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Successful biological control of the floating weed salvinia

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Abstract

The floating fern Salvinia molesta D. S. Mitchell (Salviniaceae) originated in southeastern Brazil1, but since about 1930, it has been introduced into various tropical and subtropical regions where it has become as great a menace as the water hyacinth2–4. Biological control of salvinia has clear economic and environmental advantages over other methods of control, but earlier attempts either failed or achieved inconclusive results5–7. We report here successful control of the largest salvinia infestation in Australia using the beetle Cyrtobagous singularis Hustache (Curculionidae) and suggest why this beetle has potential for controlling salvinia infestations elsewhere.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSIRO Division of Entomology, Private Bag No. 3, Indooroopilly, Queensland, 4068, Australia

    P. M. Room & D. P. A. Sands

  2. CSIRO Biological Control Unit, CP 322, Curitiba, 80000, Parana, Brazil

    K. L. S. Harley & I. W. Forno

Authors
  1. P. M. Room
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  2. K. L. S. Harley
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  3. I. W. Forno
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  4. D. P. A. Sands
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Room, P., Harley, K., Forno, I. et al. Successful biological control of the floating weed salvinia. Nature 294, 78–80 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/294078a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/294078a0

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