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Plant-Insect Ecosystems

10-Minute Paper

P-IE: Biocontrol On-Demand Presentations

Evaluation of the eriophyid mite, Aceria salsolae, for biological control of Russian thistle (Salsola tragus)

On-Demand
On-Demand

Common tumbleweed, Russian thistle (Salsola tragus), is an invasive alien weed that is native to central Asia, and the eriophyid mite, Aceria salsolae, is being evaluated as a prospective biological control agent.  During host specificity testing this mite could sometimes persist on five nontarget species under laboratory no-choice conditions.  We conducted a series of no-choice laboratory experiments and a field experiment to try to delineate the physiological and ecological host ranges of this mite and assess its risk to nontarget plants. In the laboratory, A. salsolae increased exponentially on S. tragus, multiplying about 80 fold in 5 weeks, whereas it remained at low levels on Atriplex coronata, Bassia hyssopifolia, B. prostrata, Kochia scoparia and Suaeda calceoliformis.  In a field experiment, mites persisted on A. coronata for up to 9 weeks, but at extremely low densities and with no evidence of reproduction. No mites persisted on A. truncata, B. hyssopifolia, or S. calceoliformis.  No signs of damage were observed on any of the nontarget plants in the laboratory or the field experiments. We conclude that this mite is not likely to multiply on any of these nontarget plants under field conditions, and that it is not expected to pose a risk to any nontarget plants in the contiguous USA.