Calligrapha suturalis

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Calligrapha suturalis
Ragweed Leaf Beetle - Zygogramma suturalis, Julie Metz Wetlands, Va.jpg
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Coleoptera
Family:
Chrysomelidae
Genus:
Calligrapha
Species:
C. suturalis
Binomial name
Calligrapha suturalis
(Fabricius, 1775)

Calligrapha suturalis, commonly known as the ragweed leaf beetle, is a species of leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, in the subgenus Zygogramma, which was formerly a genus. [1] Native to North America, it has been introduced into Russia and China for the biological pest control of ragweed.

Contents

Description

Ragweed leaf beetle Ragweed Leaf Beetle - Zygogramma suturalis, Merrimac Farm Wildlife Management Area, Virginia.jpg
Ragweed leaf beetle

This leaf beetle is small with a brown head and pronotum, and yellow elytra marked with two wide margins of brown on each wing; one in the middle and one at the suture.

Distribution

C. suturalis is native to Canada and the USA. [1]

It was introduced into Russia in 1978 in an attempt to control invasive Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed). [2] About 1500 individuals were originally released, eliminating ragweed at the experimental control site by 1983. The success of C. suturalis in Russia led to a population explosion with densities of up to 100,000,000 adults per square kilometre recorded subsequently. [3]

It was introduced to China as a biological pest control for ragweed in 1987. [4]

Life cycle and habitat

Adults and larvae feed on Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed), A. psilostachya , and A. trifida. [5]

Overwintering adults began feeding in late April or early May of the following year, having emerged when ragweed seedlings were only 2–5 cm tall. [6] Larvae of the first or spring generation began feeding in mid-May or early June and most reached maturity by early July. [6] Larvae of the second or late summer generation were evident during the first two weeks of August. [6]

No complex courtship behavioural patterns have been observed in C. suturalis; copulation most commonly takes place during the late morning or early evening and lasts from a few minutes to well over an hour. [6] Females lay between 145 and 563 eggs, over a period of 22–42 days. [6] Eggs are deposited in clusters of two or three on the underside of young ragweed leaves, usually near the leaf tip. [6]

Investigations in the USA showed that C. suturalis had 2 generations a year, [6] but field investigations in China have shown that the beetle species could have up to 3 generations a year in that populations. [4] At 26±1 °C, the average lifespan of the adult female and male was 82.5 and 67.8 days respectively. [4] The mated females began laying eggs two weeks after emergence. Each female lays an average of 394 eggs. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ragweed</span> Genus of plants

Ragweeds are flowering plants in the genus Ambrosia in the aster family, Asteraceae. They are distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, especially North America, where the origin and center of diversity of the genus are in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Several species have been introduced to the Old World and some have naturalized and have become invasive species. In Europe, this spread is expected to continue, due to ongoing climate change.

<i>Ambrosia artemisiifolia</i> Species of flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae

Ambrosia artemisiifolia, with the common names common ragweed, annual ragweed, and low ragweed, is a species of the genus Ambrosia native to regions of the Americas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chrysomelinae</span> Subfamily of beetles

The Chrysomelinae are a subfamily of leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae), commonly known as broad-bodied leaf beetles or broad-shouldered leaf beetles. It includes some 3,000 species around the world.

<i>Ambrosia psilostachya</i> Species of flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae

Ambrosia psilostachya is a species of ragweed known by the common names Cuman ragweed and perennial ragweed, and western ragweed.

<i>Gratiana boliviana</i> Species of beetle

Gratiana boliviana is a species of beetle in the leaf beetle family, Chrysomelidae. Its common name is tropical soda apple leaf beetle. It is native to South America, where its distribution includes Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. It specializes on tropical soda apple, an invasive plant species. It has been released as an agent of biological pest control against the weedy plant in Florida and other parts of the United States.

<i>Ophraella communa</i> Species of beetle

Ophraella communa, common name ragweed leaf beetle, is a species of beetles belonging to the family Chrysomelidae.

<i>Calligrapha bicolorata</i> Species of beetle

Calligrapha bicolorata, variously referred to as the Parthenium beetle or Mexican beetle, is a species of leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, in the subgenus Zygogramma, which was formerly a genus.

<i>Calligrapha pantherina</i> Species of beetle

Calligrapha pantherina, the sida leafbeetle, is a species of beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, endemic to Mexico. The larvae and adult beetles feed on the foliage of the common wireweed and the arrowleaf sida. This beetle has been introduced into Northern Australia as a biological control agent in an attempt to control its host plants, which are invasive weeds there.

<i>Calligrapha</i> Genus of beetles

Calligrapha is a large genus of American Chrysomelinae, with over 100 species occurring from North America through Central America.

<i>Calligrapha disrupta</i> Species of beetle

Calligrapha disrupta is a species of leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, in the subgenus Zygogramma, which was formerly a genus.

Calligrapha arizonica is a species of leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, in the subgenus Zygogramma, which was formerly a genus.

<i>Calligrapha conjuncta</i> Species of beetle

Calligrapha conjuncta is a species of leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, in the subgenus Zygogramma, which was formerly a genus.

Calligrapha continua is a species of leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, in the subgenus Zygogramma, which was formerly a genus.

<i>Calligrapha exclamationis</i> Species of beetle

Calligrapha exclamationis, commonly known as the sunflower beetle, is a species of leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, in the subgenus Zygogramma, which was formerly a genus. It is regarded as a pest of sunflower crops in North America.

Calligrapha heterothecae is a species of leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, in the subgenus Zygogramma, which was formerly a genus.

Calligrapha opifera is a species of leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, in the subgenus Zygogramma, which was formerly a genus.. It is found in Central America and North America.

<i>Calligrapha piceicollis</i> Species of beetle

Calligrapha piceicollis is a species of leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, in the subgenus Zygogramma, which was formerly a genus. It is found in Central America, North America, and Europe.

<i>Calligrapha signatipennis</i> Species of beetle

Calligrapha signatipennis is a species of leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, in the subgenus Zygogramma, which was formerly a genus. It is found in Central America and North America.

<i>Calligrapha tortuosa</i> Species of beetle

Calligrapha tortuosa is a species of leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, in the subgenus Zygogramma, which was formerly a genus. It is found in Central America and North America.

Calligrapha malvae is a species of leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, in the subgenus Zygogramma, which was formerly a genus.. It is found in Central America and North America.

References

  1. 1 2 Shawn M. Clark, Hume B. Douglas, Daniel J. Cavan (2024) Notes on Calligrapha Chevrolat (subgenus Zygogramma Chevrolat) and Tritaenia Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Chrysomelinae). The Coleopterists Bulletin 78(2): 281-295.
  2. ↑ Kovalev, O.V.; Reznik, S.Ya.; Cherkashin, V.N. (1983). "Specific features of the methods of using Zygogramma Chevr. (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) in biological control of ragweeds (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L., A. psilostachya D.C.)". Entomologicheskoe Obozrenije (in Russian). 62: 402–408.
  3. ↑ Reznik, S. Ya.; Spasskaya, I. A.; Dolgovskaya, M.Yu.; Volkovitsh, M.G.; Zaitzev, V. F. (2008). "The ragweed leaf beetle Zygogramma suturalis F. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in Russia: current distribution, abundance and implication for biological control of common ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia L." (PDF). Proceedings of the XII International Symposium on Biological Control of Weeds. pp. 614–619.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Wan, F. H.; Wang, R. (1989). "Biology of Zygogramma suturalis (F.) (Col.: Chrysomelidae), an introduced biological control agent of common ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia". Chinese Journal of Biological Control. 5 (2): 71–75.
  5. ↑ Clark, S. M.; LeDoux, D. G.; Seeno, T. N.; Riley, E. G.; Gilbert, A. J.; Sullivan, J. M. (2004). Host Plants of Leaf Beetle Species Occurring in the United States and Canada (Coleoptera: Orsodacnidae, Megalopodidae, Chrysomelidae exclusive of Bruchinae) (PDF). Coleopterists' Society. p. 257.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Piper, Gary, L. (1975). "The biology and immature stages of Zygogramma suturalis (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)". The Ohio Journal of Science. 75 (1): 19–24. hdl:1811/22261.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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