A review of the agents and factors that have contributed to the successful biological control of Sesbania punicea (Cav.) Benth. (Papilionaceae) in South Africa.

An invasive, South American, perennial, leguminous tree, Sesbania punicea (Cav.) Benth., has been brought under biological control in South Africa as a result of the actions of three species of herbivorous insects, a bud-destroying apionid, Trichapion lativentre (Beguin-Billecocq), a seed-feeding weevil, Rhyssomatus marginatus Fahraeus, and a stem-boring weevil, Neodiplogrammus quadrivittatus (Olivier). Each of the three species has become abundant and damaging on the weed and together they cause sufficient damage to maintain their host plant at population levels that are no longer problematic. In this review, the results of several studies that have quantified the impact of the agents on the growth, reproduction and survival of S. punicea and on the population dynamics of the weed are summarized.

[1]  J. Hoffmann,et al.  The population dynamics of an introduced tree, Sesbania punicea, in South Africa, in response to long-term damage caused by different combinations of three species of biological control agents , 1998, Oecologia.

[2]  J. Hoffmann,et al.  Localized failure of a weed biological control agent attributed to insecticide drift , 1995 .

[3]  J. Hoffmann,et al.  Pre-winter settling by prepupae of a seed-feeding weevil Rhyssomatus marginatus Fåhraeus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a biocontrol agent of Sesbania punicea (Cav.) Benth. (Fabaceae) in South Africa , 1993 .

[4]  K. Hopper,et al.  Management of Genetics of Biological-Control Introductions , 1993 .

[5]  J. Hoffmann,et al.  Oviposition patterns and the supplementary role of a seed-feeding weevil, Rhyssomatus marginatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), in the biological control of a perennial leguminous weed, Sesbania punicea , 1992 .

[6]  J. Hoffmann,et al.  The influence of host-plant location on the incidence and impact of Trichapion lativentre (Coleoptera : Apionidae), a biocontrol agent of Sesbania punicea (Fabaceae) , 1992 .

[7]  J. Hoffmann,et al.  Biological control of Sesbania punicea (Fabaceae) in South Africa , 1991 .

[8]  L. Underhill,et al.  Relationships Between the History of Colonization and Abundance of Trichapion lativentre (Coleoptera: Apionidae) in the Suppression of Growth and Reproduction of a Weed, Sesbania punicea (Fabaceae) , 1990 .

[9]  J. Hoffmann.  Interactions between three weevil species in the biocontrol of Sesbania punicea (Fabaceae): the role of simulation models in evaluation. , 1990 .

[10]  J. Hoffmann,et al.  THE EFFECTS OF HERBIVORY BY A WEEVIL SPECIES, ACTING ALONE AND UNRESTRAINED BY NATURAL ENEMIES, ON GROWTH AND PHENOLOGY OF THE WEED SESBANIA PUNICEA , 1989 .

[11]  E. S. Delfosse,et al.  Recent developments in biological control of weeds , 1989 .

[12]  J. Hoffmann,et al.  NOVEL GRAPHS FOR DEPICTING HERBIVORE DAMAGE ON PLANTS: THE BIOCONTROL OF SESBANIA PUNICEA (FABACEAE) BY AN INTRODUCED WEEVIL , 1989 .

[13]  J. Hoffmann,et al.  The invasive weed Sesbania punicea in South Africa and prospects for its biological control. , 1988 .

[14]  J. Hoffmann.  An early assessment of Trichapion lativentre (Coleoptera: Apionidae) for biological control of the weed Sesbania punicea (Fabaceae) in South Africa. , 1988 .

[15]  A. Wapshere.  Effectiveness of biological control agents for weeds: present quandaries , 1985 .

[16]  C. Remington.  The Population Genetics of Insect Introduction , 1968 .

[17]  A. Wapshere.  Biological control of weeds , 1964 .