Life history and host specificity of Rhopalomyia n. sp. (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), a potential biological control agent of scentless chamomile

• Published in: Environmental entomology 1998-12, Vol.27 (6), p.1537-1547
• Main Author: Hinz, H.L. (CABI Bioscience Centre Switzerland, Delemont, Switzerland.)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: AGALLAS; APROSTOCETUS; AUSTRIA; AUTRICHE; AUXILIAIRE DE LUTTE BIOLOGIQUE; Biological and medical sciences; BIOLOGICAL CONTROL; Biological control and other methods; BIOLOGICAL CONTROL ORGANISMS; BIOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT; CALOR; Cecidomyiidae; CHALEUR; CICLO VITAL; COMPOSITAE; CONTROL BIOLOGICO; CYCLE DE DEVELOPPEMENT; DESARROLLO BIOLOGICO; DESHERBAGE; DEVELOPPEMENT BIOLOGIQUE; ENVIRONMENTAL TEMPERATURE; ESCARDA; ESPECE NOUVELLE; ESPECIES NUEVAS; EULOPHIDAE; FECUNDITY; FERTILIDAD; FERTILITE; FERTILITY; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GALLE; HEAT; HEAT SUMS; HOST PLANTS; HOST RANGE; HOSTS; HOTE; HUESPEDES; LIFE CYCLE; LUTTE BIOLOGIQUE; MATRICARIA PERFORATA; MULTIVOLTINE; NEW SPECIES; ORGANISMOS PARA CONTROL BIOLOGICO; OVIPOSICION; OVIPOSITION; OVIPOSITION PREFERENCE; Parasitic plants. Weeds; PARASITISM; PARASITISME; PARASITISMO; PARASITOIDE; PARASITOIDES; PARASITOIDS; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; PLANT GALLS; PONTE; RHOPALOMYIA; SUISSE; SUIZA; SWITZERLAND; TEMPERATURA AMBIENTAL; TEMPERATURE AMBIANTE; TRIPLEUROSPERMUM; TRIPLEUROSPERMUM PERFORATUM; WEED CONTROL; Weeds
• ISSN: 0046-225X; 1938-2936
• DOI: 10.1093/ee/27.6.1537

The life history and host specificity of Rhopalomyia n. sp., a multivoltine gall former and potential agent for the biological control of scentless chamomile [Tripleurospermum perforatum (Merat) Lainz, Asteraceae], was investigated at field sites in Eastern Austria and under seminatural conditions in Switzerland from 1995 to 1997. Rhopalomyia n.sp. produced 4 generations per year in Switzerland and induced galls in different meristematic tissues of T. perforatum, including the apical meristems of rosettes and bolting plants, leaf axils, buds, and flowers. Galls formed in axillary buds or flowers were usually single-chambered, whereas the majority of galls induced in apical meristems consisted of several chambers (up to 80), each containing 1 larva. Gall volume increased with the number of chambers per gall. The gall midge was attacked by 1 parasitoid species (Aprostocetus n. sp.) in the field. The probability of parasitoid attack was higher in multichambered galls than in single-chambered galls, whereas percentage parasitism per gall was either unaffected by gall size or declined with an increasing number of chambers per gall. Gall midge females contained on average 92.5 eggs, of which 20-96% were laid, depending on temperature. Females in culture produced an average of 61 offspring, and the gall midge population increased up to 150-fold during 2 generations. A threshold temperature of 7.02 degrees C was calculated, and 478.5 DD were necessary to complete development from egg to adult. A total of 51 plant species and varieties in 6 tribes in the family Asteraceae were offered in no-choice and multiple-choice oviposition and development tests under seminatural conditions. Development to adult was restricted to the genus Tripleurospermum, and T. perforatum was the preferred host plant in all tests. Rhopalomyia n. sp. is a multivoltine species with the potential for rapid population increase. Its ability to induce galls on all plant stages, especially to attack the ros...