Technical Highlights Invasive Plant and Animal Research 2019-20

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Technical Highlights Invasive Plant and Animal Research 2019-20 Technical highlights Invasive plant and animal research 2019–20 DAF1339 02/21 Cover photo: Cactoblastis larvae in a prickly pear cladode If you need an interpreter to help you understand this document, call 13 25 23 or visit daf.qld.gov.au and search for ‘interpreter’. © State of Queensland, 2021. The Queensland Government supports and encourages the dissemination and exchange of its information. The copyright in this publication is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence. Under this licence you are free, without having to seek our permission, to use this publication in accordance with the licence terms. You must keep intact the copyright notice and attribute the State of Queensland as the source of the publication. Note: Some content in this publication may have different licence terms as indicated. For more information on this licence, visit creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The Queensland Government shall not be liable for technical or other errors or omissions contained herein. The reader/user accepts all risks and responsibility for losses, damages, costs and other consequences resulting directly or indirectly from using this information. Technical highlights Contents Introduction ...................................................................................................... iii Invasive plant research ...................................................................................................................................................................................... iii Pest animal research .......................................................................................................................................................................................... iv Research services ............................................................................................................................................................................................... iv Funding, collaboration and research priorities ............................................................................................................................................ iv Further information ............................................................................................................................................................................................. iv Part 1: Invasive plant research .........................................................................1 1. Water weed management research—integrated control of aquatic weeds ......................................................................................1 2. Collaborative prioritisation for improved invasive species management at multiple scales ...................................................... 2 3. Using pest distribution to assess pest risk and prioritise management .......................................................................................... 2 4. Integrated control of parthenium weed in southern Queensland ..................................................................................................... 3 5. Biocontrol of bellyache bush ( Jatropha gossypiifolia) ........................................................................................................................ 4 6. Biocontrol of giant rat’s tail grass ..............................................................................................................................................................5 7. Biocontrol of mother-of-millions ................................................................................................................................................................5 8. Biocontrol of pasture weeds in Vanuatu and Queensland .................................................................................................................. 6 9. Biocontrol of Cylindropuntia species ....................................................................................................................................................... 6 10. Biocontrol of cat’s claw creeper (Dolichandra unguis-cati ).................................................................................................................7 11. Biocontrol of Siam weed (Chromolaena odorata) ................................................................................................................................. 9 12. Management and ecology of fireweed (Senecio madagascariensis) ............................................................................................... 9 13. Native and introduced pathogens of giant rat’s tail grass ................................................................................................................ 10 14. Influence of soil type on flupropanate availability for managing giant rat’s tail grass ................................................................11 15. Biocontrol of Navua sedge (Cyperus aromaticus) ............................................................................................................................... 12 16. Biocontrol of parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus) .................................................................................................................... 14 17. Biocontrol of prickly acacia (Vachellia nilotica ssp. indica) .............................................................................................................. 14 18. Weed seed dynamics ................................................................................................................................................................................. 16 19. Research supporting the management of nationally significant tropical weeds ..........................................................................17 20. Mass-rearing and release of biocontrol agents in northern Queensland ...................................................................................... 18 21. Ecology and management of aquatic weeds of northern Australia .................................................................................................19 22. Best-practice research on Wet Tropics weeds.......................................................................................................................................19 23. Tolerance of gamba grass and native plant species to pre-emergent herbicides .......................................................................20 24. Biocontrol of parkinsonia (Parkinsonia aculeata) ...............................................................................................................................20 25. Sicklepod ecology and control .................................................................................................................................................................21 26. Control and ecology of Stevia ovata ........................................................................................................................................................21 27. Giant rat’s tail grass management ..........................................................................................................................................................22 28. Herbicide application research ...............................................................................................................................................................22 29. Control packages for statewide weed eradication targets—red witchweed eradication ...........................................................23 Invasive plant and animal research 2019–20 i Part 2: Pest animal management .................................................................24 30. Ecology and management of chital deer in northern Queensland ..................................................................................................24 31. Feral cat ecology and management—improving feral cat management techniques ..................................................................24 32. Non-target impacts of 1080 pig baits .................................................................................................................................................... 25 33. Monitoring the efficacy of new rabbit biocontrol ................................................................................................................................ 25 34. Assessment of the biodiversity, economic and productivity gains from exclusion fencing ......................................................26 35. Peri-urban wild dog management ...........................................................................................................................................................26 36. Adaptive management of peri-urban deer in south-eastern Queensland ..................................................................................... 27 Part 3: Research services ..............................................................................28 37. Chemical registration—providing tools for invasive pest control ....................................................................................................28 38. Pest management chemistry....................................................................................................................................................................29 External funding ..............................................................................................30
Recommended publications
  • Biological Control of Cat's Claw Creeper, Macfadyena Unguis-Cati (L.)
    Biological control of cat’s claw creeper, Macfadyena unguis-cati (L.) A.H.Gentry (Bignoniaceae), in South Africa A.M. King*, H.E. Williams & L.G. Madire Agricultural Research Council-Plant Protection Research Institute, Private Bag X134, Queenswood, 0121 South Africa The exotic vine Macfadyena unguis-cati (L.) A.H.Gentry (Bignoniaceae), cat’s claw creeper,has become a significant threat to the biodiversity of a variety of sensitive ecosystems in South Africa. Owing to the nature of the infestations, as well as the difficulties and prohibitive costs associated with both mechanical and chemical controls, biological control is considered to be the most practical and sustainable means of successfully managing the weed in South Africa. The biological control programme against M. unguis-cati was initiated in 1996 and resulted in the release of Charidotis auroguttata Boheman (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae). Despite repeated releases, initial rates of establishment were low. Where successfully estab- lished, populations of the beetle have been slow to build-up, leading to only limited impact on the weed. Prompted by this lack of success, as well as the high potential for further spread of the weed, additional natural enemies were sought. Two lace bugs, Carvalhotingis visenda Drake & Hambleton, and Carvalhotingis hollandi Drake (Hemiptera: Tingidae), a leaf-mining beetle Hylaeogena (Hedwigiella) jureceki Obenberger (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), a leaf-tying moth Hypocosmia pyrochroma Jones (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and a seed-feeding weevil Apteromechus notatus (Hustache) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) were subsequently imported into quarantine in South Africa for host-specificity testing. With the exception of A. notatus, all have been approved for release and are exhibiting promising initial rates of establishment and damage at a number of field localities.
    [Show full text]
  • Diversity of Buprestidae (Coleoptera) from El Limón De Cuauchichinola, Tepalcingo, Morelos, Mexico Author(S): Angélica M
    Diversity of Buprestidae (Coleoptera) from El Limón de Cuauchichinola, Tepalcingo, Morelos, Mexico Author(s): Angélica M. Corona-López, Emma V. Reza-Pérez, Víctor H. Toledo- Hernández, Alejandro Flores-Palacios, Ted C. Macrae, Richard L. Westcott, Henry A. Hespenheide and Charles L. Bellamy Source: Pan-Pacific Entomologist, 93(2):71-83. Published By: Pacific Coast Entomological Society https://doi.org/10.3956/2017-93.2.71 URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.3956/2017-93.2.71 BioOne (www.bioone.org) is a nonprofit, online aggregation of core research in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences. BioOne provides a sustainable online platform for over 170 journals and books published by nonprofit 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. THE PAN-PACIFIC ENTOMOLOGIST 93(2):71–83, (2017) Diversity of Buprestidae (Coleoptera) from El Limón de Cuauchichinola, Tepalcingo, Morelos, Mexico 1, 1 ANGÉLICA M. CORONA-LÓPEZ *, EMMA V. REZA-PÉREZ , 1 1 VÍCTOR H. TOLEDO-HERNÁNDEZ , ALEJANDRO FLORES-PALACIOS , 2 3 4 TED C. MACRAE , RICHARD L. WESTCOTT , HENRY A.
    [Show full text]
  • In Memoriam Author(S): Richard L
    In Memoriam Author(s): Richard L. Westcott Svatopluk Bílý Andrew R. Cline and Stephen D. Gaimari Henry Hespenheide Ted C. MacRae Mark G. Volkovitsh Stanley G. Wellso Geoff Williams Source: The Coleopterists Bulletin, 68(1):1-13. 2014. Published By: The Coleopterists Society DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1649/0010-065X-68.1.1 URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1649/0010-065X-68.1.1 BioOne (www.bioone.org) is a nonprofit, online aggregation of core research in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences. BioOne provides a sustainable online platform for over 170 journals and books published by nonprofit 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. The Coleopterists Bulletin, 68(1): 1–13. 2014. IN MEMORIAM CHARLES LAWRENCE BELLAMY (1951–2013) Charles L. Bellamy (Chuck) was born in southern (coleopsoc.org/buprestidae/), plus more recently California 31 July 1951; he died 19 August 2013 published papers, during 1982–2014 he authored at home in Sacramento, California with his loving or coauthored five book chapters, 10 research wife Rose at his side.
    [Show full text]
  • Technical Highlights Invasive Plant and Animal Research 2012-13
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Queensland DAF eResearch Archive Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Technical highlights Invasive plant and animal research 2016–17 CS7428 10/17 Cover photo: Prickly acacia host-specificity trials in quarantine facilities, Ecosciences Precinct © State of Queensland, 2017. The Queensland Government supports and encourages the dissemination and exchange of its information. The copyright in this publication is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence. Under this licence you are free, without having to seek our permission, to use this publication in accordance with the licence terms. You must keep intact the copyright notice and attribute the State of Queensland as the source of the publication. Note: Some content in this publication may have different licence terms as indicated. For more information on this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The Queensland Government shall not be liable for technical or other errors or omissions contained herein. The reader/user accepts all risks and responsibility for losses, damages, costs and other consequences resulting directly or indirectly from using this information. Technical highlights Contents Introduction ...................................................................................................... iii Invasive plant research .....................................................................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Technical Highlights: Research Projects 2010-11 Part 2
    Part 2 Landscape protection and restoration 13. Biological control of cat’s claw creeper (Macfadyena unguis-cati) Project dates Field-release and monitoring Field-release and monitoring September 2002 – June 2014 We mass-rear and field-release two No further field-releases of the leaf- biological control agents, the leaf- sucking tingid (C. visenda) were made Project leader sucking tingid (Carvalhotingis visenda) after June 2010. Field-release of the Dr K. Dhileepan and leaf-tying moth (Hypocosmia leaf-tying moth (H. pyrochroma) was Ecosciences Precinct pyrochroma), in partnership with continued until October 2010. Over three Tel: (07) 3255 4449 community groups. We use a simple years, 1272 adult moths, 77 750 mature Email: [email protected] and cost-effective method to mass-rear larvae and 837 pupae have been released the leaf-tying moth by replacing potted across 36 sites in Queensland and New Other staff in 2010–11 plants with field-collected cut foliage South Wales. Field establishment status to allow greater numbers of insects of the moth was not monitored due to Di Taylor and Mariano Treviño to be released in the field. After field- relocation to the Ecosciences Precinct. Objective release we conduct recovery surveys to determine the field establishment status Funding in 2010–11 Achieve biological control of cat’s claw of C. visenda and H. pyrochroma. At • Land Protection Fund ($148 000) creeper using introduced insect species. all release sites, we spend 20 minutes visually examining cat’s claw creeper • Queensland Government (Blueprint Rationale plants and recording the incidence and for the Bush) Cat’s claw creeper (Macfadyena unguis- abundance of C.
    [Show full text]
  • Insect Interactions in a Biological Control Context Using Water Hyacinth
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by South East Academic Libraries System (SEALS) “Is more, less?” Insect – insect interactions in a biological control context using water hyacinth as a model A thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE of Rhodes University By Philip Sebastian Richard Weyl December 2011 Abstract Interactions between insects have been shown to be important regulators of population abundances and dynamics as well as drivers of spatial segregation and distribution. These are important aspects of the ecology of insects used in biological control and may have implications for the overall success of a particular programme. In the history of biological control there has been a tendency to release a suite of agents against a weed, which in some cases has increased the level of success, while in others little change has been observed. In most of these cases the implications of increasing the level of complexity of the system is not taken into account and there is little research on the effect of releasing another agent into the system. A brief meta-analysis was done on all the biological control programmes initiated in South Africa. Emphasis was placed on multi-species releases and the effects that overlapping niches were having on the number of agents responsible for the success of a programme. Where overlapping niches were present among agents released the number of agents responsible for success was lower than the number established. Water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes (Martius) Solms-Laubach in South Africa has more arthropod agents released against it than anywhere else in the world, yet control has been variable.
    [Show full text]
  • Ankara Ili Buprestidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) Familyasi Üzerinde Sistematik Araştirmalar
    ANKARA İLİ BUPRESTIDAE (INSECTA: COLEOPTERA) FAMİLYASI ÜZERİNDE SİSTEMATİK ARAŞTIRMALAR SYSTEMATIC RESEARCHES ON THE FAMILY BUPRESTIDAE (INSECTA: COLEOPTERA) IN ANKARA PROVINCE ALİ KEMAL KIRÇAKCI DOÇ. DR. MAHMUT KABALAK Tez Danışmanı Hacettepe Üniversitesi Lisansüstü Eğitim-Öğretim ve Sınav Yönetmeliğinin Biyoloji (Uygulamalı Biyoloji) Anabilim Dalı için Öngördüğü YÜKSEK LİSANS TEZİ olarak hazırlanmıştır. 2020 ÖZET ANKARA İLİ BUPRESTIDAE (INSECTA: COLEOPTERA) FAMİLYASI ÜZERİNDE SİSTEMATİK ARAŞTIRMALAR Ali Kemal KIRÇAKCI Yüksek Lisans, Biyoloji Bölümü Tez Danışmanı: Doç. Dr. Mahmut KABALAK Haziran 2020, 235 sayfa Bu çalışmada Ankara ili Buprestidae familyası üzerinde araştırmalar yapılmıştır. Bu amaçla, Mayıs-Ekim 2018’de 33 gün ve Nisan-Ekim 2019’da 36 gün olmak üzere toplam 69 gün arazi çalışmaları yapılmıştır. Arazi çalışmaları sonucunda toplam 995 örnek toplanmıştır. 5 altfamilya ve 14 cinse ait toplam 44 tür teşhis edilmiştir. Buprestinae 3 cinse ait 19 türle en fazla türe sahip altfamilyadır. Agrilinae altfamilyasından 4 cinse ait 11 tür, Polycestinae altfamilyasından 3 cinse ait 7 tür, Chrysochroinae altfamilyasından 3 cinse ait 6 tür, Julodinae altfamilyasından ise 1 cinse ait 1 tür tespit edilmiştir. Tespit edilen tüm türlerin ayrıntılı lokalite kayıtları, sinonimleri, Türkiye ve Dünya yayılışları verilmiştir. Bu çalışmada tespit edilen türler sistematik ve taksonomik, faunistik, ekolojik ve zoocoğrafik özellikler bakımından değerlendirilmiş ve tartışılmıştır. Sistematik ve taksonomik değerlendirmelerde, 44 türün genel morfolojisi tanımlanmış ve fotoğraflanmıştır. Erkek örnekleri olan 36 türün erkek genital organları ayrıntılı bir şekilde tanımlanmış, dorsal ve lateral olarak fotoğraflanmış ve çizilmiştir. Erkek genital organları, tespit edilen türler literatür ile karşılaştırılmış ve tartışılmıştır. Mevcut literatür incelendiğinde Capnodis carbonaria, Klug, 1829, Perotis cuprata (Klug, 1829), i Acmaeodera (s. str) flavolineata Laporte & Gory, 1835, Acmaeoderella (Euacmaeoderella) villosula Steven, 1830, A.
    [Show full text]
  • The Jewel Beetle (Hylaeogena Jureceki): a New Biological Control for Cat’S Claw Creeper (Dolichandra Unguis-Cati) in Queensland
    Nineteenth Australasian Weeds Conference The jewel beetle (Hylaeogena jureceki): a new biological control for cat’s claw creeper (Dolichandra unguis-cati) in Queensland Elizabeth L. Snow and Kunjithapatham Dhileepan Biosecurity Queensland, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Ecosciences Precinct, GPO Box 267, Brisbane, Qld 4001, Australia ([email protected]) Summary Cat’s claw creeper (Dolichandra unguis- tool for ongoing management of cat’s claw creeper. cati (L.) L.G.Lohman) (Bignoniaceae) is a serious In 2009 the jewel beetle Hylaeogena jureceki Oben- environmental weed in Queensland and New South berger (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) was imported into Wales. It presents a threat to riparian and rainforest the quarantine facility at the Alan Fletcher Research ecosystems and is often found in inaccessible locations Station Sherwood, Queensland from the Agricultural that are not suitable for chemical or physical control Research Council-Plant Protection Research Institute methods. This makes biological control an important Pretoria, South Africa. This insect is native to tropi- tool for managing this weed. The jewel beetle Hylaeo- cal South America (Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil). gena jureceki Obenberger was approved for release in It has a short generation time, long-lived adults and Australia in May 2012. Since approval, approximately a high reproductive rate, which potentially make it a 35,000 insects have been released at 53 sites. Multiple good biocontrol agent (Williams 2003). Choice and and single releases have been made at sites with the no-choice trials in quarantine using 38 plant species number of insects released ranging from 20 to 1590. from 11 families demonstrated that the jewel beetle Post-release monitoring before and after winter found was highly host specific (Dhileepan et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Improving Biological Control of Tropical Weeds in Temperate Regions
    insects Review Climate Mismatch between Introduced Biological Control Agents and Their Invasive Host Plants: Improving Biological Control of Tropical Weeds in Temperate Regions Nathan E. Harms 1,* , Ian A. Knight 1, Paul D. Pratt 2, Angelica M. Reddy 2 , Abhishek Mukherjee 3, Ping Gong 4, Julie Coetzee 5 , S. Raghu 6 and Rodrigo Diaz 7 1 Aquatic Ecology and Invasive Species Branch, Environmental Laboratory, US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, MS 39180, USA; [email protected] 2 Invasive Species and Pollinator Health Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Albany, CA 94710, USA; [email protected] (P.D.P.); [email protected] (A.M.R.) 3 Indian Statistical Institute, Giridih, Jharkhand 815301, India; [email protected] 4 Environmental Processes Branch, Environmental Laboratory, US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, MS 39180, USA; [email protected] 5 Centre for Biological Control, Botany Department, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa; [email protected] 6 CSIRO Health & Biosecurity, Brisbane 4001, Australia; [email protected] 7 Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +01-601-634-2976 Citation: Harms, N.E.; Knight, I.A.; Simple Summary: Mismatched distributions between biological control agents and their host plants Pratt, P.D.; Reddy, A.M.; Mukherjee, occur for a variety of reasons but are often linked to climate, specifically differences in their low- A.; Gong, P.; Coetzee, J.; Raghu, S.; Diaz, R. Climate Mismatch between temperature tolerances.
    [Show full text]
  • Geraldo Wilson Fernandes Jean Carlos Santos Editors
    Geraldo Wilson Fernandes Jean Carlos Santos Editors Neotropical Insect Galls Neotropical Insect Galls Geraldo Wilson Fernandes • Jean Carlos Santos Editors Neotropical Insect Galls Editors Geraldo Wilson Fernandes Jean Carlos Santos Ecologia Evolutiva & Biodiversidade/DBG Instituto de Biologia ICB/Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Universidade Federal de Uberlândia Belo Horizonte , MG, Brazil Uberlândia , MG , Brazil ISBN 978-94-017-8782-6 ISBN 978-94-017-8783-3 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-94-017-8783-3 Springer Dordrecht Heidelberg New York London Library of Congress Control Number: 2014942929 © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifi cally the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfi lms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. Exempted from this legal reservation are brief excerpts in connection with reviews or scholarly analysis or material supplied specifi cally for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the Copyright Law of the Publisher’s location, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer. Permissions for use may be obtained through RightsLink at the Copyright Clearance Center. Violations are liable to prosecution under the respective Copyright Law.
    [Show full text]
  • A Host Specific Bio-Control Agent for Cats Claw Creeper
    See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258049946 Cat's claw creeper leaf-mining jewel beetle Hylaeogena jureceki Obenberger (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), a host-specific biological control agent for Dolichandra unguis-cati (Bignonia... Article in Australian Journal of Entomology · September 2013 DOI: 10.1111/aen.12014 CITATIONS READS 6 382 4 authors, including: Kunjithapatham Dhileepan Queensland Government 181 PUBLICATIONS 2,000 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: Invasive species View project Biological control of bellyache bush (Jatropha gossypiifolia) View project All content following this page was uploaded by Kunjithapatham Dhileepan on 12 October 2017. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. bs_bs_banner Australian Journal of Entomology (2013) 52, 175–181 Cat’s claw creeper leaf-mining jewel beetle Hylaeogena jureceki Obenberger (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), a host-specific biological control agent for Dolichandra unguis-cati (Bignoniaceae) in Australia Kunjithapatham Dhileepan,* DianneBJTaylor, Catherine Lockett and Mariano Treviño Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Biosecurity Queensland, Invasive Plant Science, Ecosciences Precinct, GPO Box 267, Brisbane, Qld 4001, Australia. Abstract Cat’s claw creeper, Dolichandra unguis-cati (L.) L.G. Lohman (syn: Macfadyena unguis-cati (L.) A.H. Gentry) (Bignoniaceae), a major environmental weed in Queensland and New South Wales, is a Weed of National Significance and an approved target for biological control. A leaf-mining jewel beetle, Hylaeogena jureceki Obenberger (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), first collected in 2002 from D. unguis-cati in Brazil and Argentina, was imported from South Africa into a quarantine facility in Brisbane in 2009 for host-specificity testing.
    [Show full text]
  • Comparative Biology of Two Forms of an Invasive Vine, Dolichandra Unguis-Cati (L.) Lohmann (Bignoniaceae): Implications for Weed Spread and Biocontrol
    COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY OF TWO FORMS OF AN INVASIVE VINE, DOLICHANDRA UNGUIS-CATI (L.) LOHMANN (BIGNONIACEAE): IMPLICATIONS FOR WEED SPREAD AND BIOCONTROL JOSHUA COMRADE BURU BSc (Biological Sciences), PGDE School of Earth, Environment and Biological Sciences Science and Engineering Faculty Queensland University of Technology Brisbane, Australia A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2016 i Keywords Anatomy, Bignoniaceae, biodiversity, biological control agents, biomass accumulation, cat’s claw creeper, competitiveness, colonization, disturbance, ecological strategies, ecophysiology, efficacy, epidermis, fitness traits, fluctuating resource hypothesis, foliar nectaries, functional traits, intraspecific variation, invasive species, invasiveness, invasion ecology, leaf economic spectrum, long pod, Macfadyena unguis-cati, morphology, palisade mesophyll, performance, phenotypic integration, phenotypic plasticity, physiology, photosynthetic rate, plant-herbivore interactions, plant invasion, plant sexual reproduction, polyembryony, propagule pressure, relative growth rate, resource use efficiency, seed ecology, seed germination, short pod, SEM, SLA, successful colonizers, taxonomy, trait correlation, tubers, weed management, WoNS, woody vine. i Thesis Abstract Cat’s claw creeper, Dolichandra unguis-cati (Bignoniaceae) is a Weed of National Significance (WoNS) in Australia and a major environmental weed in Queensland and New South Wales states. Two forms of this weed (‘short pod’ and ‘long pod’) occur in Australia. Short pod is widely distributed in Australia, but long pod is only found in a few localities in southeast Queensland. There is a general lack of understanding why the two forms are not equally prevalent. Previous studies have shown significant differences in the flowering phenology and leaf morphology of the two forms. Despite these differences, the same biological control agents are used in the management strategies for the two forms.
    [Show full text]