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2015 Annual Report
Objectives
Objective 1: Develop biological control agents against the pathogenic landscape created by Arundo donax, and measure impact on invasive ticks.
Subobjective 1A. Investigate the biology and host range of the arundo leafminer under quarantine conditions as a candidate biological control agent for release in the CFT PQZ.
Subobjective 1B. Determine if biological control agents mitigate negative impact of Arundo donax on operations by the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program by increasing visibility within the PQZ.
Subobjective 1C. Investigate other benefits of biological control intervention, including decreased habitat suitable for CFT larvae, and use these measurements to predict effects of climate change.
Objective 2: Innovate technologies to mitigate the negative impact of ecological interactions between invasive species.
Subobjective 2A. Investigate role of ants and ground-dwelling predator beetles on the survival of CFT and biological control agents in the PQZ affected by A. donax.
Objective 3: Develop biological control against livestock pests.
Subobjective 3A. Conduct foreign exploration in the native ranges of CFT to search for tick-specific biological control agents.
Objective 4: Assess the effects of global climate change on effectiveness of livestock pest control in south Texas and northern Mexico.
Subobjective 4A. Investigate the potential for climate change to alter the viability of CFT larvae in the PQZ.
Approach
Develop biological control agents against giant reed including testing of the leaf-feeding arundo leafminer, for release in the PQZ; determine if the leafminer, and two other agents that have already been released, can mitigate negative impact of giant reed on operations by the CFT Eradication Program by increasing visibility within the PQZ and investigate other benefits, including reduction of habitat suitable for CFT larvae; investigate the role of ants and ground-dwelling predator beetles on the survival of CFT in the PQZ in areas with and without giant reed; conduct foreign exploration in the native ranges of CFT to search for tick-specific parasitic insects and nematodes, and evaluate their potential as biological control agents to directly target CFT; assess the effects of global climate change on livestock pest control in south Texas by conducting field ecological studies in CFT infested pastures at the CFTRL; conduct field studies to investigate the effects of increased summer rainfall to determine its impact on exotic African range grasses and giant reed and their effect on CFT survival.
Progress Report
Objective 1: Develop biological control agents against the pathogenic landscape created by Arundo donax, and measure impact on invasive ticks, we have initiated colonies of the leafminer and completed the host range and biological studies of the leafminer and symbiotic fungus. Following review of the data leafminer was recommended for release by the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Technical Advisory Group for Biological Control of Weeds. Release of the novel biological control insect is expected in the Spring of 2016. The arundo wasp, released in 2009, has caused significant impacts on A. donax, reducing above ground biomass by 22%, which equates to $2.5 million tons of cane removed from the 558 river miles between Del Rio and Brownsville, TX, and a water savings of 6000 acre feet valued at $4.4M dollars per year.
Objective 2: Innovative technologies to mitigate the negative impact of ecological interactions between invasive species, field studies at multiple locations in the cattle fever tick (CFT) permanent quarantine zone showed that there were significantly fewer predatory, tick feeding beetles and ants in stands of A. donax as compared to paired locations with native vegetation. This shows that one of the key changes that happen in the pathogenic landscape after exotic weed invasion is suppression of beneficial predator insects.
Objective 3: Develop biological control against livestock pests, methods were developed to survey for potential biological control agents of cattle fever ticks (CFT). Collaborators in the native ranges of CFTs in Europe (Greece) and Asia (Philippines) are conducting field work using untreated, CFT infested cattle to attract and capture potential specialist parasitoids or predators.
Objective 4: Assess the effects of global climate change on effectiveness of livestock pest control in south Texas and northern Mexico, this research is planned for FY 2017-18 after field test plots at the Cattle Fever Tick Research Laboratory are ready for field experimentation.
Accomplishments
1. Arundo leafminer recommended for release in the U.S. and Mexico. Lasioptera donacis, the arundo leafminer has been recommended for release in the U.S. and Mexico for control of Arundo donax, giant reed or carrizo cane. This biological control agent feeds on the leaf sheath which causes premature death of leaves. Defoliation of A. donax allows more light to penetrate the canopy and stimulate growth of native riverine plants. This leafminer will add to and possibly synergize the damage caused by the stem feeding arundo wasp, Tetramesa romana and root feeding arundo scale, Rhizaspidiotus donacis. Tetramesia romana is already well-established and effective in the Lower Rio Grande basin; Rhizaspidiotus is being released in the same areas and is well-established in some areas.
2. Arundo wasp is highly effective in reducing arundo. Five years post release of the arundo wasp, Tetramesa romana field studies show that the wasp has had significant impacts on A. donax, (carrizo cane). The wasp has thinned out stands of the cane by 22% along the 558 river miles between Del Rio and Brownsville, TX. This has resulted in significant water conservation (6000 acre feet per year); and better visibility of the international border for Customs and Border Protection agents, and also better access and visibility for mounted patrol inspectors with the USDA-APHIS Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program.
Review Publications
Goolsby, J., Racelis, A., Goolsby, J.B., Kirk, A., Massimo, C., Grusak, M.A., Perez De Leon, A.A. 2013. Evaluation of biogeographical factors in the native range to improve the success of biological control agents in the introduced range. Biocontrol Science and Technology. 23(10):1213-1230.
Racelis, A.E., Moran, P.J., Goolsby, J. 2013. Topping of Arundo donax as a pre-treatment to biological control. Journal Subtropical Plant Science. 64:54-60.
Summy, K.R., Lieman, J., Mamachen, A., Gandy, Y.P., Mamachen, A., Goolsby, J., Moran, P.J. 2013. Effects of leaf excision and sample storage methods on spectral reflectance by foliage of Giant Reed, Arundo donax. Subtropical Plant Science. 63:54-64.
Takasu, K., Yoshiyasu, Y., Burrell,, A.M., Klein, P., Racelis, A.E., Goolsby, J., Overholt, W.A. 2014. Acrapex azumai Sugi (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) as a possible biological control agent of the invasive weed Imperata cylindrica (L.) Beauv. (Poaceae) in the United States. Lepidoptera Science. 65(1):30-35.
Barrero, R., Guerrero, F., Moolhuijzen, P., Goolsby, J., Bellgard, S., Tidwell, J.P., Bellgard, M. 2015. Shoot transcriptome of the Giant Reed, Arundo donax. Genomics Data. 3:1-6.
Velez-Bonner, A., Osbrink, W.L., Summy, R.K., Thomas, D.B., Showler, A., Perez De Leon, A.A., Goolsby, J. 2015. Mitigating predatory ants promotes establishment of biological control of Arundo by Arundo Scale in the cattle fever tick quarantine zone. Journal Subtropical Plant Science. 65:38-44.
Goolsby, J., Gaskin, J.F., Tarin, D.V., Pepper, A., Henne, D.C., Auclair, A., Racelis, A.E., Summy, K.R., Moran, P.J., Thomas, D.B., Yang, C., Jimenez, M., Ciompwelik, M.J., Perez De Leon, A.A., Kirk, A.A. 2014. Establishment and spread of a single parthenogenic genotype of the Mediterranean arundo wasp, Tetramesa romana in the variable climate of Texas. Southwestern Entomologist. 39(4):675-690.
Rubio, A., Racelis, A., Vaughan, T., Goolsby, J. 2014. Riparian soil seed banks and the potential for passive restoration of giant reed infested areas in Webb County, Texas. Ecological Restoration. 32(4):347-349.
Goolsby, J., Ciomperlik, M.A., Simmons, G.S., Pickett, C.J., Gould, J.A., Hoelmer, K.A. 2014. Mass-rearing Bemisia parasitoids for support of classical and augmentative biological control programs. In: Morales-Ramos, J. A., Rojas, M. G., Shapiro-Ilan, D. I., editors. Mass Production of Beneficial Organisms: Invertebrates and Entomopathogens. Waltham, MA: Academic Press. p. 145-161
Esteve-Gassent, M.D., Perez De Leon, A.A., Romero-Salas, D., Feria-Arroyo, T.P., Patino, R., Castro-Arellano, I., Gordillo-Perez, G., Auclair, A., Goolsby, J., Rodriguez-Vivas, R.I., Estrada-Franco, J.G. 2014. Pathogenic landscape of transboundary zoonotic diseases in the Mexico-U.S. border along the Rio Grande. Frontiers in Public Health. 2:177.
Racelis, A., Goolsby, J. 2013. Rapid assessment of above-ground biomass of Giant Reed using visibility estimates. Journal Subtropical Plant Science. 64:61-66.
