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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Lauderdale, Florida » Invasive Plant Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #321275
Title: Host range of Caloptilia triadicae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae): An adventive herbivore of Chinese Tallowtree (Malpighiales: Euphorbiaceae)

Author
item Duncan, James
item Steininger, Mindi
item Wright, Susan
item Wheeler, Gregory

Submitted to: Florida Entomologist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/18/2015
Publication Date: 3/1/2016
Citation: Duncan, J.G., Steininger, M.S., Wright, S.A., Wheeler, G.S. 2016. Host Range of Caloptilia triadicae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae): An Adventive Herbivore of Chinese Tallowtree (Malpighiales: Euphorbiaceae). Florida Entomologist. 99(1):142-145. https://doi.org/10.1653/024.099.0132.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1653/024.099.0132

Interpretive Summary: An insect was discovered feeding on the invasive weed Chinese tallowtree (Triadica sebifera) in North America in 2004. This insect identified as a Caloptilia triadicae, causes leaf mines on T. sebifera saplings. To see if they would damage other plants we exposed wild populations of this insect to related species. Our findings indicated that the larvae of this species were specific as they readily fed and completed development on Chinese tallowtree leaves. The only exception was larval feeding and development on the native oysterwood, Gymnanthes lucida. Naturalized populations of C. triadicae were also found in Miami/Dade and Broward counties feeding and developing on ornamental populations of G. lucida.

Technical Abstract: An inadvertent biological control agent of the invasive weed Chinese tallowtree (Triadica sebifera) first appeared in North America in 2004. Identified as a Caloptilia triadicae, this leaf miner was found damaging T. sebifera saplings. In Gainesville, FL we exposed naturalized populations of C. triadicae to Chinese tallowtree and related plant species in open field multiple choice tests. Our findings indicated that the larvae of this species were specific as they readily fed and completed development on Chinese tallowtree leaves. The only exception to this narrow specificity was larval feeding and development on the native oysterwood, Gymnanthes lucida. Naturalized populations of C. triadicae were also found in Miami/Dade and Broward counties feeding and developing on ornamental populations of G. lucida.