Life history and host specificity ofAltica cyanea [Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae], a potential biological control agent for water primrose,Ludwigia adscendens

Abstract

The life history and host-specificity of the flea beetle,Altica cyanea (Weber) [Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae], were studied to determine its potential value as a biological control agent for water primrose,Ludwigia adscendens (Onagraceae). Females laid a mean of 146 yellowish eggs in masses on this weed and larvae passed through 3 instars. This multivoltine insect completed a generation in 80–84 days. In preliminary host-specificity trials, larvae and adults fed slightly on 2 varieties ofTrapanatans, but they caused considerable damage toLudwigia spp.; no feeding occurred on rice. In host plant choice tests, larvae and adults preferred to feed onL. adscendens andL. prostata toT. natans. In these same tests, onlyLudwigia spp. supported complete development, but it was fastest onL. adscendens. Adults that were reared onL. adscendens lived longer and laid more eggs than those reared onL. prostata, suggesting thatA. cyanea may be a promising biological control agent forL. adscendens growing in rice-paddies. AdultZicrona coerulea L. [Hemiptera: Pentatomidae] preyed upon 3rd instarA. cyanea larvae in the laboratory.