ARS | Publication request: ATTACK ON AND USE OF A NATIVE HAWAIIAN PLANT BY A BIOLOGICAL CONTROL AGENT (TELEONEMIA SCRUPULOSA) INTRODUCED AGAINST LANTANA CAMARA.

Submitted to: International Symposium on Biological Control of Weeds
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: March 1, 2003
Publication Date: February 1, 2004
Citation: Hight, S.D., Pemberton, R.W., Conant, P., Johnson, T. 2004. Attack on and use of a native Hawaiian plant by a biological control agent (Teleonemia scrupulosa) introduced against Lantana camara, p. 350, In Proceedings of the XI International Symposium on Biological Control of Weeds. Symposium held April 27- May 2, 2003, Canberra, Australia. 2004.

Technical Abstract: The lantana lace bug, Teleonemia scrupulosa, was introduced into Hawaii to control the invasive weed Lantana camara around 1900. The insect is common on lantana throughout the Hawaiian Islands and is an important factor reducing lantana in wetter parts of the islands. A brief note of this insect feeding and reproducing on a native Hawaiian plant (naio, Myoporum sandwicensis) not closely related to lantana was suggested in the mid-1960's. The objective of this study was to follow-up on this claim and to quantitatively evaluate this potential host range expansion with surveys and controlled rearing studies. Naio along the coast of Oahu may be a different species of Myoporum from naio on Hawaii, at least a different variety. Target plants (lantana) and non-target plants (Hawaiian naio) were surveyed on two islands; Oahu and Hawaii. Field surveys verified the use of naio on Oahu but not on Hawaii. Reproducing populations of lace bugs (adults and nymphs) were found on Oahu naio, Oahu lantana, and Hawaii lantana. No lace bugs were found on Hawaii naio even though insects were present on adjacent lantana plants. This represents the broadest host shift recorded for a classical weed biological control agent, i.e. onto a family in a different order. Preliminary greenhouse rearing experiments showed that lantana collected lace bugs survived poorly and failed to reproduce on the naio from Hawaii, although they did well on lantana. Oahu naio-feeding lace bugs survived on lantana but performed poorly on Hawaii naio. Rearing studies are being repeated and will include insect populations from Oahu naio, Oahu lantana, and Hawaii lantana on 4 different host plants (Oahu naio, Oahu lantana, Hawaii naio, and Hawaii lantana).