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journal1 ›› 2015, Vol. 31 ›› Issue (5): 657-665.DOI: 10.16409/j.cnki.2095-039x.2015.05.006

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Review on Management of Ambrosia artemisiifolia Using Natural Enemy Insects

ZHOU Zhongshi, GUO Jianying, WAN Fanghao   

  1. State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests/Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
  • Online:2015-10-08 Published:2015-09-09

Abstract: Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. is native to North America, it is an annual herb, and reproduces by seeds. Since A. artemisiifolia escapes from biotic factors (e.g. natural enemies), its population rapidly expands, and causes outbreak and disaster in the invasive areas. It has a serious impact on human health, ecological environment, agriculture and livestock breeding. Biological control work of A. artemisiifolia was started in the 1960's, many countries searched natural enemies in the native countries. In China, five phytophagous insects were chronologically introduced, and their biological and ecological characteristics and application were studied in the 1980's. Finally, Zygogramma suturalis and Epiblema strenuana were deemed to be available. After the two natural enemy insects were released, only E. strenuana could establish field population, and it can slow down the spread of A. artemisiifolia population to some extent. Whereafter, Ophraella communa was accidentally discovered in the suburb of Nanjing, Jiangsu province in 2001, and it is native in North America. After host specificity test was conducted, the results have demonstrated that it has a strict host specificity. In addition, the climatic adaptability, fecundity and control potential of the beetle were very well. In China, biological control technology of complementary ecological niche between O. communa and E. strenuana has been recommended, it has been popularized and applied, and had a good effect on A. artemisiifolia in the southern China. However, O. communa has not yet established field population in northern China, which has brought many difficulties for biological control of northern A. artemisiifolia. Therefore, how to create artificial protection habitat for overwintering of O. communa adults, or obtain a high fecundity and cold resistant population via artificial cold acclimation and screening, would help to solve the above problems.

Key words: Ambrosia artemisiifolia, natural enemy insects, biological control, ecological niche complementation, host specificity

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