Biology and host specificity of Rhinusa pilosa, a recommended biological control agent of Linaria vulgaris

Andre Gassmann; Rosemarie De Clerck-Floate; Sharlene E. Sing; Ivo Tosevski; Milana Mitrovic; Olivier Krstic

doi:10.1007/s10526-014-9578-7

Treesearch

Biology and host specificity of Rhinusa pilosa, a recommended biological control agent of Linaria vulgaris

Formally Refereed

Authors:

Andre Gassmann, Rosemarie De Clerck-Floate, Sharlene E. Sing, Ivo Tosevski, Milana Mitrovic, Olivier Krstic

Year:

2014

Type:

Scientific Journal

Station:

Rocky Mountain Research Station

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-014-9578-7

Source:

BioControl. 59: 473-483.

Download (PDF 456 KB)

Download (PDF 456 KB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/47027.pdf

Abstract

Linaria vulgaris Mill. (Plantaginaceae), common or yellow toadflax, is a Eurasian short-lived perennial forb invasive throughout temperate North America. Rhinusa pilosa (Gyllenhal) (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) is a univoltine shoot-galling weevil found exclusively on L. vulgaris in Europe. Under no-choice test conditions, 13 non-native Linaria species exposed toR. pilosawere accepted for oviposition andmostwere found to be suitable, to varying degrees, for gall and larval development. Adult feeding and survival was minimal on native North American species in the plant tribeAntirrhineaewhich includes the target plant. In nochoice tests with 63 native North American species and 24 other non-target species outside Linaria, oviposition was limited to four nativeNorthAmerican species.Only three larvae developed to the adult stage on Sairocarpus virga (A.Gray)D.A. Sutton,with no negative impact on plant growth. Risks to native flora fromthe release of R. pilosa are therefore expected to be minimal. The Technical Advisory Group for the Biological Control of Weeds (TAG-BCW) has recommended release of R. pilosa in September 2013.

Keywords

common toadflax, yellow toadflax, Curculionidae, host range tests, pre-release studies, biological control of weeds

Citation

Gassmann, Andre; De Clerck-Floate, Rosemarie; Sing, Sharlene; Tosevski, Ivo; Mitrovic, Milana; Krstic, Olivier. 2014. Biology and host specificity of Rhinusa pilosa, a recommended biological control agent of Linaria vulgaris. BioControl. 59: 473-483.