Biology and Host Preferences of Cryptorhynchus Melastomae
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Biology and Host Preferences of Cryptorhynchus melastomae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a Possible Biocontrol Agent for Miconia calvescens (Melastomataceae) in Hawaii Author(s): Elisabeth Reichert, M. Tracy Johnson, Eduardo Chacón, Robert S. Anderson, and Terry A. Wheeler Source: Environmental Entomology, 39(6):1848-1857. 2010. Published By: Entomological Society of America DOI: 10.1603/EN10029 URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1603/EN10029 BioOne (www.bioone.org) is an electronic aggregator of bioscience research content, and the online home to over 160 journals and books published by not-for-profit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses. Your use of this PDF, the BioOne Web site, and all posted and associated content indicates your acceptance of BioOne’s Terms of Use, available at www.bioone.org/page/terms_of_use. Usage of BioOne content is strictly limited to personal, educational, and non-commercial use. Commercial inquiries or rights and permissions requests should be directed to the individual publisher as copyright holder. BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting authors, nonprofit publishers, academic institutions, research libraries, and research funders in the common goal of maximizing access to critical research. BIOLOGICAL CONTROL-WEEDS Biology and Host Preferences of Cryptorhynchus melastomae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a Possible Biocontrol Agent for Miconia calvescens (Melastomataceae) in Hawaii ELISABETH REICHERT,1 M. TRACY JOHNSON,2 EDUARDO CHACO´ N,3 4 1,5 ROBERT S. ANDERSON, AND TERRY A. WHEELER Environ. Entomol. 39(6): 1848Ð1857 (2010); DOI: 10.1603/EN10029 ABSTRACT The introduced plant Miconia calvescens (Melastomataceae) poses a grave threat to HawaiiÕs native ecosystems and biodiversity. One potential candidate for classical biological control is Cryptorhynchus melastomae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Cryptorhynchinae), a stem-boring weevil from Central and South America. This weevil feeds on M. calvescens in its native Costa Rica and has been successfully reared under greenhouse conditions. Comparison of its environmental conditions in Costa Rica with those in the Miconia infested areas of Hawaii indicates the latter is a suitable habitat for C. melastomae. C. melastomae has one or two generations per year. Adults feed on new stems, petioles, leaf buds, veins, and lamina, whereas larvae mine the stem until pupation. Adults appear to prefer saplings for oviposition and feeding. Under greenhouse conditions both adults and larvae can seriously damage and kill small M. calvescens. Preliminary host testing indicates that C. melastomae may be family speciÞc on Melastomataceae. However, because Hawaii lacks native melastomes and has many other serious melastome weeds, a family speciÞc insect may be suitable as a biocontrol agent in this case. KEY WORDS biological control, invasive species, Costa Rica, life history, host-speciÞcity Invading species are an ongoing global dilemma and tation, cause erosion and landslides, and alter nutrient heavily visited oceanic islands are particularly suscep- and water regimes (Meyer and Florence 1996). Cur- tible to these invasions (Vitousek et al. 1997). Invasive rent methods used to manage M. calvescens are re- weeds are an especially problematic group, with more moval of trees by hand or applying aerial herbicides to than half the ßora of some islands made up of intro- those that are inaccessible. These methods are time duced plants (Vitousek et al. 1997). The Hawaiian consuming, expensive and often difÞcult because of Islands are no exception, of 2,781 plant species in- the rough terrain (Loope 1997). cluded in the 2001Ð2002 Hawaiian Biological Survey, Classical biological control has proven to be an 1,176 (42.3%) are nonindigenous (Eldredge and Even- effective way to manage invading weeds (Crawley huis 2003). 1989, Van Driesche 1994), and may be a suitable al- Currently, the weed of highest priority for control ternative or addition to current control methods for M. in Hawaii is Miconia calvescens DC (Melastomata- calvescens. Weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) are ceae) (Invasive Species Committees of Hawaii and often chosen for release as classical biological control Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species 2003), a agents and have been effective in many parts of the small tree native to tropical Central and South Amer- world (OÕBrien 1995). The prospects for Þnding suit- ica. Introduced to Hawaii in 1961 as an ornamental able biocontrol agents for M. calvescens are increased (Medeiros et al. 1997, Meyer 1996) it now occurs on by the lack of native melastomes in Hawaii, thus low- the islands of Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai. In its ering the risk of signiÞcant nontarget interactions. introduced range M. calvescens forms dense monospe- Cryptorhynchus melastomae Champion (Coleoptera: ciÞc stands that are believed to displace native vege- Curculionidae: Cryptorhynchinae) is a stem-boring weevil originally described from Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Guatemala (Champion 1906), but now 1 Department of Natural Resource Sciences, Macdonald Campus, known to be more widely distributed in Central Amer- McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, H9X 3V9, Canada. 2 Institute of PaciÞc Islands Forestry, USDA Forest Service PaciÞc ica and northern South America (OÕBrien and Wibmer Southwest Research Station, Volcano, HI 96785. 1982). Although cryptorhynchine weevils are usually 3 Escuela de Biologõ´a, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Jose´, Costa associated with dead plant material, some, including C. Rica. melastomae, feed on live plants. This species feeds on 4 Canadian Museum of Nature, P.O. Box 3443, Station D, Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 6P4, Canada. M. calvescens in its native Costa Rica and is one of 5 Corresponding author, e-mail: [email protected]. several potential agents being considered for biocon- 0046-225X/10/1848Ð1857$04.00/0 ᭧ 2010 Entomological Society of America December 2010 REICHERT ET AL.: BIOLOGY OF Cryptorhynchus melastomae 1849 trol (Badenes-Perez et al. 2008). C. melastomae is a Ramon, Alajuela (N 10Њ12Ј49”,W84Њ34Ј22”) in Sep- fairly large robust (8Ð10 mm long, 3.8Ð5.3 mm wide) tember 2004 (despite a lack of M. calvescens in the area weevil. Its head, prothorax and a triangular section at but after Þnding local evidence of C. melastomae at- the base of the elytra are covered in fulvous or reddish- tacking M. theizans (Bonpl.) Cogn.). All seedlings brown scales, while the rest of the elytra are covered were grown in the UCRs greenhouses in San Pedro, in white or brownish-white scales. C. melastomae ap- San Jose´ (N 09Њ56Ј15”,W84Њ02Ј58”) or transplanted on pears to live in low to mid elevations of wet forests and multiple occasions from other known M. calvescens disturbed areas. Many cryptorhynchines are primarily sites. M. calvescens at the time of this study ranged from active at night. Over 200 species of Neotropical Cryp- very small seedlings to reproducing trees at these sites, torhynchus have been identiÞed; however, this genus allowing observations on all life stages. has become a storehouse for cryptorhynchines with All out-planted M. calvescens were inspected for C. uncertain relationships and many of the species may melastomae weekly at El Angel (Ϸ300 seedlings/ not be closely related (Anderson 2008). No species trees) and biweeklyÐmonthly at San Ramon and Tur- have been identiÞed as close relatives of C. melas- rialba (Ϸ50 and 100 seedlings/trees, respectively) in tomae. MayÐJuly 2005 and JanuaryÐMay 2006. Sites were also The purposes of this study were to examine the checked occasionally during the remaining months of geographic distribution, habitat requirements, and life 2005Ð2006. history of C. melastomae; to conduct a preliminary M. calvescens (and other Melastomataceae) were assessment of its host-speciÞcity; and to develop rear- individually examined during daylight hours for C. ing methods to facilitate its further evaluation as a melastomae and signs of its feeding damage. Upper and potential biological control agent for M. calvescens in lower surfaces of leaves were checked for resting Hawaii. adults and feeding damage to veins and lamina. Peti- oles, branches, and stems/trunks were inspected for resting adults, adult feeding damage, eggs, and the Materials and Methods occurrence of small breathing/feeding holes indica- Distribution and Habitat Requirements. A database tive of internal feeding by larvae and larger emergence of 317 specimen records of C. melastomae was com- holes suggesting developing pupae inside. Vegetation piled using ChampionÕs (1906) original description near the stem base was also checked for concealed and the following collections: Instituto Nacional de adults. Any potential parasitoids of C. melastomae Biodiversidad, Costa Rica (INBio); Arthropods of were brought back to the lab for rearing and identi- La Selva project, Costa Rica (ALAS); University of Þcation. Binoculars were used to search taller trees for Costa Rica Insect Museum (UCR), National Mu- individuals and feeding damage. seum of Costa Rica (NMCR), Smithsonian Tropical When located, adults were observed for 2Ð5 min Research Institute, Panama (STRI), Canadian Mu- depending on their behavior and then placed in a seum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada (CMN); and the plastic vial with a small M. calvescens leaf segment and personal collection of Dr. Charles OÕBrien. Voucher brought back to the lab for sexing using a dissecting specimens collected during this project are