CECOAL   02625
CENTRO DE ECOLOGIA APLICADA DEL LITORAL
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
¿La tucura semiacuática Cornops aquaticum es un buen agente de control biológico del camalote? Contrastando las áreas nativas e introducidas.
Autor/es:
DE WYSIECKI M. LAURA; SOSA, A.J.; HILL, MARTIN; FRANCESCHINI M. CELESTE
Lugar:
Mendoza
Reunión:
Simposio; Simposio sobre Prácticas de control y manejo de plagas: su implementación como camino a la sustentabilidad. X Congreso Argentino de Entomología; 2018
Institución organizadora:
Sociedad Entomológica Argentina
Resumen:
The grasshopper Cornops aquaticum inhabits lowlands of Neotropics from southern Mexico to Central Argentina and Uruguay and is frequently associated with plants in the Pontederiaceae, primarily Eichhornia crassipes. This aquatic plant has become the most important pest species of natural and artificial water bodies around the world, A quarantine population of C. aquaticum has been released as a biological control of this plant in South Africa, but is yet to establish. The aim of this research was: (a) assess life cycle, population and specificity of C. aquaticum comparing Neotropic (native) and Afrotropic (quarantine) populations; (b) discuss risk and benefits of C. aquaticum as a potential biological control agent in the context of its ecology and biology We monitored native field populations of C. aquaticum between February 2004 and April 2006. In addition rearing and feeding test were performed to assess life cycle and specificity and these results were compared to similar studies carried out in quarantine in South Africa. Our results showed that in native areas males of C. aquaticum had five instars whereas females had five or six instars and both had six or seven nymphal instar in South Africa. Sampling of native populations showed that total abundance reached up to 96 ind. captured/min on E. azurea and 61 ind. captured/min on E. crassipes during summer months. In the native range oviposition probing was recorded on E. crassipes and some non-host plants, but eggs were only laid in E. crassipes while in quarantine population laid some eggs on the closely related Monochoria africana . We use C. aquaticum as a study case to discuss benefits and potential risks of biological control of aquatic weeds as well as give recommendations for future researches and policy development.