Location: Invasive Plant Research Laboratory
Project Number: 6032-22000-013-118-R
Project Type: Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Jul 1, 2023
End Date: Jun 30, 2024
Objective:
Complete multigeneration host-specificity testing with Lygodium congeners for the sawfly Neostrombocerus albicomus.
Complete the climate modeling analysis on Lygomusotima stria to predict its threat to the native L. palmatum. Maintain healthy colonies of this species in quarantine.
Complete the climate modeling analysis on Callopistria exotica to predict its threat to the native L. palmatum. Maintain healthy colonies of this species in quarantine.
Approach:
No-choice host range testing has been conducted with Callopistria exotica with no development on non-lygodium species. These results indicated that L. microphyllum and L. japonicum are preferred hosts with fewer than 7% of individuals completing development on L. palmatum and L. volubile, and no development on L. venustum or L. oligostachyum. A petition was submitted to the technical advisory group (TAG) April 5, 2023 seeking a permit for field release of Callopistria exotica. We continue to maintain a healthy colony in quarantine of this species.
Genetic analysis confirmed that the sawfly colony established from ABCL collections in Thailand in December 2019 was merged with the existing IPRL quarantine colony. This combined colony will be used to conduct multigenerational tests of this species on the non-targets, L. oligostachyum and L. volubile.
