Project Number: 6629-22000-011-39
Project Type: Reimbursable

Start Date: Jul 01, 2011
End Date: Jun 02, 2012

Objective:
Search for and develop herbivores from Southeast Asia, southern China, and Australia for use as biological controls of the Old World climbing fern, Lygodium microphyllum.

Approach:
(1) Survey for herbivores of Lygodium microphyllum in Southeast Asia, southern China and Australia; (2) Mass collect stem-boring pyralid species in Southeast Asia and southern China for importation and testing in Australian quarantine; (3) Mass collect stem-boring species in Australia for testing at the USDA-ARS Australian Biological Control Laboratory (ABCL); and (4) Collect the lygodium sawfly, Noestromboceros albicomus, for consignment to Florida quarantine in order to address Technical Advisory Group (TAG) requests for more information on the host range of species • Collection and shipment of Lygomusotima stria to supplement quarantine studies and mass rearing if approved for field release in Florida, USA