Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-mlc7c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-01T02:11:38.067Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

External rostral characters for differentiation of sexes in the biological control agent Mecinus janthinus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 April 2012

Marjolein Schat ,
Sharlene E. Sing  and
Robert K.D. Peterson
Marjolein Schat*
Affiliation:
Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717-3120, United States of America
Sharlene E. Sing
Affiliation:
Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717-3120, United States of America
Robert K.D. Peterson
Affiliation:
Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717-3120, United States of America
*
1Corresponding author (e-mail: mschat@montana.edu).
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The stem-boring weevil, Mecinus janthinus (Germar), is a promising, well established classical biological control agent for the exotic invasive weed Dalmatian toadflax (Linaria dalmatica (L.) Mill.) (Scrophulariaceae). In this paper we present readily apparent rostral characters that can be used for sex differentiation of live stem-boring weevils at low magnification. These characters can be used by workers with little training to accurately sex weevils and can be used to rapidly determine sex ratios of field populations to improve timing of collection for redistribution.

Résumé

Mecinus janthinus (Germar) est un agent bien éstable contrôl biologique classique qui promet de contrôler la mauvaise herbe exotique envahissant, Dalmatian toadflax (Linaria dalmatica (L.) Mill.) (Scrophulariaceae). Ici nous offrissons caractères de rostre qui pourrait être utile à distingues facilement de sexe des caladres vivantes à magnification petite. Les caractères demandent instruction minime de determiner exactement le sexe d'une calandre, et ils pourrait être utiles de determiner les proportions des sexes de populations aux changes pour perfectionner les occasions de rassembler pour repartition.

Type
Articles
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 139 , Issue 3 , June 2007 , pp. 354 - 357
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 2007

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Carney, V.A. 2003. Ecological interactions of biological control agent, Mecinus janthinus Germar, and its target host, Linaria dalmatica (L.) Mill. M.Sc. thesis, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta.Google Scholar
Carney, V.A., Rau, J., Little, S.M., and De Clerck-Floate, R.A. 2004. Rapid differentiation of the sexes of adult Mecinus janthinus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) based on external leg morphology. The Canadian Entomologist, 136: 835–837.Google Scholar
Coombs, E.M. 2004. Factors that affect successful establishment of biological control agents. In Biological control of invasive plants in the United States. Edited by Coombs, E.M., Clark, J.K., Piper, G.L., and Cofrancesco, A.F.. Oregon State University Press, Corvallis, Oregon. pp. 85–94.Google Scholar
De Clerck-Floate, R., and Harris, P. 2002. Linaria dalmatica (L.) Miller, Dalmatian toadflax (Scro-phulariaceae). In Biological Control Programmes in Canada 1981–2000. Edited by Mason, P.G. and Huber, J.T.. CABI Publishing, New York. pp. 368–374.Google Scholar
Dix, D.E., and All, J.N. 1985. Invasion patterns and sex-ratio dynamics of the maize weevil (Coleop-tera: Curculionidae) infesting field corn. Journal of Economic Entomology, 78: 1072–1075.Google Scholar
Dix, D.E., and All, J.N. 1986. Population density and sex ratio dynamics of overwintering maize weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) infesting field corn. Journal of Entomological Science, 21(4): 368–375.Google Scholar
Duan, J.J., Weber, D.C., Hirs, B.A., and Dorn, S. 1999. A new character for sex differentiation of adults of Anthonomus pomorum L. (Col., Curculionidae). Journal of Applied Entomology, 123(5): 319–320.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fowler, R.C.W.W. 1891. The Coleoptera of the British Islands. L. Reeve and Co., London.Google Scholar
Grevstad, F.S. 1999. Factors influencing the chance of population establishment: implications for release strategies in biological control. Ecological Applications, 9(4): 1439–1447.Google Scholar
Halstead, D.G.H. 1963. External sex differences in stored-products Coleoptera. Bulletin of Entomological Research, 54: 119–133.Google Scholar
Hopper, K.R., and Roush, R.T. 1993. Mate finding, dispersal, number released, and the success of biological control introductions. Ecological Entomology, 18: 321–331.Google Scholar
Miles, H.W. 1923. Observations on the bionomics of the apple-blossom weevil, Anthonomus pomorum Linn. Annals of Applied Biology, 10: 348–369.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nowierski, R.M. 2004. Toadflax. In Biological control of invasive plants in the United States. Edited by Coombs, E.M., Clark, J.K., Piper, G.L., and Cofrancesco, A.F.. Oregon State University Press, Corvallis, Oregon. pp. 379–395.Google Scholar
Reddy, D.B. 1951. Determination of sex in adult rice and granary weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). The Pan-Pacific Entomologist, 27(1): 13–16.Google Scholar
Wilson, L.M., Sing, S.E., Piper, G.L., Hansen, R.W., De Clerck-Floate, R.A., MacKinnon, D.K., and Randall, C.B. 2005. Biology and biological control of Dalmatian and yellow toadflax. Report FHTET-05-13, USDA Forest Service.Google Scholar