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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Southern Insect Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #288155
Title: Biological control of common salvinia (Salvinia minima) in Louisiana using Cyrtobagous salviniae (Coleoptera: curculionidae)

Author
item Parys, Katherine
item JOHNSON, SETH - Louisana State University

Submitted to: Florida Entomologist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/29/2012
Publication Date: 3/15/2013
Citation: Parys, K.A., Johnson, S.J. 2013. Biological control of common salvinia (Salvinia minima) in Louisiana using Cyrtobagous salviniae (Coleoptera: curculionidae). Florida Entomologist. 96(1):10-18.

Interpretive Summary: The aquatic invasive weed common Salvinia obstructs waterways and impacts water quality throughout the southeastern United States. The Salvinia Weevil was released at multiple sites across southern Louisiana as part of a classical biological control program. The weevil established populations and survived the winter at multiple sites during 2008. The presence of the weevil was found to decrease the amount of plant material and increase the amount of damage to terminal buds of Salvinia plants.

Technical Abstract: Common salvinia, Salvinia minima Baker, is an aquatic invasive fern that obstructs waterways and impacts water quality throughout the southeastern United States. In an effort to establish populations for classical biological control, the weevil, Cyrtobagous salviniae Calder and Sands, was released at multiple sites across Louisiana. Many of the release sites were lost due to a variety of ecological and anthropological disturbances. In 2008, C. salviniae was found to have successfully overwintered on S. minima in Gramercy, Louisiana. Cyrtobagous salviniae significantly decreased the fresh weight biomass of S. minima (P=0.0001) and increased the number of S. minima terminal buds damaged (P<0.0001).