Predation of Bracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn var. arachnoideum (Kaulf.) Brade) in Southern Brazil by Moths of the Genus Erupa

Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn, the bracken fern, is one of the most important toxic plants impacting cattle and sheep as well as being a highly invasive species in pastures and agricultural fields worldwide. The diverse problems caused by bracken have lead to the search for methods to control its es...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American fern journal 2013-04, Vol.103 (2), p.139-140
Main Authors: Landoni, Gabriela Fausti, Windisch, Paulo G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural land
Aquatic plants
Artificial lakes
Biological control
Butterflies & moths
Ferns
Freshwater
Infestation
Insect larvae
Invasive species
Larvae
Larval development
Moths
Pasture
Petioles
Pteridium aquilinum
Pupae
Rhizomes
Shorter Notes
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Summary:Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn, the bracken fern, is one of the most important toxic plants impacting cattle and sheep as well as being a highly invasive species in pastures and agricultural fields worldwide. The diverse problems caused by bracken have lead to the search for methods to control its establishment and proliferation, including mechanical, chemical and biological approaches. The search for biological control organisms lead to diverse reports of herbivorous insects found on bracken. This note reports the predation of Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn var. arachnoideum Brade by larvae of a moth of the genus Erupa, which develop inside the petiole bases in populations occurring in Southern Brazil. Rhizomes with at least some leaf bases presenting signs of predation in the form of isolated perforations were collected from a population growing next to an artificial lake at the campus of the Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, Sao Leopoldo, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, in May 2003.
ISSN:0002-8444
1938-422X