[APWG] Invasive plants and climate change

Sat Feb 9 23:00:46 CST 2019

Dear biocontrol colleagues,

With the Federal shut downs, which universities should we encourage to do the research on biological controls? Reminder that if the first stage is successful to determine good potential candidate insects or pathogens, the next stage to prove host specificity is more likely to be funded. 

Marc Imlay, PhD Conservation biologist, Park Ranger Office, Non-native Invasive Plant Control coordinator. 
(301) 442-5657 cell   <mailto:ialm at erols.com> ialm at erols.com
Natural and Historical Resources Division
The Maryland-National Capital   Park  and Planning Commission

European Water Chestnut
European water chestnut (Trapa natans) is an invasive aquatic plant native to Europe and Asia. It was first observed in the United States in Massachusetts in the late 1800s. Its current distribution is the mid-Atlantic and northeastern U.S., with the most serious problems being reported for the Connecticut River valley, Lake Champlain region, Hudson River, Potomac River and the upper Delaware River (Swearingen et al. 2010). This species can form dense floating mats, and its sharp fruits can cause painful wounds, making control efforts a challenge. The most promising species for biological control is Galerucella birmanica, a leaf beetle (Ding et al. 2006, 2007), and in May, 2018, a petition has been submitted to TAG.

A Biological Control Effort Begins...

During a 1996 visit to South Africa, ARS entomologist Joe

Balciunas examined all the specimens of this vine at the major herbaria

there. He found that it was surprisingly uncommon in its native land.

Over the next two years, a coalition of funding agencies, led by the

California Native Plant Society, and Exotic Pest Plant Council,

assembled the funds necessary to initiate a biological control project

against Cape ivy. During 1998 and 1999, scientists at South Africa’s

Plant Protection Research Institute (PPRI), under Dr. Balciunas’s

guidance, surveyed throughout South Africa, and identified hundreds of

insects associated with this vine. A half-dozen of these showed promise

as potential biological control agents.

Since 2001, we have been evaluating the safety and biology of two

of these insects: Parafreutreta regalis - a gall making fly, and

Digitivalva delaireae - a stem boring moth, at the ARS quarantine

laboratory in Albany, California. Thus far, both look promising in

controlling Cape ivy and appear to pose no risk to native plants. We

hope to complete testing both these insects by the latter part of 2004,

and then seek approval for their release in California. 

https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/20300535/Posters/Cape_ivy_poster.pdf

Biological Control of Mimosa 

Darwin: 8999 2380 Katherine: 8999 2380 Tennant Creek: 8962 4314 Email: weedinfo at nt.gov.au <mailto:weedinfo at nt.gov.au>  Web : www.nt.gov.au/weeds <http://www.nt.gov.au/weeds>  https://denr.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/258068/Fact-Sheet-5.-Malacorhinus-2018.pdf

Malacorhinus irregularis is the scientific name of the beetle commonly called malacorhinus. It is native to Mexico and was introduced into the Northern Territory in 2000 after a year of testing in quarantine. Adults are shiny, red beetles, about 7mm long, with black marks on their wings. They can be hard to find, except when mimosa is inundated by flood water and beetles are forced onto the leaves. Adult malacorhinus beetles feed on the young leaves of mimosa seedlings. Larvae also feed on the seeds, nodules, roots and the leaves of mimosa seedlings, decreasing its ability to grow and reproduce. Malacorhinus has become well established across the Top End and is successfully contributing to mimosa control long term. It is sometimes present in large numbers and can cause significant damage to mimosa infestations.

garlic mustard weevil biocontrol released in Ontario

Good news to share with my environmental activist friends at this difficult time. Our annual work for cut, pull, and spray should be reduced by 10% in about 5 years. Action alerts from environmental NGOs such as the Sierra Club continue to help a lot. Minnesota persevered on the research for many years and once again Canada is our ally. With biocontrols being released next year for Japanese Knotweed, and success with Swallowwort, it is time for presentations that update biocontrol work.   

Marc

From: Judith Hough-Goldstein < <mailto:jhough at udel.edu> jhough at udel.edu> 
Sent: Friday, January 25, 2019 11:04 AM

Great news!

According to the project website "the USDA-APHIS Technical Advisory Group (TAG) recommended field release in February 2017. The weevil now has to pass further US environmental regulations (section 7 consultation with US Fish and Wildlife Service, tribal and public consultations etc.) before being permitted for release."

So unless there's an update, it can't be released in the US yet. Like the swallowwort biocontrol agent, it will be a race between the insect moving on its own from Canada and the decision-making process in the US...

On Fri, Jan 25, 2019 at 9:22 AM Marc Imlay < <mailto:ialm at erols.com> ialm at erols.com> wrote:

Hi Tom, 

It depends on how fast the weevil moves to new garlic mustard sites. And where else it is released in Canada. For example, the weevils for mile-a-minute move as much as a mile a year. 

Marc Imlay, PhD 

Conservation biologist, Park Ranger Office, Non-native Invasive Plant Control coordinator. 
(301) 442-5657 cell   <mailto:ialm at erols.com> ialm at erols.com
Natural and Historical Resources Division
The  Maryland-National   Capital   Park  and Planning Commission

From: Tom Zaleski < <mailto:TZaleski at Newark.de.us> TZaleski at Newark.de.us> 
Sent: Friday, January 25, 2019 7:52 AM
To: Marc Imlay < <mailto:ialm at erols.com> ialm at erols.com>
Subject: RE: [MAIPC] garlic mustard weevil biocontrol released in Ontario

Will the study involve releasing the weevil anywhere else in the US? I am in northern Delaware and I have Garlic Mustard in our woodlands as well.

From: MAIPC < <mailto:maipc-bounces at lists.maipc.org> maipc-bounces at lists.maipc.org> On Behalf Of Marc Imlay
Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2019 9:49 PM
To:  <mailto:INVASIVES at LISTSERV.UMD.EDU> INVASIVES at LISTSERV.UMD.EDU;  <mailto:maipc at lists.maipc.org> maipc at lists.maipc.org
Subject: [MAIPC] garlic mustard weevil biocontrol released in Ontario

  <https://blog.cabi.org/2018/12/18/giving-garlic-mustard-the-biocontrol-treatment/> https://blog.cabi.org/2018/12/18/giving-garlic-mustard-the-biocontrol-treatment/

 In August and October 2018, Dr. Rob Bourchier, from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) released the  <https://www.cabi.org/projects/project/62322> first biocontrol agent against garlic mustard in North America – the root mining weevil Ceutorhynchus scrobicollis.  Weevil larvae in lab-inoculated plants and adults were released at a garlic mustard site in Ontario, Canada.

A population  model predicted  that of all agents investigated, C. scrobicollis will have the most significant impact on garlic mustard. If the weevils survive the winter and establish themselves in the wild, they are expected to reduce the density of the weed at existing sites and slow its spread to new sites.  The project will continue to closely monitor the weevil’s progress and assess whether they live up to the model’s prediction. 

In 2019, the weevil rearing program at the University of Minnesota, European field collections by CABI and field expertise from AAFC will be combined to expand the number of weevil release sites in Ontario. These release experiments will focus on defining the conditions that favour C. scrobicollis survival and population growth.

The message below on Jan 23, 2015, is an example of many action alerts by the Maryland Chapter that may have helped us get critical funding. We got 750 replies in 2 days from Sierra Club members in Maryland requesting our legislators fund the research on biological controls of invasive species. Senator Mikulski responded with a message that she added funding in Federal legislation for this purpose. 

As a result the need to control Japanese Knotweed by cut, pull, and spray has been replaced by a successful biological control insect now being reared in three places in the United States for release next year. So please ask congress and universities to support research for host specific, effective, biological controls for other non-native invasive species such as Fig Buttercup and Wavyleaf Basket grass.  Take a look at   <http://mdinvasives.org/iotm/jan-2014/> http://mdinvasives.org/iotm/jan-2014/ 

Biocontrols for Invasive Plants

Biocontrols for Invasive Plants–  Various spp.|    <http://mdinvasives.org/iotm/jan-2014/> January 01, 2014|    <http://mdinvasives.org/author/mdinvasives/> Maryland Invasive Species Council

Contact: Marc Imlay, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) | Chair, Bio-Control Working Group of the  <http://www.maipc.org/> Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council (MAIPC) | Cell: (301) 442-5657 |  <mailto:ialm at erols.com> ialm at erols.com

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