Progress 01/28/04 to 09/30/08
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416) To reduce the invasibility and dominance of Australian pine in agricultural and natural areas of the U.S. Approach (from AD-416) Research will involve foreign exploration for new agents, testing for safety of potential agents, and redistribution of approved agents for biological weed control. Significant Activities that Support Special Target Populations This project aligns with research on the in-house project plan objectives: Objective 2 Conduct faunistic and floristic inventories to discover natural enemies that may serve as biological control agents. Objective 3 Elucidate the ecology and population dynamics of targeted weeds and insects and investigate the impact of their suppression on community and ecosystem structure and function. Objective 5 Release, establish, evaluate efficacy, and corroborate environmental safety of approved biological control agents and develop and distribute the technology to customers in order to expedite their adoption and deployment. Invasive weeds have invaded the Everglades ecosystem decreasing the biodiversity of this national treasure. Biological controls of these weeds will be developed by the introduction of safe insects that reduce their vigor. This project sponsors foreign surveys for new agents of Australian pine (Casuarina spp.). Activities were monitored by email, phone calls, and site visits. Analysis of DNA of samples from the continental U.S., Hawaii and Australia indicate that the three species that are invasive in the U.S. form interspecific hybrids in Florida. These hybrids were not found from samples collected in Australia. Furthermore, one species thought to be rare or absent in Florida, C. cunninghamiana was found. These results allow confident separation of these three weed species in Florida, which will facilitate their control through biological means.
Impacts
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Progress 10/01/06 to 09/30/07
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416) To reduce the invasibility and dominance of Australian pine in agricultural and natural areas of the U.S. Approach (from AD-416) Research will involve foreign exploration for new agents, testing for safety of potential agents, and redistribution of approved agents for biological weed control. Significant Activities that Support Special Target Populations This report serves to document research conducted under a reimbursable agreement between ARS and South Florida Water Management District. Additional details of research can be found in the report in the parent project 6629-22000-009-00D �Development & evaluation of biological control agents for invasive species threatening the Everglades & other natural and managed systems�. Invasive weeds have invaded the Everglades ecosystem decreasing the biodiversity of this national treasure. Biological controls of these weeds will be developed by the introduction of safe insects that reduce their vigor. This project sponsors foreign surveys for new agents of Australian pine (Casuarina spp.). Activities were monitored by email, phone calls, and site visits. Analysis of DNA of the three samples from the United States, Australia and Hawaii indicate that the three species that are invasive in the United States form interspecific hybrids in Florida. Furthermore, despite historical records, one species, C. cunninghamiana may not occur or be rare in Florida. Extensive surveys throughout the native range in Australia recovered 300 herbivore species associated with the plants and from these there may be 30 potential agents. These include Lepidopteran defoliators from the Geometridae and Psychidae; micro-Lepidopera cone feeders from the Carposinidae, Coleophoridae, Oecophoridae, and a suite of Cosmopterigidae. The most common insect attacking the seeds of Casuarina spp is the Torymidae wasp Bootanelleus orientalis. As these weeds spread by seed production, any reduction in reproductive output could decrease invasiveness in natural areas.
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Progress 10/01/05 to 09/30/06
Outputs
Progress Report 4d Progress report. This report serves to document research conducted under a reimbursable agreement between ARS and South Florida Water Management District. Additional details of research can be found in the report in the parent project 6629-22000-009-00D Development & evaluation of biological control agents for invasive species threatening the everglades & other natural and managed systems. Invasive weeds have invaded the Everglades ecosystem decreasing the biodiversity of this national treasure. Biological controls of these weeds will be accomplished by the introduction of safe insects that reduce their vigor. This project sponsors foreign surveys for new agents of Australian pine (Casuarina spp.). Surveys conducted in Australian recovered 24 herbivore species that may be potential agents. Most of these species attack the leaves, but branches and fruits are also attacked. The most common insect attacking the seeds of Casuarina spp is the Torymidae
wasp Bootanelleus orientalis. As these weeds spread by seed production, any reduction in reproductive output could decrease its invasiveness in natural areas. Surveys have also recovered leaf-feeding weevils, several moth species, and sap-sucking bugs.
Impacts
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Progress 10/01/04 to 09/30/05
Outputs
4d Progress report. This report serves to document research conducted under a reimbursable agreement between ARS and Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Additional details of research can be found in the report in the parent project 6629-22000-008-00D Biological Control of Sustainable of Aquatic Weed and Other Invasive Plants. Invasive weeds have invaded the Everglades ecosystem decreasing the biodiversity of this national treasure. Biological controls of these weeds will be accomplished by the introduction of safe insects that reduce their vigor. This project sponsors foreign surveys for new agents of Australian pine (Casuarina spp. ). Surveys conducted in Australia recovered numerous potential agents indicating a complex of new, undescribed species of the psylloid family Triozidae and a suite of species from various planthopper familes. Notable is a spittlebug, a large undetermined mirid bug, a minute green mirid, and a lygaeid bug Germalus humeralis.
Also found were phytophagous pentatomid bugs including Avicennia virescens and Poecilometis sp. Several species of brown weevils (including Haplonyx sp.) were recovered that appear to feed on cones and a suite of smaller species including an iridescent green species Misophrice sp. Many micro- lepidopterans recovered in eastern and southern Australia appear to feed indiscriminately in the cones of several genera in the family Casuarinaceae for which identifications are yet to be determined. Finally the fruit-feeding torymid wasp, Bootanelleus orientalis was found commonly attacking C. equisetifolia. These biorational controls will reduce the health and vigor of these invasive weeds and reduce their damage to natural areas.
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