INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES in POHNPEI with REFERENCES to BIOLOGICAL CONTROL of Chromolaena Odorata Konrad Englberger Pohnpei, FSM
INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES IN POHNPEI WITH REFERENCES to BIOLOGICAL CONTROL of Chromolaena odorata Konrad Englberger Pohnpei, FSM
October 10, 2006 Guam Marshall Islands Pohnp ei
African Tulip Tree, Spathodea campanulata
African Tulip is widespread in Pohnpei. It is almost eradicated in Palau, Yap and It is very invasiveChuuk. in Fiji and Tahiti. There is no good biological control in place. Arrowhead vine, Syngonium podophyllum
This plant is widespread in Pohnpei. It is very difficult to control chemically or mechanically. There is no biological control in place. Beggar’s tick, Bides alba
This plant is widespread in the Pacific. It grows very well on sandy soils. There is no good biological control in place. Bengal trumpet vine Thunbergia grandifora
This is a new species for Pohnpei it was found in early 2009. Eradication with chemical control has started. Bitter gourd, Momordica charantia
This gourd is spreading by birds There is no good biologicaland possible control other animals. available. Bronze-leaved clerodendrum Clerodendrum quadriloculare
This species is widespread in Pohnpei and other parts of the Pacific. It can be very invasive. It has been observed that scale insects and mealybugs have provided some control. Chain of Love, Antigonon leptopus
Under eradication in Pohnpei since 2002. It was found on 28 locations and it is eradicated from 23. Crape Ginger, Costus specious
This plant is widespread in Pohnpei, it is mainly spreading by birds and rats. False Kava, Piper auritum
This plant is under eradication in Pohnpei since 2000. It has been found on 117 locations. Over 90% can be confirmed to be eradicated. Honolulu Rose, Clerodendrum chinense
Not wide spread in Pohnpei, no control in place. Good opportunity for eradication. Golden pothos Epipremnum pinnatum cv. Aureum
In Pohnpei this climber is spreading very fast. There is no biological control in place. Giant sensitive plant, Mimosa diplotricha
Widespread in Pohnpei and other islands. In Pohnpei biological control with Heteropsylla spinulosa has given very good results. Ivy gourd, Coccinia grandis
This vine has been eradicated in Pohnpei. It is very aggressive in Saipan . Dr Muniappan and Dr. Reddy introduced two weevils and one stem borer for biological control in Guam and CNMI. Koster’s curse, Clidemia hirta
This shade tolerant shrub was only found in Pohnpei in early 2009. It is spreading fast. There is no biological control in place. Lantana, Lantana camara
Lantana is widespread in the Pacific. A leaf mining beetle (Uroplata girardi) and a leaf mining fly (Calcomyza lantanae) are providing some control. Photo by Dr. Muniappan Merremia, Merremia peltata
This native vine is wide- spread in Pohnpei and other PICs. There is no biological control known to control this aggressive climber. Mile-a-minute, Mikania micrantha
In Pohnpei mile-a-minute is not widespread. It is eradicated from 7 sites; there is one active site. In Guam and CNMI mile-a-minute is widespread and in Palau, Yap and Kosrae it is spreading. Octopus tree, Schefflera actinophlla
This tree is not widespread in Pohnpei. It has been eradicated from 14 sites, there are 4 active sites. There is no good biological control known. Pagoda flower, Clerodendrum paniculatum
This shrub is widespread in Pohnpei. There is no biological control in place. Sensitive plant, Mimosa pudica
This plant is widespread in Pohnpei and other Pacific Island countries. There is no biological control in place. Tangantangan, Leucaena leucocephala
This small tree is very widespread in the Pacific Heteropsylla cubana was accidently introduced in in the 1980s in the Pacific and is providing some control. Wedelia, Wedelia trilobata
This fast growing creeping perennial plant is widespread in Pohnpei and other PICs. There is no biological control in place. Other invasive plant species in Pohnpei are: Piper lolot
Sponge gourd, Luffa aepyptiaca,
Wild passionfruit, Passiflora foetida, Part Two Chromolaena odorata biological controljj in the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau and Marshall Island Chromolaena Biological Control in the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau This work is well documented in the different proceedings of 6th and 7th Int. Workshop on Biological Control and Management of Chromolaena odorata, by R. Muniappan and G.V.P. Reddy. There is also a publication on biological control of Chromolaena in Micronesia, by R.Muniappan, K.Englberger and G.V.P. Reddy No. 55 , Edited by M.D. Day and R.E. MaFadyen ACIAR Technical Reports (printed version published in 2004). Chromolaena odorata
C. odorata is widespread in Micronesian countries. C.odorata was first reported on Guam in 1963. In 1980s spread to Pohnpei, Yap, Kosrae and Palau In 1990s spread to Chuuk and In 2001 spread to Majuro, Marshall Islands and 2005 Bikini Island Biological control of C. odorata with Pareuchaetes pseudoinsulata P. pseudoinulata was sent from Guam to Pohnpei in 1988. Field released in 1989 and 1990, established in 1990. In 1988 P. pseudoinulata was From 2002 to 2004, larvae (44,365)sent from were Guam shipped to from Yap and Pohnpei to Chuuk . In 2004 establishmentPalau it did was not observed. establish. From 2003 to 2004, 12,326 larvae were sent to Kosrae until establishment was observed. In 2003; larvae (2,133), pupae (247) and egg masses (5) were sent from Pohnpei to Yap for field release and rearing. One year later P. pseudoinsulata was established in Yap. In 2005 several thousand P. pseudoinsulata larvae were sent from Pohnpei to Palau but it did not establish in Palau. P. pseudoinsulata control
Once P. pseudoinsulata is established it provides good control for some areas. Larvae defoliating plants.
The leaves turn yellow and the damage can be seen from a distance. P. pseudoinsulata establishment To reach establishment with P. pseudoinsulata is very difficult. Large numbers are need to be released for a period of time. Lizards (Skinks) and birds are natural enemies to P. pseudoinsulata. In many cases where P. pseudoinsulata was established it has disappeared, it either died out or it is present in very low numbers. Cecidochares connexa, Gall Fly In 1998 Gall fly was introduced from Indonesia to Guam and it was released and established in 2003. In 1999 a shipment was sent from Guam In 2003 a shipment was sent from Guam to Pohnpei. From to Palau and it was released and 2003-04 host specificity testing was conducted on Piper methysticum, Terminalia sp.established. and Wollastonia biflora, no feeding was found. In Feb. 2004 C. connexa was released in Pohnpei and found to be established in March 2004. In late 2004 shipments of C. connexa were sent from Pohnpei to Chuuk and Kosrae and soon after it was established, and In early 2005 C. connexa was sent to Yap and soon after it C. connexa establishment and control of Chromolaena C.connexa is very easy to rear in the Laboratory and easy to get establishment in the field. After one month of Photo by Dr. Muniappan field release In Pohnpei, Chuuk, Kosrae,establishment Yap and was Palau C. connexa is very well established,found in the gallsfield .can be found on every plant on Island. C. connexa provides some control. Eriophyid mite, Acalitus adoratus This mite was first observed in Palau in 1988 has fortuitously established in all American Pacific Micronesian Islands (Muniappan et al., 2004). It has been observed that the mite has a seasonal appearance. The mite does not provide a very good control. Photo by Dr. Muniappan Chromolaena in Marshall islands Chromolaena was reported in Marshall Islands in 2002 in Laura District. Since this time it has been under eradication. In 2005 the presence of Chromolaena was reported from Bikini Island. Eradication work has also started on Bikini Island. Thank you