First Canadian Record of \u3ci\u3eHexacola Neoscatellae\u3c/i\u3e (Hymenoptera: Figitidae: Eucoilinae), A Parasitoid of the Shore Fly, \u3ci\u3eScatella Stagnalis\u3c/i\u3e

This paper documents the first occurrence of Hexacola neoscatellae, a shore fly parasitoid, in Canada. The discovery of H. neoscatellae is significant because currently there are no suitable biological control agents available for shore fly control to the floriculture industry

ASSESSMENT OF THE EXTENT AND SUCCESS OF LEAFY SPURGE BIOLOGICAL CONTROL AGENTS

Leafy spurge is an exotic, noxious, perennial weed which is widely established in the north central United States and is an especially serious problem in the northern Great Plains. In 1997, the Agricultural Research Service and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), initiated a major Integrated Pest Management (IPM) research and demonstration project, TEAM Leafy Spurge (TLS), to develop and demonstrate ecologically based IPM strategies that can produce effective, affordable leafy spurge control. A key component of the project was to expand the use of biological control (biocontrol) agents, specifically flea beetles. To assess the level of insect establishment and the level of current and perceived future control of leafy spurge, a mail survey was conducted of 468 individuals who obtained biocontrol agents (insects) at TLS-sponsored events, as well as County Weed Boards in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming. Respondents reported basic information about the number and characteristics of release sites, characteristics of leafy spurge stands, as well as the level of control to date and perceived level of eventual control. Substantial numbers of landowners and County Weed Boards have utilized biocontrol agents as part of their leafy spurge control efforts, as well as collected flea beetles from release sites for redistribution. Respondents indicated biocontrol efforts are affecting at least some level of control and, in some cases, reported substantial reductions in spurge stands.leafy spurge, biological control, Apthona lacertosa/czwalinae, flea beetle, noxious weeds, weed management, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Addressing the Needs of Classical Biological Control Programs

Conclusions Classical biological control has been among the most cost- effective and environmentally safe management tools for invasive species for many years, both nationally and internationally. Addressing the political, regulatory, and institutional challenges in the discovery, pre-release phase and post-release monitoring of a classical biological control program would greatly enhance the long-term potential for success. From this white paper, a number of recommendations were developed that we believe will significantly improve prioritization and effectiveness of classical biological control programs, including: 1. Develop transparent criteria to prioritize those invasive species for which classical biological control is the most cost-effective control option. For high priority invasive species provide sufficient resources to fully support the development, implementation and monitoring of classical biological control programs. 2. Identify and establish collaborations with local scientists in the country of origin to facilitate collection and shipment of new biological control agents in areas of limited accessibility (for example, due to political instability). 3. Work with the International Organization for Biological addressing the needs of classical biological controls programs to exclude biological control agents from the list of organisms regulated by access and benefit sharing procedures. 4. Encourage APHIS and DHS to continue their efforts to streamline shipping and entry requirements for the importation of biological control agents approved for testing and/or quarantine rearing. 5. Institute a holistic ecological risk/benefit analysis in the regulatory decision-making process that assesses the threat, treatment options and benefits (economic, environmental, social, and cultural) of the release of biological control agents. 6. Establish a defined process and timeline for the approval or disapproval of requests to import and release a new imported biological control agents. 7. Improve communications regarding biological control decision-making among the TAG, APHIS, and FWS, and the classical biological control petitioner. 8. Review federal permitting requirements, such as the inter- state movement of fully established classical biological control agents and associated host material and the movement of not fully established biological control agents with the aim of improving the implementation of biological control

Bakteri antagonis sebagai probiotik untuk pengendalian hayati pada aquakultur

Abstract The objective of this paper was to compile and review the results of studies on probiotics and their applications especially for biological control agents in aquaculture. Antagonistic property of microorganisms against pathogenic microorganisms is a beneficial property to discover new microorganisms as candidates of biological control agents. Mechanisms of several biological control agents in aquaculture have not been known in detail yet. However, the mechanisms might be categorized as the production of inhibitory substances, the competition in utilization of certain substances and/or energy, adhesion competition, enhance the immune response of host, improve the water and environment quality, and the interaction with zooplankton and phytoplankton. Several bacteria in the genus Bacillus, Vibrio, Pseudoalteromonas, Alteromonas, Pseudomonas, Thalassobacter, Aeromonas, Lactobacillus, Carnobacterium, Leuconostoc and Pediococcus are well known probionts for biological control in aquaculture. These biological control agents are very strain specific. Therefore, different strains in the same species might have far different antagonistic properties for the same patogen. Probiotics for biological control in aquaculture have been applied not only in fishes but also in crustaceans and moluscs. Key words: antagonistic, aquaculture, biological control, probioti

Parasitism of \u3ci\u3eUrophora Affinis\u3c/i\u3e (Diptera: Tephritidae) by \u3ci\u3eAprostocetus\u3c/i\u3e Sp. (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) in Michigan

(excerpt) Urophora affinis Frfld. and U. quadrifasciata (Meig.) (Diptera: Tephriti- dae) are Eurasian gallicolous fruit flies introduced to North America in 1972 as biological control agents for Centaurea biebersteinii DC (spotted knapweed, Asteraceae, = C. maculosa auct. non Lam.) (Harris 1980). Through natural dispersal and numerous introductions, both Urophora species have become distributed throughout the introduced range of C. biebersteinii (Foote et al. 1993, Lang et al. 1997, Mays and Kok 2003)