Status and relative importance of insects introduced to combat Lantana

Date
1966
Authors
Perkins, Benjamin David
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[Honolulu]
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Abstract
Stem sections of the growing tip of the weed., Lantana camara var. aculeata (L.) Moldenke were taken in four sites in the Waianae Mts., Oahu, Hawaii, ten samples per site over a period of 65 weeks during 196J and 1964. Damage by any of the purposely introduced insects for control of this weed was recorded along with species of insects present. Laboratory studies and observations on the three most abundant insects, Teleonemia scrupulosa Stal, Hypena strigata Fabr., and Cremastobombycia lantanella Busck were studied in detail. There were significant positive correlations between the populations of insects and their respective damage and between the insects and the abundance of foliage. There were negative correlations between the leaf miner population and that of the tingid in site π2, and negative correlations between the leaf miner damage and the tingid population in sites π2 and π4. This implies an interaction between these two species of insects. A relationship between the insect populations and the food material was indicated. T. scrupulosa and M, strigata populations followed the change in total foliage more closely than did the population of C. lantanella. However, there was an indication that the population of C. lantanella was related to leaves of a particular quality, the younger leaves, rather than the total foliage present. Abiotic influences caused greater population fluctuations, However, in site π1 , the abiotic influences were lessened by the surrounding forest, but lantana exhibited considerable defoliation here. This may be accounted for by the high tingid population in this site throughout the sampling period. in this site abiotic stress though possibly less than in the other three sites, was more severe on the plant than on the tingid. The strongest biotic influence on the insect populations appeared to be food supply. Four species of eulophid parasites were found attacking C. lantanella larvae. However, the host population continued to increase in spite of their presence in the area. The other two lantana feeding species in question here seemed to have no parasites or predators of consequence. The most effective of the three insects was probably Teleonemia, since it reached relatively high numbers in the field, and since its population was related to the abundance of foliage. in certain environments, such as a forest site, it can heavily defoliate lantana and possibly prevent flowering. Hypena may have been of less importance in this study due to its low numbers; Cremastobombycia may be of least importance since it probably causes little material damage to the plant, even though its population may be increasing.
Description
Typescript.
Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii, 1966.
Bibliography: leaves 76-80.
v, 80 l mounted illus., tables
Keywords
Lantana -- Diseases and pests, Weeds -- Control, Beneficial insects -- Hawaii
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Theses for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (University of Hawaii (Honolulu)). Entomology; no. 91
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