What's New in Biological Control of Weeds
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
Additions, Deletions and Corrections to An
Bulletin of the Irish Biogeographical Society No. 36 (2012) ADDITIONS, DELETIONS AND CORRECTIONS TO AN ANNOTATED CHECKLIST OF THE IRISH BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS (LEPIDOPTERA) WITH A CONCISE CHECKLIST OF IRISH SPECIES AND ELACHISTA BIATOMELLA (STAINTON, 1848) NEW TO IRELAND K. G. M. Bond1 and J. P. O’Connor2 1Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, School of BEES, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland. e-mail: <[email protected]> 2Emeritus Entomologist, National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2, Ireland. Abstract Additions, deletions and corrections are made to the Irish checklist of butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera). Elachista biatomella (Stainton, 1848) is added to the Irish list. The total number of confirmed Irish species of Lepidoptera now stands at 1480. Key words: Lepidoptera, additions, deletions, corrections, Irish list, Elachista biatomella Introduction Bond, Nash and O’Connor (2006) provided a checklist of the Irish Lepidoptera. Since its publication, many new discoveries have been made and are reported here. In addition, several deletions have been made. A concise and updated checklist is provided. The following abbreviations are used in the text: BM(NH) – The Natural History Museum, London; NMINH – National Museum of Ireland, Natural History, Dublin. The total number of confirmed Irish species now stands at 1480, an addition of 68 since Bond et al. (2006). Taxonomic arrangement As a result of recent systematic research, it has been necessary to replace the arrangement familiar to British and Irish Lepidopterists by the Fauna Europaea [FE] system used by Karsholt 60 Bulletin of the Irish Biogeographical Society No. 36 (2012) and Razowski, which is widely used in continental Europe. -
Review of the Coverage of Urban Habitats and Species Within the UK Biodiversity Action Plan
Report Number 651 Review of the coverage of urban habitats and species within the UK Biodiversity Action Plan English Nature Research Reports working today for nature tomorrow English Nature Research Reports Number 651 Review of the coverage of urban habitats and species within the UK Biodiversity Action Plan Dr Graham Tucker Dr Hilary Ash Colin Plant Environmental Impacts Team You may reproduce as many additional copies of this report as you like, provided such copies stipulate that copyright remains with English Nature, Northminster House, Peterborough PE1 1UA ISSN 0967-876X © Copyright English Nature 2005 Acknowledgements The project was managed by David Knight of English Nature, and we thank him for his advice and assistance. Thanks are also due to Mark Crick and Ian Strachan of JNCC for their comments on the draft report and information on the current UKBAP review, and English Nature library staff for their invaluable assistance with obtaining reference materials. We especially thank the following individuals and their organisations for their valuable comments on the consultation draft of this report: George Barker, John Box, Professor Tony Bradshaw, John Buckley (The Herpetological Trust), Paul Chanin (for The Mammal Society), John Davis (Butterfly Conservation), Mike Eyre, Tony Gent (The Herpetological Conservation Trust), Chris Gibson (English Nature), Eric Greenwood, Phil Grice (English Nature), Mathew Frith, Nick Moyes, John Newbold (for The National Federation of Biological Recorders), Dominic Price (Plantlife), Alison Rasey (The Bat Conservation Trust), Ian Rotherham (Sheffield University), Richard Scott (Landlife), Martin Wigginton and Robin Wynde (RSPB). Additional information and advice was also provided by Dan Chamberlain, Rob Robinson, and Juliet Vickery (British Trust for Ornithology) and Will Peach (RSPB). -
A Global View of the Future for Biological Control of Gorse, Ulex Europaeus L
A global view of the future for biological control of gorse, Ulex europaeus L. R.L. Hill,1 J. Ireson,2 A.W. Sheppard,3 A.H. Gourlay,4 H. Norambuena,5 G.P. Markin,6 R. Kwong7 and E.M. Coombs8 Summary Gorse (Ulex europaeus L.) has become naturalized in at least 50 countries outside its native range, from the high elevation tropics to the subantarctic islands and Scandinavia. Its habit, adaptability and ability to colonize disturbed ground makes it one of the world’s most invasive temperate weeds. It is 80 years since New Zealand first initiated research into biological control for gorse. This paper briefly reviews the progress made worldwide since then, and examines future opportunities for biological control of this weed. The range of available agents is now known, and this list is critically assessed. Ten organisms have been released variously in six countries and islands and their performance is reviewed. In most cases, agent populations have been regulated either from ‘top-down’ or ‘bottom- up’, and there is no evidence anywhere of consistent outbreaks that could cause significant reduc- tion in existing gorse populations in the medium term. Habitat disturbance and seedling competition are important drivers of gorse population dynamics. Existing agents may yet have long-term impact through sublethal effects on maximum plant age, another key factor in gorse population dynamics. Along with habitat manipulation, seed-feeding insects may yet play a long-term role in reducing seed banks below critical levels for replacement in some populations. In the short term, progress will rely on rational and integrated weed management practices, exploiting biological control where possible. -
Biocontrol of Weeds: Achievements to Date and Future Outlook
BIOCONTROL OF WEEDS 2.8 BIOCONTROL OF WEEDS: ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE AND FUTURE OUTLOOK Lynley Hayes1, Simon V. Fowler1, Quentin Paynter2, Ronny Groenteman1, Paul Peterson3, Sarah Dodd2, Stanley Bellgard2 1 Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln 7640, New Zealand 2 Landcare Research, Auckland, New Zealand 3 Landcare Research, Palmerston North, New Zealand ABSTRACT: New Zealand has a serious problem with unwanted exotic weeds. Invasive plants threaten all ecosystems and have undesirable impacts on primary production and biodiversity values, costing the country billions of dollars each year. Biocontrol is a key tool for reducing the impacts of serious, widespread exotic weeds. We review the nearly 90-year history of weed biocontrol research in New Zealand. Thirty-eight species of agents have been established against 17 targets. Establishment success rates are high, the safety record remains excellent, and support for biocontrol remains strong. Despite the long-term nature of this approach partial control of fi ve targets (Mexican devil weed Ageratina adenophora, alligator weed Alternanthera philoxeroides, heather Calluna vulgaris, nodding thistle Carduus nutans, broom Cytisus scoparius), and good control of three targets (mist fl ower Ageratina riparia, St John’s wort Hypericum perforatum, and ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris) have already been achieved. The self-introduced rust Puccinia myrsiphylli is also providing excellent control of bridal creeper Asparagus asparagoides. Information about the value of successful weed biocontrol programmes is starting to become available. Savings from the St John’s wort project alone have more than paid for the total investment in weed biocontrol in New Zealand to date. Recent research advances are helping us to select the best weed targets and control agents, and are enabling biocontrol programmes to be even safer and more effective. -
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Approach to Alien Plant Control in Hawai`I: a Case Study
THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE'S RURAL DEVELOPMENT APPROACH TO ALIEN PLANT CONTROL IN HAWAI`I: A CASE STUDY Mike Tulang Alien plant control programs provide no guarantees of success. In Hawafi today we are faced with many plants that are extremely threatening to our native ecosystems, and gorse (Ulex europaeus) is one of them. Gorse also presents a fire hazard to private property (primarily on Maui now); it invades critical watersheds (e.g., 20% of the water we drink in Hilo comes from the Hilo watershed, where gorse grows as low as 1,500 ft (460 m) elevation); and it threatens agricultural and grazing lands. In this paper, the gorse problem on the island of Hawai`i is described and an approach to its solution detailed. The strategy involves interagency cooperation and a task force and management team. A similar approach is currently being used in dealing with the problem of firetree (Myrica faya) invasions on several islands. THE PROBLEM Gorse was inadvertently introduced sometime before 1910 with the establishment of the wool industry in Hawai`i. By 1966, upcountry Maui above Makawao was infested; a few thousand acres of gorse were present by 1986. Gorse now threatens to expand into suburban areas in upper Kula on Maui. On Hawai`i Island, the sheep industry produced mutton and wool for U.S. West Coast markets by the early 1900s. The major sheep (Oyis aries) raising area was at Humu`ula. With the fall of wool prices during the Depression and competition from foreign markets, ranchers converted the Humu`ula land division to cattle (Bos taurus) ranching. -
East Devon Pebblebed Heaths Providing Space for Nature Biodiversity Audit 2016 Space for Nature Report: East Devon Pebblebed Heaths
East Devon Pebblebed Heaths East Devon Pebblebed Providing Space for East Devon Nature Pebblebed Heaths Providing Space for Nature Dr. Samuel G. M. Bridgewater and Lesley M. Kerry Biodiversity Audit 2016 Site of Special Scientific Interest Special Area of Conservation Special Protection Area Biodiversity Audit 2016 Space for Nature Report: East Devon Pebblebed Heaths Contents Introduction by 22nd Baron Clinton . 4 Methodology . 23 Designations . 24 Acknowledgements . 6 European Legislation and European Protected Species and Habitats. 25 Summary . 7 Species of Principal Importance and Introduction . 11 Biodiversity Action Plan Priority Species . 25 Geology . 13 Birds of Conservation Concern . 26 Biodiversity studies . 13 Endangered, Nationally Notable and Nationally Scarce Species . 26 Vegetation . 13 The Nature of Devon: A Biodiversity Birds . 13 and Geodiversity Action Plan . 26 Mammals . 14 Reptiles . 14 Results and Discussion . 27 Butterflies. 14 Species diversity . 28 Odonata . 14 Heathland versus non-heathland specialists . 30 Other Invertebrates . 15 Conservation Designations . 31 Conservation Status . 15 Ecosystem Services . 31 Ownership of ‘the Commons’ and management . 16 Future Priorities . 32 Cultural Significance . 16 Vegetation and Plant Life . 33 Recreation . 16 Existing Condition of the SSSI . 35 Military training . 17 Brief characterisation of the vegetation Archaeology . 17 communities . 37 Threats . 18 The flora of the Pebblebed Heaths . 38 Military and recreational pressure . 18 Plants of conservation significance . 38 Climate Change . 18 Invasive Plants . 41 Acid and nitrogen deposition. 18 Funding and Management Change . 19 Appendix 1. List of Vascular Plant Species . 42 Management . 19 Appendix 2. List of Ferns, Horsetails and Clubmosses . 58 Scrub Clearance . 20 Grazing . 20 Appendix 3. List of Bryophytes . 58 Mowing and Flailing . -
Identification of Micro-Moth Families
Identification of micro-moth families Introduction This guide is intended for use by Garden Moth Scheme (GMS) recorders and other British and Irish moth enthusiasts. It is aimed at those who already have some understanding of moth taxonomy and morphology but struggle to easily home-in on which moth family a micro- moth belongs to. For further information about how to start out moth- trapping see www.gardenmoths.org.uk. There are currently over 1600 British and Irish micro-moth species, compared to around 800 species of macro-moth and 60 species of butterfly, so species identification is particularly challenging. Narrowing down identification to species requires additional information from training courses, websites and field guides. This guide shows photographs of 45 micro-moth families at rest, together with identification tips, similar species, and the number of species in that family. Taxonomists disagree on the order and arrangement of families, but this guide follows the numbering system of Bradley and Fletcher (B&F) wherever possible. The guide is intended to be used with the excellent Field Guide to the Micromoths of Great Britain and Ireland by Sterling, Parsons and Lewington, British Wildlife Publishing (2012, SPL), which covers 1000+ micro-moth species. However, for the uninitiated, facing a light trap full of micro-moths starting from scratch with SPL can be both daunting and time-consuming. Family names are different and are shown in a different order in SPL and B&F, so in order to reduce confusion, after the B&F numbers are quoted for each family the page numbers for the plates in SPL are also given. -
Proceedings and Transactions of the British Entomological and Natural History Society
^ D.C C2n.dc; :!z c/J — c/> iiiSNi NviNOSHiii^s S3iyvaan libraries Smithsonian inj z ^ 2: " _ ^W^:^^ r- \i^A liars:'/ -^ "^M^^///'y^rj^j'' t*— \RIES*^SMITHSONiAN INSTITUTION NOIinillSNI NVIN0SHillMs'^S3 to 5 to — C/5 a: DO \^ iIiSNI~NV!NOSHimS S3IMVHan LIBRARIES SMITHS0NIAN"'|N! 03 73 ^ C/^ ± C/5 \RIES SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION NOIiniliSNI NVINOSHlllNS S3 to (J) "Z. t t^ .*r^-. < Wp/^^ iiiSNi_NViN0SHims S3iavyan libraries Smithsonian in: X-'i\ _i ^RIES^SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION NOIiniUSNI NVINOSHill^S S* z r- 2: r- z: to _ to uiiSNi NViNOSHims S3iyvdan libraries Smithsonian in z: CO z >•• to 2 X-H COo Z > '-i^ :s: *\. > _ * c/5 Z c/7 Z c/5 ARIES SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION NOIinillSNI NVINOSHlllNS S c^ CO 5: ^ £/i ^ ^ .- < m . '^ m m ^OIinillSNI~NVINOSHiIlMS S3 I d VM 9 n~L I B R A R I Es'^SMITHSONIA 2 C/5 Z ... C/) O X o l?.l 'V IBRARiES SMITHSONIAN ~ INSTITUTION NOIlDillSNIlillSNI NVINOSHimNVINOSHl CO _ m '^\ or >v = 1 < )0iiniiisNi"'NviN0SHims s3iMVMan libraries^smithsonia r— TT »— -» C/7 _ If) _ IBRARIES SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION NOIiniliSNI NVINOSHll^^ to Z ' CO z -^,; CO -'^ CO ^^^ O x/ 'x >?',.,> X v-> /-'' z /^-^ t v?,«^.. ^ to ' Z £/) IOIiniliSNI_NVINOSHlll^S SHiyVHSIl LIBRARIES SMITHSONIA 2 "•• </' . r; tn ^ ' -I z _j IBRARIES SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION NOIinillSNI NVINOSHIIIM — - c/' - CO goiiniiiSNi NviNOSHims saiHVdan libraries smithsonia Z CO Z -,-. to .':/.^/ I /f1 'y^y braries Smithsonian ~ institution NoiiniiiSNi NviNOSHim <.n *fi ~ < Xi>Nr APRIL 1978 Vol. 11, Parts 1/2 Proceedings and Transactions of The British Entomological and Natural History Society iUN90 1978 Price: £3.00 / : Officers and Council for 1978 President: G. -
The U S . Department of Agriculture's Rural
THE US. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE'S RURAL DEVELOPMENT APPROACH TO ALIEN PLANT CONTROL IN HAWAICI: A CASE STUDY Mike Tulang Alien plant control programs provide no guarantees of success. In Hawai'i today we are faced with many plants that are extremely threatening to our native ecosystems, and gorse (Ulex europaeus) is one of them. Gorse also presents a fire hazard to private property (primarily on Maui now); it invades critical watersheds (e. 20% of the water we drink in Hilo comes from the Hilo watershed, w f? ere gorse grows as low as 1,500 ft (460 m) elevation); and it threatens agricultural and grazing lands. In this paper, the gorse problem on the island of Hawai'i is described and an approach to its solution detailed. The strategy involves interagency cooperation and a task force and management team. A similar approach is currently being used in dealing with the problem of firetree (Myrica faya) invasions on several islands. THE PROBLEM Gorse was inadvertently introduced sometime before 1910 with the establishment of the wool industry in Hawai'i. By 1966, upcountry Maui above Makawao was infested; a few thousand acres of gorse were present by 1986. Gorse now threatens to expand into suburban areas in upper Kula on Maui. On Hawai'i Island, the sheep industry produced mutton and wool for U.S. West Coast markets by the early 1900s. The major sheep (Ovis aries) raising area was at Humu'ula. With the fall of wool prices during the Depression and competition from foreign markets, ranchers converted the Humu'ula land division to cattle (Bos taurus) ranching. -
A Provisional List of the Moths of Lundy, Devon
BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 27: 2014 45 A PROVISIONAL LIST OF THE MOTHS OF LUNDY, DEVON S. D. BEAVAN1 &R.J.HECKFORD2 1The Hayes, Zeal Monachorum, Devon EX17 6DF 2Department of Life Sciences, Terrestrial Invertebrates Division, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD. (Correspondence address: 67 Newnham Road, Plympton, Plymouth, Devon PL7 4AW) ABSTRACT A provisional list of the moths of Lundy, in the Bristol Channel and forming part of recording unit vice-county 4 (North Devon), is set out below in advance of the field meeting to be held there from 5–8 July 2014 by the British Entomological and Natural History Society. The list does not claim to include every published or unpublished record because the research for this would be considerable. All known lists of Lundy Lepidoptera have been consulted and a total of 358 species in 40 families are listed here. Of those, we consider that nine species and one family are erroneous records and give our reasons against the relevant entry in the list provided. The field meeting will undoubtedly add to these records. INTRODUCTION Lundy is an island in the Bristol Channel about 18 km NNW of Hartland Point on the north Devon coast and forms part of vice-county 4 (North Devon). It is approximately five km long and one and a third km at its widest with an area of about 445 hectares, and lies in a north/south orientation at co-ordinates 51810’ N, 4840’ W. In general the island is edged by steep cliffs rising to a gently undulating plateau which is approximately 143m at its highest point. -
The Smaller Moths of Staffordshire
The Smaller Moths of Staffordshire By R.G.Warren Staffordshire Biological Recording Scheme Publication No. 13 1988 ISBN 0 905080 77 7 ISSN 0309 2100 Preface It is 25 years since Richard Warren produced his Smaller Moths of Staffordshire and it is now long out-of-print. It is a monumental work whose small size belies the work involved in its production. Richard was "into" micros at a time few others were. His knowledge of the micros of the county was encyclopaedic which is remarkable when you consider that he did not drive and his main source of identification of the micros was Meyrick's Revised Handbook of British Lepidoptera which, as those of you familiar with it will know, contains no illustrations save a few showing wing venation! Later there was the 2 volume British Tortricoid Moths and the first volumes of the Handbook of Moths of Great Britain and Ireland but these still covered only a small part of the micro-lepidoptera. He made frequent visits to the British Museum where he would consult those legends of Lepidoptera; Aggasiz, Bradley, Heath, Pelham-Clinton, Tremewan and the like. Richard could not have foreseen the rapid growth in interest in Lepidoptera and particularly the sudden availability of identification literature, the on-line sources and digital photography, all of which have contributed to an interest in the Micro-lepidoptera. I thought it appropriate to make this work available as an historical reference and to work towards updating it over the coming year. Please note, however, that it retains the nomenclature that was extant at the time of its publication. -
What's New in Biological Control of Weeds?
WHAT’S NEW IN Biological Control of Weeds? Issue 53 Sep 10 Fungus from privet What’s Inside? TORTOISE OR HARE: FIRST WEED BIOCONTROL AGENT FOR THE UK 10 - 11 WHICH FACTORS DETERMINE DISPERSAL RATE? 2 - 3 SPRING ACTIVITIES 12 - 13 ENDOPHYTES: INVISIBLE BUT IMPORTANT? 4 - 5 WHO’S WHO IN BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF WEEDS? 14 - 15 MORE TO HERBICIDES THAN MEETS THE EYE 6 FURTHER READING 16 IS NODDING THISTLE CROWN WEEVIL SIZE VARIABLE? 7 WHAT DOES CLIMATE CHANGE MEAN FOR WEED BIOCONTROL? 8 - 9 Tortoise or Hare: Which Factors Determine Dispersal Rate? Knowing the rate at which biocontrol agents can disperse Taxon could help improve the success of biocontrol programmes, In terms of taxon, fl ies and moths/butterfl ies were the fastest and ensure that resources are spent on the most optimal dispersers and beetles the slowest. Mites and bugs also release strategies. Obviously more releases of slow dispersers dispersed signifi cantly more slowly than fl ies. However, should be made, closer together, than rapid dispersers. taxon’s importance should be viewed with caution due to the Unfortunately, for most species their dispersal rates are low sample size in the study. Data for only one aphid species unknown. However, a recent study shows that it is possible to was included in the data for bugs – as only one has been predict the dispersal ability of biocontrol agents from certain released for weed biocontrol – yet aphids can disperse rapidly. key characteristics. If another was used for biocontrol it may disperse more rapidly than the model suggests. We predicted that eight characteristics may infl uence the speed at which a species disperses: Voltinism • Fecundity – the number of eggs/offspring produced Voltinism was a key factor predicting the dispersal rate of both • Voltinism – the number of generations the species has a pathogen and arthropod biocontrol agents.