Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Lauderdale, Florida » Invasive Plant Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #274005
Title: Efforts to establish a biological control agent against incipient infestations of Old World climbing fern in southwest Florida

Author
item Boughton, Anthony
item NELSON, BRIAN - South Florida Water Management District
item Center, Ted

Submitted to: Florida Entomologist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/24/2012
Publication Date: 6/1/2012
Citation: Boughton, A.J., Nelson, B., Center, T.D. 2012. Efforts to establish a biological control agent against incipient infestations of Old World climbing fern in southwest Florida. Florida Entomologist. 95(2):482-484. https://doi.org/10.1653/024.095.0234.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1653/024.095.0234

Interpretive Summary: When available, field-adapted insects should be selected for colonization and redistribution, because they appear to offer better prospects for establishment than lab-reared insects. Small founder populations of monophagous biocontrol agents that depend on a patchy, rare host plant are susceptible to extinction, especially when stochastic weather factors cause temporary disappearance of the host plant. Populations of N. conspurcatalis did not survive the winter, likely due to a combination of low-temperature mortality and frost events.

Technical Abstract: When available, field-adapted insects should be selected for colonization and redistribution, because they appear to offer better prospects for establishment than lab-reared insects. Small founder populations of monophagous biocontrol agents that depend on a patchy, rare host plant are susceptible to extinction, especially when stochastic weather factors cause temporary disappearance of the host plant. Populations of N. conspurcatalis did not survive the winter, likely due to a combination of low-temperature mortality and frost events.