Biological and Host Range Characteristics of (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), a Candidate Biological Control Agent of Invasive spp. (Onagraceae) in the USA.

Exotic water primroses ( spp.) are aggressive invaders in aquatic ecosystems worldwide. To date, management of exotic spp. has been limited to physical and chemical control methods. Biological control provides an alternative approach for the management of invasive spp. but little is known regarding the natural enemies of these exotic plants. Herein the biology and host range of (Boheman), a herbivorous beetle associated with spp. in Argentina and Uruguay, was studied to determine its suitability as a biocontrol agent for multiple closely related target weeds in the USA. The beetle matures from egg to adult in 19.9 ± 1.4 days at 25 °C; females lived 86.3 ± 35.6 days and laid 1510.6 ± 543.4 eggs over their lifespans. No-choice development and oviposition tests were conducted using four species and seven native plant species. showed little discrimination between plant species: larvae aggressively fed and completed development, and the resulting females (F1 generation) oviposited viable eggs on most plant species regardless of origin. These results indicate that is not sufficiently host-specific for further consideration as a biocontrol agent of exotic spp. in the USA and further testing is not warranted.