Chromolaena Odorata Newsletter

Chromolaena Odorata Newsletter

NEWSLETTER No. 19 September, 2014 The spread of Cecidochares connexa (Tephritidae) in West Africa Iain D. Paterson1* and Felix Akpabey2 1Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, PO Box 94, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa 2Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), PO Box M.32, Accra, Ghana Corresponding author: [email protected] Chromolaena odorata (L.) R.M. King & H. Rob. that substantial levels of control have been achieved and that (Asteraceae: Eupatorieae) is a shrub native to the Americas crop yield has increased by 50% due to the control of the that has become a problematic invasive in many of the weed (Day et al. 2013a,b). In Timor Leste the biological tropical and subtropical regions of the Old World (Holm et al. control agent has been less successful, possibly due to the 1977, Gautier 1992). Two distinct biotypes, that can be prolonged dry period on the island (Day et al. 2013c). separated based on morphological and genetic characters, are recognised within the introduced distribution (Paterson and Attempts to rear the fly on the SA biotype have failed Zachariades 2013). The southern African (SA) biotype is only (Zachariades et al. 1999) but the success of C. connexa in present in southern Africa while the Asian/West African (A/ South-East Asia indicates that it may be a good option for WA) biotype is present in much of tropical and subtropical control of the A/WA biotype in West Africa. A colony of the Asia as well as tropical Africa (Zachariades et al. 2013). The fly was sent to Ghana with the intention of release in that first records of the A/WA biotype being naturalised in Asia country in the 1990s but the colony failed before any releases were in India and Bangladesh in the 1870s but it was only in were made (Zachariades et al. 2009). In 2003 and 2004, the 1940s that the first records were made in West Africa releases of C. connexa were made in areas surrounding when the plant was reported to be present in Nigeria (Ivens Soubre and Okrouyo in Côte d’Ivoire near the Liberian 1974; Zachariades et al. 2009). The plant was recorded in border (R. Desmier de Chenon, pers. comm. to C. Côte d’Ivoire in the 1950s and is now present from the Zachariades, 2009) (Fig. 1). Establishment was successful Gambia in the west, across the Congo Basin to Kenya and and the agent was reported to have spread to over 100km Tanzania in the east, and northern Angola in the south from the release sites by 2009 (R. Desmier de Chenon, pers. (Zachariades et al. 2009, 2013). comm. to C. Zachariades, 2009). Cecidochares connexa Macquart (Tephritidae) is a fly which In March 2014, roadside surveys of C. odorata in Ghana galls the nodes of C. odorata and is highly host specific resulted in the first record of C. connexa outside of Côte (McFadyen et al. 2003). A strain of the fly that develops on d’Ivoire in West Africa. Galls on the nodes of C. odorata the A/WA biotype of C. odorata was collected in Colombia plants were present at 12 sites in Ghana (Fig. 1) and at many and released in Indonesia in 1995 where it readily established of these sites galls were abundant, with very few or no plants (Zachariades et al. 2009). The fly has now established on all that were examined being free of galls. Cecidochares the major islands of Indonesia, in Papua New Guinea, Timor connexa emerged from galls that were collected in the field and the Philippines (Day and McFadyen 2012) as well as in and the identification of the species was confirmed (C. India (Bhumannavar and Ramani 2007). Post-release Zachariades pers. comm.). While C. connexa was present at evaluations conducted in Papua New Guinea have indicated all sites where C. odorata was present in the western parts of Chromolaena odorata Newsletter 19, September 2014 Figure 1. Distribution of Cecidochares connexa in Ghana, March 2014. Sites at which Chromolaena odorata plants were examined for the presence of C. connexa galls are indicated by a ●or x. The region of C€te ’in which releases of C. connexa were made in 2003-2004 is also shown. Ghana, no galls were found on plants towards the extreme regions of western Nigeria to confirm whether the biological east of the country, despite C. odorata being abundant at four control agent has naturally dispersed into the country. If C. sites (Fig. 1). Cecidochares connexa was therefore assumed connexa is not present in Nigeria then a basic redistribution to be either absent or rare in the eastern parts of the country. programme in which galls from western Ghana are sent to high rainfall regions of Nigeria is likely to result in The most likely source of the C. connexa population in Ghana establishment. Given the success of C. connexa in Papua New was the population established from the releases made in Guinea and the positive implications for agriculture and C€te ’ in 2003/4. This suggests that the biological natural ecosystems in that country (Day et al. 2013b), as well control agent has spread at least 600km over a ten year as the high densities of the agent in Ghana reported in this period. The absence of C. connexa in eastern Ghana could be article, the redistribution of C. connexa throughout due to the fact that the insect has not yet spread to that region climatically suitable areas of West Africa should be but it is more likely that its absence is due to the drier considered a priority for C. odorata biological control in the climatic conditions in the east of the country. Cecidochares region. connexa is believed to be intolerant of prolonged periods of dry weather (Day et al. 2013c). Although the relatively dry References eastern region of Ghana may have restricted the spread of C. connexa in West Africa, it is also possible that the agent Bhummanavar BS, Ramani S (2007) Introduction and could have crossed this barrier and established in areas of establishment of Cecidochares connexa (Macquart) (Diptera: higher rainfall in Togo, Benin and Nigeria. This could have Tephritidae) for the biological suppression of Chromolaena been achieved through long distance dispersal or there could odorata in India. In: Lai PY, Reddy GVP, Muniappan R be low density populations across the dry region of eastern (eds) Proceedings of the seventh international workshop on Ghana that were not recorded on the survey. Although C. biological control and management of chromolaena and connexa had limited success in Timor Leste it did establish mikania, Pingtung, Taiwan, September 2006. NPUST, (Day et al. 2013c) and the average rainfall in Timor Leste is Pingtung, Taiwan, pp 38-48 lower than eastern Ghana suggesting that it is possible for C. connexa to establish in eastern Ghana. There are however Day MD, Bofeng I, Nabo I (2013a) Successful biological many other factors besides rainfall that should be taken into control of Chromolaena odorata (Asteraceae) by the gall fly account when predicting where C. connexa is likely to Cecidochares connexa (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Papua New establish. Guinea. In: Wu Y, Johnson T, Sing S, Raghu S, Wheeler G, Pratt P, Warner K, Center T, Goolsby J, Reurdon R (eds) Surveys for C. connexa should be conducted in high rainfall Proceedings of the thirteenth international symposium for the 2 Chromolaena odorata Newsletter 19, September 2014 biological control of weeds, Waikoloa, Hawaii, USA, Holm LG, Plucknett DL, Pancho JV, Herberger PD (1977) September 2011. USDA, FHTET-2012-07, USA, pp 400-408 The ’ worst weeds: distribution and biology. University Press of Hawaii, Honolulu, USA Day MD, Bofeng I, Nabo I (2013b) Biocontrol of Chromolaena odorata in Papua New Guinea. In: Zachariades Ivens GW (1974) The problem of Eupatorium odoratum L. in C, Strathie LW, Day MD, Muniappan R (eds) Proceedings of Nigeria. PANS 20:76-82 the eighth international workshop on biological control and management of Chromolaena odorata and other Eupatorieae, McFadyen REC, Desmier de Chenon R, Sipayung A (2003) Nairobi, Kenya, November 2010. ARC-PPRI, Pretoria, South Biology and host specificity of the chromolaena stem gall fly, Africa, pp 117-126 Cecidochares connexa (Macquart) (Diptera: Tephritidae). Aust J Entomol 42:294-297 Day MD, Brito AA, da Costa Guterres A, da Costa Alves AP, Paul T, Wilson CG (2013c) Biocontrol of Chromolaena Paterson ID, Zachariades C (2013) ISSRs indicate that odorata in Timor Leste. In: Zachariades C, Strathie LW, Day Chromolaena odorata invading southern Africa originates in MD, Muniappan R (eds) Proceedings of the eighth Jamaica or Cuba. Biol Control 66:132-139 international workshop on biological control and management of Chromolaena odorata and other Eupatorieae, Nairobi, Zachariades C, Day M, Muniappan R, Reddy GVP (2009) Kenya, November 2010. ARC-PPRI, Pretoria, South Africa, Chromolaena odorata (L.) R.M. King & H. Rob. pp 134-140 (Asteraceae). In: Muniappan R, Reddy GVP, Raman A (eds) Biological control of tropical weeds using arthropods. Day M, McFadyen R (2012) Chromolaena odorata (L.) King Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, pp 130-162 and Robinson – chromolaena. In: Julien MH, McFadyen REC, Cullen JM (eds) Biological control of weeds in Zachariades C, Janse van Rensburg S, Witt A (2013) Recent Australia. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Australia, pp 162 spread and new records of Chromolaena odorata in Africa. -169 In: Zachariades C, Strathie LW, Day MD, Muniappan R (eds) Proceedings of the eighth international workshop on Gautier L (1992) Taxonomy and distribution of a tropical biological control of Chromolaena odorata and other weed, Chromolaena odorata (L.) R. King and H. Robinson. Eupatorieae, Nairobi, Kenya, November 2010. ARC-PPRI, Candollea 47:645-662 Pretoria, South Africa, pp 20-27 The state of devil weed (Chromolaena odorata) in ’ Erin Bishop ’Invasive Species Committee, 743 Ulukahiki Street, Kailua, HI 96734, USA [email protected] Introduction middle of the northern Pacific Ocean, ’ is composed of 137 islands, islets and atolls stretching 2,400km (1,500mi) The infestation of Chromolaena odorata R.M.

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