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1 June 2014 Current Status of the Biological Control Agent Neomusotima conspurcatalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), on Lygodium microphyllum (Polypodiales: Lygodiaceae) in Florida
Melissa C. Smith, Ellen C. Lake, Paul D. Pratt, Anthony J. Boughton, Robert W. Pemberton
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

The brown Lygodium defoliating moth, Neomusotima conspurcatalis Warren (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), was released beginning in 2008 to control Old World climbing fern, Lygodium microphyllum (Cav.) R. Br (Polypodiales: Lygodiaceae). The moth readily established in Jonathan Dickinson State Park, but at other sites populations remained at low densities or were locally extirpated. In 2012 and 2013, we recovered N. conspurcatalis populations at all original release sites except Everglades National Park and those treated with herbicide. The original releases of 4,000 or more individuals per site were entirely successful, pointing to a strategy that focuses on numbers at this target level or beyond for future releases in Florida.

Melissa C. Smith, Ellen C. Lake, Paul D. Pratt, Anthony J. Boughton, and Robert W. Pemberton "Current Status of the Biological Control Agent Neomusotima conspurcatalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), on Lygodium microphyllum (Polypodiales: Lygodiaceae) in Florida," Florida Entomologist 97(2), 817-820, (1 June 2014). https://doi.org/10.1653/024.097.0268
Published: 1 June 2014
KEYWORDS
establecimiento
Establishment
Jonathan Dickinson State Park
Lygodium microphyllum
Neomusotima conspurcatalis
Parque Estatal de Jonathan Dickinson
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