Source: MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY submitted to
EVALUATION OF MITES AND INSECTS AS BIOLOGICAL CONTROL AGENTS OF WEEDS
 
PROJECT DIRECTOR: Littlefield, J. L.
 
PERFORMING ORGANIZATION
Land Resources & Environmental Sciences
MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY
BOZEMAN,MT 59717
 
NON TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Invasive weeds are recognized to have an adverse economic and ecological impact on crop and rangeland productivity. To manage these invasive weeds, biological control must be effectively utilized by seeking effective agents, determining their long-term impacts on ecological communities and/or on their target weed, and improving their mass rearing, redistribution and monitoring.
 
OBJECTIVES: The objectives for this project are: 1) determine environmental safety of exotic candidates prior to release; 2) release, establish, and redistribute natural enemies, and 3) evaluate natural enemy efficacy, and study ecological/physiological basis for insect-host interactions. These projects will contribute to the selection of potentially new biological control agents for the control of noxious weeds. New agents are being investigated for the biological control of Russian knapweed, hoarycress, invasive hawkweeds, and rush skeletonweed. The target weeds have either no biological control agents currently available or the agents already established are not effective over the range of the target weed. In addition, a better understanding of biological control and its implementation will be achieved by monitoring the impacts associated with these biological control agents. In particular the habitat specificity of these arthropods may delineate their potential range or effectiveness.
 
APPROACH: In this proposal, the use of mites and insects as biological control agents will be investigated for the control of several noxious weeds in which biological control efforts are minimal or have just been initiated. This includes seeking additional biological control agents, determining their long-term impacts on ecological communities and on their target weed, to improve the mass rearing, redistribution and monitoring of these agents, and also disseminating this information to stakeholders through education and outreach. Host specificity testing of several new agents will be initiated or will continue. I propose to test two Aceria mites, Aceria acroptiloni (flower mite) and Aceria sp. (flower bud mite) on Russian knapweed and perennial pepperweed (respectively) and the flower moth, Schinia cognate on rush skeletonweed. Testing will consists of no-choice and choice tests when needed. Releases and redistributions of several biological control agents are planned. These agents and target weeds include: Bradyrrhoa gilveolella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) (rush skeletonweed), Longitarsus jacobaeae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) (tansy ragwort), Aulacidea acroptiloni (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) and Jappiella ivannikovi (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) (Russian knapweed), Aceria drabae (hoary cress), and Aulacidea subterminalis (invasive hawkweeds). To augment insect or mite populations, insectaries and other field plots will be established. In addition, introductions will be made at field sites for additional study and propagation. Baseline data will be collected to determine changes in the vegetational composition of the site due to the impact of the biological control agents. The life cycle, bionomics, phenology and impacts of agents released in the field will also be investigated as needed. The gall mite Aceria malherbae is well established in Montana based upon previous survey results. Although widespread the mite is very patchy in distribution, even within the same infestation. Differences in microhabitats may be responsible for the pattern of infestation that we have observed. We will be characterizing sites as to biotic and abiotic conditions. The potential impact of the gall-forming wasps Aulacidea subterminalis and A. pilosellae on orange hawkweed under differing environmental stresses (water, nutrient, and plant competition) will be conducted. This will aid in predicting how successful the wasp might be as a biocontrol agent in Montana.
 
CRIS NUMBER: 0139029 SUBFILE: CRIS
PROJECT NUMBER: MONB00167 SPONSOR AGENCY: NIFA
PROJECT TYPE: HATCH PROJECT STATUS: REVISED MULTI-STATE PROJECT NUMBER: (N/A)
START DATE: Oct 1, 2009 TERMINATION DATE: Sep 30, 2014

GRANT PROGRAM: (N/A)
GRANT PROGRAM AREA: (N/A)

CLASSIFICATION
Knowledge Area (KA)Subject (S)Science (F)Objective (G)Percent
211230011304.2100%

CLASSIFICATION HEADINGS
KA211 - Insects, Mites, and Other Arthropods Affecting Plants
S2300 - Weeds
F1130 - Entomology and acarology
G4.2 - Reduce Number and Severity of Pest and Disease Outbreaks


RESEARCH EFFORT CATEGORIES
BASIC (N/A)%
APPLIED 75%
DEVELOPMENTAL 25%

KEYWORDS: biological control~weeds~invasive species~field bindweed~convolvulus arvensis~russian knapweed~acroptilon repens~hoarycress~lepidum draba~rush skeletonweed~chondrilla juncea~hawkweed~hieracium~tansy ragwort~senecio jacobeae~insects~eriophyidae

PROGRESS: Jan 1, 2010 TO Dec 31, 2010
OUTPUTS: The tansy ragwort flea beetle, Longitarsus jacobaeae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) has been successfully established in Montana. Two populations/ biotypes are currently being monitored. Beetle populations have significantly increased in the past several years, and at several sites tansy ragwort plant density appreciably decreased (between 75 and 97%). Approximately 7,000 beetles were released outlying tansy ragwort infestations in 2010. We received one shipment of Jaapiella ivannikovi collected by CABI cooperators in Uzbekistan in June of 2010. These midges were used to increase the genetic diversity of our existing laboratory colony. These colonies were later supplemented with field collected midges from Montana. Gall material was also provided to other cooperators within the region. We continue to rear the midge at the MSU. In 2010, 21 releases of the midge were made in Montana. We currently have a total of seven release sites. Galls were located at all sites although gall numbers were low at many sites. With the exception of one site, the midge was able to overwinter at our 2009 releases (four total sites). At our most productive site (Broadwater County) over one thousand galls developed over the summer, and midges dispersed over a 100 m from the initial release point. Gall numbers were much lower at our other sites. Distributions of galls at sites were periodically mapped to determined population increase, dispersal, and areas where they have or might overwinter successfully (to be map the following spring). We have sites located in Broadwater, Phillips, Fergus, Chouteau and Carbon Counties. A shipment of an estimated 400 stem galls of Aulacidea acroptilonica were received from CABI in March 2010. These were collected from field sites located in Uzbekistan and were placed in cold storage until May. In 2009 we reared approximately 560 galls in the greenhouse and at an insectary site. Adult emergence was very poor and only 18 total wasps emerged from both the field collected and lab reared galls. These were exposed to plants in our greenhouse and resulted in approximately new 23 galls. At our 2009 release in Broadwater Co., a survey conducted in September found 80 plants infested (nearly 100 total galls). The number of galls was more than what we expected at this site, and the wasp was able to disperse 30-40 m from the initial release. A rearing colony of the root boring moth Bradyrrhoa gilveolella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) has declined at Montana State University and no releases were made in 2010. Previous release sites were monitored in October 2010 and the recovery of larvae was made at one site. Several releases of the gall mite Aceria malherbae was provided to the US Forest Service, Forest Health unit. The establishment of the root beetle, Agrilus hyperici was confirmed in western Montana. This is the first confirmation of the establishment of the beetle since its release in 1955 and 1977. The distribution of the beetle in Montana appears to be limited. PARTICIPANTS: Collaborators and co-PI's on this project were: US Forest Service - J. Runyon, & S. Sing; CABI Bioscience, Delemont, Switzerland - U. Schaffner, G. Grosskopf, & H. Hinz; USDA ARS, European Biological Control Lab - J. Kashefi; USDA-ARS - A. Caesar; Biocontrol Group, St. Petersburg; BBCA, Rome - M. Christofaro; Nez Perce Bio-Control Center - M. Hanks & P. Brusven; BLM, Billings, MT; Montana State University - J. Story. TARGET AUDIENCES: These projects impact various federal, state, county and private stakeholders. Projects are part of a larger consortium or control effort on biological control weeds. Consortium groups have been developed for numerous weeds and various stakeholders are associated with these groups. Stakeholders may include federal, state, county agencies as well a private organizations, companies or individuals. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

IMPACT: 2010-01-01 TO 2010-12-31 These projects will contribute to the selection of potentially new biological control agents for the control of noxious weeds. New agents are being investigated for the biological control of Russian knapweed, hoarycress, invasive hawkweeds, and rush skeletonweed. These target weeds have either no biological control agents currently available or the agents already established are not effective over the range of the target weed. Established agents such as Longitarsus jacobaeae have significantly decreases tansy ragwort density by 75-97% at some sites in Montana. Within the next three years we hope to have agents available for field release against invasive hawkweeds and hoarycress. The success of these agents may not be determined for many years. In addition, a better understanding of biological control and its implementation will be achieved by monitoring the impacts associated with these biological control agents. In particular the habitat specificity of these arthropods may delineate their potential range or effectiveness.

PUBLICATION INFORMATION: 2010-01-01 TO 2010-12-31
No publications reported this period

PROJECT CONTACT INFORMATION
NAME: Littlefield, J. L.
PHONE: 406-994-4722
FAX: 406-994-6029