Table Of ContentPROC. ENTOMOL. SOC. WASH.
107(2). 2005. pp. 319-322
ESTABLISHMENT OF THREE EUROPEAN FLEA BEETLES IN NOVA
SCOTIA: LONGITARSUS GANGLBAUERI HEIKERTINGER, JACOBAEAE
L.
(WATERHOUSE), AND L. RUBIGINOSA (FOUDRAS)
(COLEOPTERA: CHRYSOMELIDAE: ALTICINAE)
E. Richard Hoebeke and A. G. Wheeler, Jr.
(ERH) Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, U.S.A. (e-
mail: [email protected]); (AGW) Department of Entomology, Soils, and Plant Sciences,
Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, U.S.A. (e-mail: [email protected])
—
Abstract. A Eurasian ragwort flea beetle, Longitarsus jacobaeae (Waterhouse), was
released in western and eastern Canada, beginning in 1971, and in the U.S. Pacific North-
west in 1969 to help control infestations of the noxious Eurasian weed, tansy ragwort
{Senecio jacobaea L.; Asteraceae), in pastures and rangelands. In eastern Canada, L.
jacobaeae previously has been recorded as established in Prince Edward Island and New
Brunswick; we report it from 5 counties in Nova Scotia. Based on collecting from 1993
to 2003, two other adventive species of Longitarsus are reported for the first time from
Nova Scotia and the Canadian Maritime Provinces. Longitarsus ganglbaueri Heikertinger,
known previously only from Oregon and Manitoba, is reported from two counties, and
L. rubiginosa (Foudras), recorded only from Ontario and Quebec, is reported from two
counties.
Key Words: Chrysomelidae, biological control, new records, adventive species, tansy
ragwort, hedge bindweed
Tansy ragwort {Seneciojacobaea L.; As- Tansy ragwort, first recorded in Califor-
teraceae), a Eurasian biennial or short-lived nia in 1912 and Oregon in 1922, had be-
perennial, now infests pastures, rangelands, come an important weed on the Pacific
forest clearcuts, and disturbed areas along coast by the mid-1950s (Pemberton and
the Atlantic coast from Rhode Island to the Turner 1990). Because ofits invasive nature
Canadian Maritime Provinces and along the and lethal effects to livestock, this weed be-
Pacific coast from northern California to came a candidate for biological control in
British Columbia (ARS-USDA 1971, western North America in the late 1960s.
Coombs et al. 1991, White 1996). Senecio The ragwort flea beetle, Longitarsus ja-
jacobaea is especially noxious because it cobaeae (Waterhouse), was deliberately in-
not only competes with valuable forage troduced into western and eastern Canada
plants but also contains foliar pyrrolizidine (Julien and Griffiths 1998) from Italy and
alkaloids toxic to cattle, deer, horses, and Switzerland. Released in Canada beginning
pigs (Bain 1991). Livestock poisoning usu- in 1971, it became established in British
ally occurs only with severe tansy ragwort Columbia, Prince Edward Island, and New
infestations and when the foliage of more Brunswick by 1982, but apparently failed
desirable plants is scarce (Turner and to do so in Ontario or Nova Scotia (Harris
Szczawinski 1991). et al. 1984, Julien and Griffiths 1998).
320 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
LeSage (1991) did not list L. jacobaeae have been introduced accidentally into the
from New Brunswick or Prince Edward Is- Pacific Northwest with material of S. jaco-
land, but Harris (2003) and Riley et al. baeae that was introduced intentionally
(2003) confirmed the beetle's establishment from Italy. Westcott et al. (1985) and West-
in those provinces. Releases of L. jaco- cott and Brown (1992), however, argued
baeae in the United States began in 1969, that it is naturally Holarctic or an early ac-
and its establishment has been confirmed in cidental introduction that predates the bio-
California, Oregon, and Washington (Julien control releases of S. jacobaeae. It might
and Griffiths 1998). In combination with represent an unintentional introduction in
other introduced Palearctic insects, the flea Nova Scotia because it appears not to have
beetle has provided successful biological been introduced for biological control (Har-
control of tansy ragwort in Oregon (e.g., ris et al. 1984, Julien and Griffiths 1998).
McEvoy et al. 1991) and northern Califor- The species still is recorded only from
nia (Piper 1985, Pemberton and Turner Manitoba in Canada (LeSage 1991, Riley
1990). et al. 2003). In the Palearctic Region, L.
The Old World distribution of L. jaco- ganglbaueri occurs in the British Isles, Ire-
baeae includes the British Isles, Europe, land, Sweden to Spain, Italy, Balkans, Cau-
North Africa, Siberia, Kazalchstan, Kirgizia, casus, and Dagestan (LeSage 1988). This
and Dagestan (LeSage 1988, Doguet 1994). Senecio specialist has been reported fromS.
Known host plants in its native range in- viscosus and S. vulgaris L. (LeSage 1988)
clude Seneciojacobaea (British Isles, con- in Europe and from S. jacobaea, S. pseu-
tinental Europe), S. giganteus Desf. (Mo- daureus Rydb., S. sylvaticus L., and S. tri-
rocco), and occasionally other Senecio spe- angularis Hooker in North America (West-
cies (Frick 1970, LeSage 1988). Westcott et cott et al. 1985)
al. (1985) reported several native species of Our collecting from another invasive
Senecio as adult-feeding hosts. plant, hedge bindweed (Calystegia sepium
During a series of survey trips to the Ca- (L.) Br.; Convolvulaceae), in Nova Scotia
nadian Maritime Provinces (1993-2003), yielded specimens of the Palearctic L. ru-
we collected numerous specimens of L. ja- biginosa (Foudras). Previous North Amer-
cobaeae from tansy ragwort in several lo- ican records are limited to Ontario and Que-
calities in Nova Scotia, a province in which bec (LeSage 1991, Riley et al. 2003). In the
its establishment has been considered Old World, this species is known from the
doubtful. Examination of male genitalia British Isles, central Europe, Albania, Bul-
verified its identity as L. jacobaeae rather garia, Caucasus, Siberia, Turkestan, and
than the morphologically similar L. flavi- Dagestan (LeSage 1988) and northeastern
cornis (Stephens) (Shute 1975). Asia (Westcott and Brown 1992). Its hosts
We also collected specimens of another in the Palearctic Region, in addition to C.
Palearctic Longitarsus in Nova Scotia, L. sepium, include other convolvulaceous
ganglbaueri Heikertinger, wherever one of plants (LeSage 1988).
its known host plants (LeSage 1988), Se- Here, we give the first Nova Scotian re-
necio viscosus L., was encountered. Lon- cords for L. jacobaeae, L. ganglbaueri, and
gitarsus ganglbaueri was detected (in vac- L. rubiginosa. We collected L. jacobaeae
uum samples) for the first time in North on Senecio jacobaea, L. ganglbaueri on S.
America during studies related to the bio- viscosus, and L. rubiginosa on Calystegia
control of tansy ragwort in Oregon (West- sepium. The number of adults collected is
cott et al. 1985). Westcott et al. (1985) also given parenthetically. Voucher specimens
reported the species from Manitoba based of the three species are deposited in the
on a single specimen collected in 1978. Cornell University Insect Collection (Itha-
LeSage (1988) considered this flea beetle to ca, New York) and the National Museum of
——— —
VOLUME 107, NUMBER 2 321
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