The Role of a State Insectary in Weed Biocontrol

Dan Bean, Director Palisade Insectary Colorado Department of Agriculture Conservation Services Commissioner’s Office

7 Divisions Plant Industry Brands Inspection and Consumer Services

Conservation Services Markets State Fair Animal Industries Commissioner’s Office

7 Divisions

Conservation Services Commissioner’s Office

7 Divisions

Conservation Services

4 Programs Commissioner’s Office

7 Divisions

Conservation Services

4 Programs

Conservation Districts Commissioner’s Office

7 Divisions

Conservation Services

4 Programs

Groundwater Conservation Districts Commissioner’s Office

7 Divisions

Conservation Services

4 Programs

Noxious Weeds Groundwater Conservation Districts Commissioner’s Office

7 Divisions

Conservation Services

4 Programs

Biological Pest Control Noxious Weeds Groundwater Conservation Districts Commissioner’s Office

7 Divisions

Conservation Services

4 Programs

Biological Pest Control

Palisade Insectary Palisade, Colorado Palisade Insectary . Began in the 1940’s to fight Oriental fruit moth, a project that helped peach farmers and is still going

. Moved to new 14,000 sq ft facility in 1992

. Distributes over 30 biocontrol agents for the control of insect pests and weeds

. Is a partner in pest management on a local, state, tribal and federal level The Program mission is to provide biological control agents and expertise to the citizens of Colorado in order to assist in achieving their land and resource management objectives

Leafy spurge infestation near Pine, CO

Eric Lane, Director of Conservation Services, collecting tamarisk leaf beetles The Program mission is to provide biological control agents and expertise to the citizens of Colorado in order to assist in achieving their land and resource management objectives

Leafy spurge infestation near Pine, CO

Must Work at Regional/National/International Levels Too! Eric Lane, Director of Conservation Services, collecting tamarisk leaf beetles The Program mission is to provide biological control agents and expertise to the citizens of Colorado in order to assist in achieving their land and resource management objectives

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Fees, gifts 5% Grants, Coop Agreements 30% State of Colorado 65%

1. Provide biocontrol agents A. New agents are free (establish field insectaries) B. Research projects = free agents (acquire information) C. Well-established agents come with a fee The Program mission is to provide biological control agents and expertise to the citizens of Colorado in order to assist in achieving their land and resource management objectives 1. Provide biocontrol agents A. New agents are free B. Research projects = free agents C. Well established agents come with a fee

2. Provide expertise (how to work with agents and what to expect) A. Work with Universities, federal, state and local govt. agencies, tribes etc B. Mapping, monitoring, evaluation The Program mission is to provide biological control agents and expertise to the citizens of Colorado in order to assist in achieving their land and resource management objectives

1. Provide biocontrol agents A. New agents are free B. Research projects = free agents C. Well established agents come with a fee

2. Provide expertise A. Work with Universities and other agencies B. Mapping, monitoring, evaluation

3. Provide educational materials A. Press, public presentations, brochures B. Demonstration projects The Program mission is to provide biological control agents and expertise to the citizens of Colorado in order to assist in achieving their land and resource management objectives

1. Provide biocontrol agents A. New agents are free B. Research projects = free agents C. Well established agents come with a fee

2. Provide expertise A. Work with Universities and other agencies B. Mapping, monitoring, evaluation

3. Provide educational materials A. Press, public presentations, brochures B. Demonstration projects

Work at Regional/National/International Levels Too! Provide Biocontrol Agents

Leafy Spurge Aphthona spp 200,000 Oberea erythrocephala 1000

1996 2006 The Program mission is to provide biological control agents and expertise to the citizens of Colorado in order to assist in achieving their land and resource management objectives

Leafy Spurge Aphthona spp 200,000 Oberea erythrocephala 1000 Field Bindweed Aceria malherbae 900,000 (est) Tyta luctuosa 27,410 The Program mission is to provide biological control agents and expertise to the citizens of Colorado in order to assist in achieving their land and resource management objectives

Leafy Spurge Aphthona spp 200,000 Oberea erythrocephala 1000 Field Bindweed Aceria malherbae 900,000 (est) Tyta luctuosa 27,410 Dalmatian toadflax Mecinus janthinus 11,115 Calophasia lunula 6806 The Program mission is to provide biological control agents and expertise to the citizens of Colorado in order to assist in achieving their land and resource management objectives

Leafy Spurge Aphthona spp 200,000 Oberea erythrocephala 1000 Field Bindweed Aceria malherbae 900,000 (est) Tyta luctuosa 27,410 Dalmatian toadflax Mecinus janthinus 11,115 Calophasia lunula 6806 Yellow toadflax Rhinusa linariae 300 The Program mission is to provide biological control agents and expertise to the citizens of Colorado in order to assist in achieving their land and resource management objectives

Leafy Spurge Aphthona spp 200,000 Oberea erythrocephala 1000 Field Bindweed Aceria malherbae 900,000 (est) Tyta luctuosa 27,410 Dalmatian toadflax Mecinus janthinus 11,115 Calophasia lunula 6806 Yellow toadflax Rhinusa linariae 300 Knapweeds Larinus minutus 4600 The Program mission is to provide biological control agents and expertise to the citizens of Colorado in order to assist in achieving their land and resource management objectives

Leafy Spurge Aphthona spp 200,000 Oberea erythrocephala 1000 Field Bindweed Aceria malherbae 900,000 (est) Tyta luctuosa 27,410 Dalmatian toadflax Mecinus janthinus 11,115 Calophasia lunula 6806 Yellow toadflax Rhinusa linariae 300 Knapweeds Larinus minutus 4600 Musk thistle Trichosirocalus horridus 3400 The Program mission is to provide biological control agents and expertise to the citizens of Colorado in order to assist in achieving their land and resource management objectives

Leafy Spurge Aphthona spp 200,000 Oberea erythrocephala 1000 Field Bindweed Aceria malherbae 900,000 (est) Tyta luctuosa 27,410 Dalmatian toadflax Mecinus janthinus 11,115 Calophasia lunula 6806 Yellow toadflax Rhinusa linariae 300 Knapweeds Larinus minutus 4600 Musk thistle Trichosirocalus horridus 3400 Canada thistle Urophora cardui 5020 The Program mission is to provide biological control agents and expertise to the citizens of Colorado in order to assist in achieving their land and resource management objectives

Leafy Spurge Aphthona spp 200,000 Oberea erythrocephala 1000 Field Bindweed Aceria malherbae 900,000 (est) Tyta luctuosa 27,410 Dalmatian toadflax Mecinus janthinus 11,115 Calophasia lunula 6806 Yellow toadflax Rhinusa linariae 300 Knapweeds Larinus minutus 4600 Musk thistle Trichosirocalus horridus 3400 Canada thistle Urophora cardui 5020 Puncturevine Microlarinus spp 4300 The Program mission is to provide biological control agents and expertise to the citizens of Colorado in order to assist in achieving their land and resource management objectives

Leafy Spurge Aphthona spp 200,000 Oberea erythrocephala 1000 Field Bindweed Aceria malherbae 900,000 (est) Tyta luctuosa 27,410 Dalmatian toadflax Mecinus janthinus 11,115 Calophasia lunula 6806 Yellow toadflax Rhinusa linariae 300 Knapweeds Larinus minutus 4600 Musk thistle Trichosirocalus horridus 3400 Canada thistle Urophora cardui 5020 Puncturevine Microlarinus spp 4300 Tamarisk Diorhabda elongata 100,000 Support for USDA APHIS northern states tamarisk leaf beetle distribution program

Palisade Insectary: holding, sorting, distribution collecting crew, 2006 Rich Hansen Support for USDA APHIS northern states tamarisk leaf beetle distribution program CDA

Rich Hansen Support for USDA APHIS northern states tamarisk leaf beetle distribution program USDA APHIS

Rich Hansen Tamarisk Diorhabda elongata 300,000 Support for USDA APHIS northern states tamarisk leaf beetle distribution program USDA ARS

Rich Hansen Support for USDA APHIS northern states tamarisk leaf beetle distribution program University

Rich Hansen Support for USDA APHIS northern states tamarisk leaf beetle distribution program

Rich Hansen Over 300,000 distributed in 10 western states Utilizing the Palisade Insectary as a production facility The Insectary currently rears over 1,000 adult purple loosestrife weevils per season for use in other states.

Purple loosestrife is a “List A” species scheduled for eradication in Colorado. We ship beetles to other states.

Hylobius transversovittatus

Hylobius artificial diet purple loosestrife Nada Carruthers, USDA APHIS Yellow starthistle project: mass production of the YST rosette and root feeding weevil for release in western states.

Ceratapion basicorne In cooperation with USDA ARS (Lincoln Smith, EIW Albany) Supported by USDA APHIS Providing expertise: mapping, monitoring, evaluation

Mapping in the field using GPS/GIS Expansion of the area of defoliated tamarisk in the Moab area, 2006 (defoliation shown in black). Tamarisk leaf beetle distribution, fall 2008 Monitoring Biocontrol

Tamarisk monitoring Dolores River Vegetation monitoring Ute Mtn Ute Reservation Monitoring Protocol Tamarisk • Site layout: – 25 marked trees • Release Tree • 12 trees 0-100 meter radius • 12 trees 100-200 meter radius • Height, width, tree health, beetle/larval/egg presence, predators, date, person recording data, and a comment field

GPS screen – Knowles Canyon Protocol from Sound Science LLC used for rangeland weeds

300° 0° NORTH 60°

50m transect

2 16 m Insect release point Stem densities 1m Flowering stem densities Stem heights

240° 120° 180° SOUTH NORTH Dalmatian toadflax biocontrol monitoring in Western Colorado (Colleen Jandreau) Initial Release 2000 - Sally’s

2008 Upper Molina BLM Site (initial release 2006) APPENDIX : Example 3-D graph generated from stem counts at a weevil (Mecinus janthinus) release site at time zero. TOTAL STEM DENSITY IN A 16 m2 PLOT 2006 2007

17 13 13 1 5 4 5 2 3 15 12 6 3 2 2 9 1 1 0 2 2 3 1 4 0 4 0 8 9 3 4 5 4 1 1 12 6 2 3 5 1 5 14 8 4 15 14 11 6 2 0 2 3 15 27 7 3 37 5 3 3 9 7 16 14 4 12 6 5 4 1 4 0 1 3 21 16 14 18 9 20 15 13 4 7 7 5 5 0 2 5 5 1 5 15 7 3 6 20 26 23 14 10 6 0 6 6 2 1 0 9 9 12 33 20 10 2 0 2 7 10 15 15 7 26 1 0 0 5 0 0 1 0 2 16 20 13 3 6 9 8 4 1 8 0 0 50 50 a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h

2008

12 9 10 1 3 3 1 8 4

15 5 3 3 7 0 to 10 stems 2 7 5 2

18 14 7 8 7 3 3 8 3 11 to 20 stems 25 10 4 4 2 25 5 3 13

2 7 5 3 2 32 14 5 7 21 plus stems

8 2 6 9 12 20 8 12 8 Initial Point of 10 9 7 4 16 7 17 13 22 Release (POR)

4 9 4 7 8 11 17 19 22 0

a b c d e f g h 50 Area of 1m2 APPENDIX : Example 3-D graph generated from stem counts at a weevil (Mecinus janthinus) release site at time zero. FLOWER STEM DENSITY IN A 16 m2 PLOT 2006 2007

15 5 3 2 0 0 4 3 1 0 1 1 3 1 3 2 0 3 4 3 1 3 4 4 2 2 0 2 2 1 3 0 1 3 2 0 13 8 1 1 5 4 0 0 3 5 1 4 5 1 3 1 2 33 3 14 14 5 4 4 1 4 2 4 3 3 2 3 4 4 4 2 17 7 7 0 0 3 6 4 5 0 0 5 3 1 8 6 6 5 19 10 9 10 6 0 6 2 8 0 0 6 0 6 3 9 5 2 2 7 22 1 15 5 8 1 0 1 0 3 0 0 7 4 9 8 1 0 7 11 13 2 0 5 17 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 2 50 8 0 a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h 20

2008

0 to 10 stems 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 to 20 stems

1 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

3 21 plus stems 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 Initial Point of

0 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Release (POR)

0 0 0 0 7 1 0 1 2 Area of 1m2 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 1 2 0

a b c d e f g h 5 Provide Educational Materials Demonstration Projects

Tamarisk removal, biological control and revegetation project (NRCS funded) Mechanical removal yellow

Untreated green Burned 2006 pink

Beetle release site, 2007 2008 beetle presence 2008 beetle presence Point of release

2007 2008 Flea beetles were introduced at this demonstration site near Meeker, CO, in 2006. Their population increased in 2007 and a very noticeable and measurable “hole” was seen in the leafy spurge infestation in 2008. We expect this “hole” to expand in 2009, hopefully to take out most of the spurge on this hillside. What’s wrong with these pictures? What’s wrong with these pictures?

Russian knapweed Russian olive Dan Nees

Colleen Jandreau

Andrea Judson

Terri Locke

Nina Louden

Sonya Ortega

Levi Jamison

Brian Swedhin