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Constraints on Neltumius arizonensis (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) as a biocontrol agent of prosopis in South Africa : the role of parasitoids

1. Two species of seed feeding bruchid, Algarobius prosopis and A. bottimeri, were introduced to South Africa in 1987 and 1990 respectively, to curb the spread of the invasive weed Prosopis. Failure of A. bottimeri to establish and reduced effectiveness of A. prosopis due to interference by livestoc...

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Main Author: Roberts, Anthony
Other Authors: Hoffmann, John H
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Department of Biological Sciences 2017
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access_status_str Open Access
author Roberts, Anthony
author2 Hoffmann, John H
author_browse Hoffmann, John H
Roberts, Anthony
author_facet Hoffmann, John H
Roberts, Anthony
author_sort Roberts, Anthony
collection Thesis
description 1. Two species of seed feeding bruchid, Algarobius prosopis and A. bottimeri, were introduced to South Africa in 1987 and 1990 respectively, to curb the spread of the invasive weed Prosopis. Failure of A. bottimeri to establish and reduced effectiveness of A. prosopis due to interference by livestock resulted in the release of a third species, Neltumius arizonensis in 1992. 2. Algarobius prosopis populations have remained high but N. arizonensis has not been as successful. 3. Populations ofboth bruchids showed similar emergence patterns through the sampling period hence there is no temporal partitioning of resources. 4. Percentage emergence of N. arizonensis was low at the start of the season but increased as the season progressed with higher proportions of N. arizonensis emerging from 'tree' pods than 'ground' pods. Regardless of the spatial partitioning of resources by the two bruchids, N. arizonensis emergence numbers are still far lower than those of A. prosopis (approximately 1:4 respectively). 5. Oviposition strategies of N. arizonensis results in high levels of egg parasitism by Uscana sp., Trichogrammatidae, that A. prosopis escapes by ovipositing in concealed places avoiding detection by parasitoids. 6. Egg parasitism is extremely high on N. arizonensis eggs (67%) and has resulted in failure by N. arizonensis to establish large populations and hence its effectiveness as a biocontrol agent is negligible.
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institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:32:39.476Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2017
publishDateRange 2017
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spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/26489 Constraints on Neltumius arizonensis (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) as a biocontrol agent of prosopis in South Africa : the role of parasitoids Roberts, Anthony Hoffmann, John H Botany Biological Conservation 1. Two species of seed feeding bruchid, Algarobius prosopis and A. bottimeri, were introduced to South Africa in 1987 and 1990 respectively, to curb the spread of the invasive weed Prosopis. Failure of A. bottimeri to establish and reduced effectiveness of A. prosopis due to interference by livestock resulted in the release of a third species, Neltumius arizonensis in 1992. 2. Algarobius prosopis populations have remained high but N. arizonensis has not been as successful. 3. Populations ofboth bruchids showed similar emergence patterns through the sampling period hence there is no temporal partitioning of resources. 4. Percentage emergence of N. arizonensis was low at the start of the season but increased as the season progressed with higher proportions of N. arizonensis emerging from 'tree' pods than 'ground' pods. Regardless of the spatial partitioning of resources by the two bruchids, N. arizonensis emergence numbers are still far lower than those of A. prosopis (approximately 1:4 respectively). 5. Oviposition strategies of N. arizonensis results in high levels of egg parasitism by Uscana sp., Trichogrammatidae, that A. prosopis escapes by ovipositing in concealed places avoiding detection by parasitoids. 6. Egg parasitism is extremely high on N. arizonensis eggs (67%) and has resulted in failure by N. arizonensis to establish large populations and hence its effectiveness as a biocontrol agent is negligible. 2017-12-07T09:25:13Z 2017-12-07T09:25:13Z 2000 2017-02-03T12:44:26Z Bachelor Thesis Honours BSc (Hons) http://hdl.handle.net/11427/26489 eng application/pdf Department of Biological Sciences Faculty of Science University of Cape Town
spellingShingle Botany
Biological Conservation
Roberts, Anthony
Constraints on Neltumius arizonensis (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) as a biocontrol agent of prosopis in South Africa : the role of parasitoids
thesis_degree_str Bachelor's / Honours
title Constraints on Neltumius arizonensis (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) as a biocontrol agent of prosopis in South Africa : the role of parasitoids
title_full Constraints on Neltumius arizonensis (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) as a biocontrol agent of prosopis in South Africa : the role of parasitoids
title_fullStr Constraints on Neltumius arizonensis (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) as a biocontrol agent of prosopis in South Africa : the role of parasitoids
title_full_unstemmed Constraints on Neltumius arizonensis (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) as a biocontrol agent of prosopis in South Africa : the role of parasitoids
title_short Constraints on Neltumius arizonensis (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) as a biocontrol agent of prosopis in South Africa : the role of parasitoids
title_sort constraints on neltumius arizonensis coleoptera bruchidae as a biocontrol agent of prosopis in south africa the role of parasitoids
topic Botany
Biological Conservation
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/26489
work_keys_str_mv AT robertsanthony constraintsonneltumiusarizonensiscoleopterabruchidaeasabiocontrolagentofprosopisinsouthafricatheroleofparasitoids