Senecio madagascariensis as a biocontrol target in Hawaii
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Biocontrol agent: Puccinia lagenophorae
Status in Hawaii: Isolates of Puccinia lagenophorae (Basidiomycetes: Uredinales), a fungal pathogen which causes rust disease, were introduced to Hawaii from Australia, South Africa, and Madagascar in 1999 to control fireweed (Senecio madagascariensis) . The rust severely affects its target host; however, it has also been shown to affect other members of the Asteraceae. Of 48 species tested, two Hawaiian endemic species (Tetramolopium filiforme and Tetramolopium rockii) and three non-native species were susceptible to infection by the rust. REFERENCES |
Biocontrol agent: Secusio extensa Status in Hawaii: Secusio extensa (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae), or Madagascar moth, a voracious defoliator of fireweed (Senecio madagascariensis), was collected in Africa by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture. Tests in quarantine indicate it is a promising biocontrol agent. The moth is highly host-specific, and larvae showed a preference for fireweed when evaluated on more than 70 endemic and naturalized species of Asteraceae. Applications have been submitted to state and federal agencies for release of the Madagascar moth to control fireweed. Approvals are pending (as of 2008). REFERENCES |
Biocontrol agent: Sphenella sp. Status in Hawaii: (no status currently available; inquire) REFERENCES |
| The Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk (HEAR) project is currently funded by the Pacific Basin Information Node (PBIN) of the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) through PIERC (USGS) with support from HCSU (UH Hilo). More details are available online. |
 
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| This page was created on 04 August 2009 by PT, and was last updated on 15 December 2009 by PT. |
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