven to be entirely host specific to P. aculeata. In laboratory tests, full development to adult occurs consistently on P. aculeata with a high rate of success (average of 51%). But no development past the first instar occurred on any test plant species. No feeding occurred on any test plant species and hence no damage was observed on non-target species. We conclude that the level of risk associated with releasing Eueupithecia sp.2 into the Australian environment is acceptable and that it will potentially be an effective biological control agent for P. aculeata. We seek permission for its release in Australia.

[发布日期] 2013-05-09 [发布机构] CSIRO

[学科分类] 地球科学(综合)