| Zygogramma suturalis | |
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| Species: | Z. suturalis |
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| Zygogramma suturalis (Fabricius, 1775) | |
Zygogramma suturalis, commonly known as the ragweed leaf beetle, is a species of leaf beetle belonging to the genus Zygogramma . [1] Native to North America, it has been introduced into Russia and China for the biological pest control of ragweed.
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.
Z. 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 specimens were originally released which had eliminated ragweed at the experimental control site by 1983. The success of Z. 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]
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 Z. 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 Z. 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]
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. Ragweed species are expected to continue spreading across Europe in the near future in response to ongoing climate change.
The scarlet lily beetle, red lily beetle, or lily leaf beetle, is a leaf beetle that eats the leaves, stem, buds, and flowers, of lilies, fritillaries and other members of the family Liliaceae. It lays its eggs most often on Lilium and Fritillaria species. In the absence of Lilium and Fritillaria species, there are fewer eggs laid and the survival rate of eggs and larvae is reduced. It is now a pest in most temperate climates where lilies are cultivated.
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.
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.
Zygogramma is a large genus of leaf beetles in the subfamily Chrysomelinae, which includes approximately 100 species. 13 species occur north of Mexico.
Ambrosia psilostachya is a species of ragweed known by the common names Cuman ragweed and perennial ragweed, and western ragweed.
Diorhabda carinata is a species of leaf beetle known as the larger tamarisk beetle which feeds on tamarisk trees from Ukraine, eastern Turkey and Syria east to northwest China, Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan, extending as far south as southern Iran. It is used in North America as a biological pest control agent against saltcedar or tamarisk, an invasive species in arid and semi-arid ecosystems.
Coleomegilla maculata, commonly known as the spotted lady beetle, pink spotted lady beetle or twelve-spotted lady beetle, is a large coccinellid beetle native to North America. The adults and larvae feed primarily on aphids and the species has been used as a biological control agent. Based on name connotation and to avoid confusion with other species also called "spotted ladybeetle", spotted pink ladybeetle is probably the most appropriate common name for this species.
Chrysomela populi is a species of broad-shouldered leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Chrysomelinae.
Lilioceris merdigera is a species of beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Criocerinae.
Galerucella is a genus of leaf beetles in the family Chrysomelidae described by George Robert Crotch in 1873. It is widely distributed but absent in the Neotropics. Some species feed on waterlilies and are used as biocontrol of introduced, invasive waterlilies. Galerucella tenella feed on strawberry plants.
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.
Phratora vitellinae, the brassy leaf beetle, formerly Phyllodecta vitellinae, is a beetle of the family Chrysomelidae found in Europe and Asia. It feeds on Populus and Salix species. The evolution of its host plant preferences and the mechanism by which it uses host plant chemicals to make a larval defensive secretion have been the subject of intense study by research groups in Europe and the Nordic countries.
Ophraella communa, common name ragweed leaf beetle, is a species of beetles belonging to the family Chrysomelidae.
Zygogramma bicolorata, variously referred to as the Parthenium beetle or Mexican beetle, is a species of leaf beetle in the subfamily Chrysomelinae, native to Mexico.
Zygogramma disrupta is a species of beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae.
Zygogramma conjuncta is a species of beetle belonging to the family Zygogramma.
Zygogramma exclamationis, commonly known as the sunflower beetle, is a species of leaf beetle belonging to the family Zygogramma. It is regarded as a pest of sunflower crops in North America.
Phratora laticollis is a species of leaf beetle found in Europe and Asia. This beetle is found on Populus species and the chemistry and production of its larval defensive secretions and host plant relationships have been studied extensively.
Silana farinosa, commonly known as curry-leaf tortoise beetle, is a species of leaf beetle native to Indo-China, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and introduced to Peninsular Malaysia.