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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Lauderdale, Florida » Invasive Plant Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #373643
Research Project: Identification, Evaluation, and Implementation of Biological Control Agents for Invasive Weeds of Southeastern Ecosystems

Location: Invasive Plant Research Laboratory

Title: Colonization by biological control agents on post-fire regrowth of invasive Lygodium microphyllum (Lygodiaceae)

Author
item David, Aaron
item SEBESTA, NICOLE - Florida International University
item Abdel-Kader, Anwar
item Lake, Ellen

Submitted to: Environmental Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/3/2020
Publication Date: 7/5/2020
Citation: David, A.S., Sebesta, N., Abdel-Kader, A., Lake, E.C. 2020. Colonization by biological control agents on post-fire regrowth of invasive Lygodium microphyllum (Lygodiaceae). Environmental Entomology. 49(4):796–802. https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvaa076.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvaa076

Interpretive Summary: Integrating biological control with other management tactics such as prescribed burning can improve the control of invasive weeds. Here, we investigated how fire affects the colonization by biological control agents on regrowth of the invasive vine Lygodium microphyllum (Cav.) R. Br. (Lygodiaceae, Old World climbing fern) using three prescribed burns in Florida. We report the first post-fire colonization by the mite Floracarus perrepae Knihinicki and Boczek (Acariformes: Eriophyidae) and the moth Neomusotima conspurcatalis Warren (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) on L. microphyllum regrowth. Furthermore, we report that L. microphyllum can recover to pre-fire levels of percent cover in as little as 5 months. Our results indicate that biological control of L. microphyllum has the potential to be integrated with prescribed burns.

Technical Abstract: Integration of biological control with other management tactics such as prescribed burning is important for successful invasive weed control. Here, we investigated how fire affects the colonization by biological control agents on regrowth of the invasive vine Lygodium microphyllum (Cav.) R. Br. (Lygodiaceae, Old World climbing fern) using three prescribed burns in Florida. We report the first post-fire colonization by the mite Floracarus perrepae Knihinicki and Boczek (Acariformes: Eriophyidae) and the moth Neomusotima conspurcatalis Warren (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) on regrowth of L. microphyllum. Furthermore, we report that L. microphyllum can recover to pre-fire levels of percent cover in as little as 5 months. Our findings indicate that biological control of L. microphyllum has the potential to be integrated with prescribed burns.