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Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology ›› 2003, Vol. ›› Issue (8): 1391-1394.

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Ecological adaptability and application safety of Epiblema strenuana as a biocontrol agent against ragweed

MA Jun1,2, WAN Fanghao1, GUO Jianying1, YOU Lanshao2, YANG Hanmin3   

  1. 1. Key Laboratory of Biocontrol Resource Research and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Biological Control, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China;
    2. Department of Plant Protection, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China;
    3. Linxiang Bureau of Agriculture, Linxiang 414000, China
  • Received:2001-04-03 Revised:2001-07-05 Online:2003-08-15

Abstract: Epiblema strenuana is the most important natural enemy against Ambrosia artemisiifolia, A. trifida and Parthenium hysterophorus.In this paper,its ecological adaptability and application risk as a biological agent against ragweed was analyzed and reviewed. Epiblema strenuana had a restrict host specificity, with all the field hosts belonging to Ambrosiinae, and its selective risk on sunflower and chrysanthemum was less than0.01 or/and zero (no risk). 15~35 ℃ was the suitable temperature regimes for E. strenuana to develop, and lower constraint temperature could reach -8~-12 ℃. The population size of this insect could increase 23 and 4 times on A. artemisiifolia, A. trifida and Xanthium sibiricum after each generation, respectively. In the field, the infected plants had an average of 20~30 galls per plant, and died with 5.2 and 26 galls before and after rosette stage.The spread distance of this moth within12 months after release was more than100 km. It indicated that E.strenuana was an effective and safe agent for cereal and economic crops, ornamental plants, and indigenous natural enemy in the introduced region.

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