Abstract
Simple SummaryOxeye daisy, a Eurasian member of the daisy family, has become invasive in several parts of the world, including North America and Australia. We investigated whether a root-feeding moth found closely associated with oxeye daisy in Europe could be used as a biological control agent for the plant when weedy. We found that the moth could develop on 11 out of 74 plant species that we tested in laboratory conditions when it was given no choice of plants. When the moths were given a choice of food plants outdoors, we found its larvae only on the ornamentals Shasta daisy and creeping daisy. Larval feeding had no impact on the weight and number of flowers of Shasta daisy, but larval feeding and plant competition reduced both measurements for oxeye daisy. We conclude that it is safe to release the moth species because it will not affect the ornamental value of Shasta daisy or creeping daisy and because it is unlikely to harm any other economically important or native species. Based on the moth’s preference for oxeye daisy, and that we expect it to contribute to the suppression of the weed, we propose its field release in North America and Australia.We evaluated the potential of the European root-feeding moth Dichrorampha aeratana as a biological control agent for the invasive weed Leucanthemum vulgare (oxeye daisy) in North America and Australia. The taxonomic proximity of the ornamental Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum × superbum) to L. vulgare and its popularity in North America made finding sufficiently host-specific biological control agents a challenge. No-choice tests conducted with 74 non-target species revealed partial or complete larval development on 11 species. In multiple-choice oviposition and larval development tests that were conducted in field cages, larvae were found on five of these, however in multiple-choice tests conducted under open-field conditions, larvae were only found on the ornamentals Shasta daisy and creeping daisy (Mauranthemum paludosum). Larval feeding by D. aeratana had no measurable impact on Shasta daisy, but larval feeding and plant competition reduced the biomass and number of flower heads of L. vulgare. We conclude that D. aeratana is a suitable biological control agent because it will not affect the ornamental value of Shasta or creeping daisies and because it is unlikely to feed on any other economically important or native species. We also expect D. aeratana to contribute to the suppression of L. vulgare populations.
Highlights
Leucanthemum vulgare (Vaill.) Lam. (Asteraceae) is a perennial forb native to Europe and western Asia
Larval survival was similar on L. vulgare from North America and on L. vulgare from
Europe (z = 0.9, df = 212, P = 0.4), on L. vulgare slightly more of the larvae transferred in spring were recovered in autumn than on L. ircutianum
Summary
Leucanthemum vulgare (Vaill.) Lam. (Asteraceae) (oxeye daisy) is a perennial forb native to Europe and western Asia. (Asteraceae) (oxeye daisy) is a perennial forb native to Europe and western Asia. Leucanthemum vulgare can form dense, extensive populations in pastures, meadows, forest openings, and along roadsides. It is generally avoided by grazing cattle, which in turn facilitates the development of large L. vulgare infestations that contribute to forage production losses in parts of western North America [2,6]. Leucanthemum vulgare has become a problematic weed in conservation areas, such as the Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales, where it is currently a threat to several rare species [3,7]. In 2008 and 2015, a biological control programme against L. vulgare was initiated in North America and Australia, respectively [7,8]
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