Abstract
Senecio jacobaea, a poisonous weed from Eurasia, was brought under successful biological control in the Ft. Bragg, California area by 1976, through the combined action of the defoliating cinnabar moth (Tyria jacobaeae) and a root feeding flea beetle (Longitarsus jacobaeae). In 1987, 4 previously infested Ft. Bragg sites (3 sites where control had been documented and another unstudied site) were examined.Senecio jacobaea densities at these sites were 0.0, 0.0, 0.01 and 0.18 plants/m2, indicating both continued and improved control of the weed. The flea beetle and the cinnabar moth both persist at the sites, despite very low numbers ofS. jacobaea plants. The control ofS. jacobaea has resulted in the return of near natural vegetation at the 2 coastal prairie sites and regained productivity at the 2 pasture sites.
Résumé
Senecio jacobaea, mauvaise herbe originaire d'Eurasie, a pu être contrôlée biologiquement de façon efficace dans la région de Fort Bragg en Californie, à partir de 1976, grâce à l'action combinée d'un papillon nocturne se nourrissant des feuilles et des fleurs (Tyria jacobaeae) et d'un coléoptère se nourrissant des racines (Longitarsus jacobaeae). En 1987, les 4 sites de la région de Fort Bragg précédemment infestés (3 sites avec suivi et un quatrième non suivi), ont été visités de nouveau. Les densités deSenecio jacobaea sur ces 4 sites étaient respectivement de 0,0, 0,0, 0,01, et 0,18 plants/m2, ce qui témoignait à la fois du maintien et de l'amélioration de l'action de contrôle. Le coléoptère et le papillon étaient toujours présents sur les différents sites malgré le nombre très faible de plants/m2 deSenecio jacobeae. Le contrôle deSenecio jacobeae a permis le rétablissement presque intégral de la végétation naturelle initiale sur les 2 sites classés comme «Prairie Cotière» et un regain significatif de la productivité sur les 2 autres sites formant chacun un pâturage.
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Pemberton, R.W., Turner, C.E. Biological control ofSenecio jacobaea in Northern California, an enduring success. Entomophaga 35, 71–77 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02374303
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02374303
Key-Words
- Biological control
- cinnabar moth
- Longitarsus jacobaeae
- poisonous plant
- Senecio jacobaea
- tansy ragwort
- Tyria jacobaeae