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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).
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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

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