Herbivorous insects associated with the paperbark Melaleuca quinquenervia and its allies: III. Gelechioidea (Lepidoptera)

6 Pages·1994·2.1 MB·

by  D W Burrows

Australian Entomologist 21 (4) November 1994 137
HERBIVOROUS INSECTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PAPERBARK
MELALEUCA | QUINQUENERVIA AND ITS ALLIES: III.
GELECHIOIDEA (LEPIDOPTERA)
D.W. BURROWS!, J.K. BALCIUNAS? and E.D. EDWARDS?
l Australian Centre for Tropical Freshwater Research, USDA Australian Biological Control
Laboratory, Kevin Stark Research Building, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, 4811.
2 United States Department of Agriculture, Australian Biological Control Laboratory, Kevin
Stark Research Building, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, 4811.
3 C SIRO. Division of Entomology, G.P.O. Box 1700, Canberra, A.C.T. 2601
Abstract
Although Melaleuca spp. are common and diverse in Australia, the herbivorous insects associated
with these trees and shrubs are poorly known. Since late 1986, surveys have been conducted in
Queensland and northern New South Wales to detect insects with potential for controlling the
paperbark tree, Melaleuca quinquenervia, in Florida, USA, where it has become a serious pest.
This paper, the third in a series, presents new host records for 31 species of Gelechioidea moths
collected and reared on M. quinquenervia and six closely related tree species. Some of the
Xyloryctinae, as well as three other Gelechioidea may warrant further study of their potential as
biocontrol agents for M. quinquenervia.
Introduction
With around 250 species (Barlow 1988), Melaleuca spp. are very diverse.
Despite their diversity and distribution throughout Australia, the herbivorous
insect faunas of Melaleuca spp. are poorly known. Melaleuca quinquenervia
is one of 10 species included in the M. leucadendra (L.) L. complex (Blake
1968). A summary of the problems caused by M. quinquenervia in Florida,
and of the surveys to detect potential insect biological control agents is
described in the first paper in this series (Balciunas et al. 1993a). This paper,
the third in a series, presents our records and observations of the 31
Gelechioidea species which we reared from larvae or pupae collected on
Melaleuca species.
Methods
Collecting methods were described in Balciunas et al. (1993a). All of our
Gelechioidea moths were collected and reared on M. quinquenervia or one of
six close relatives in the M. leucadendra complex; M. leucadendra, M.
dealbata S.T. Blake, M. viridiflora Sol. ex Gaertn., M. "fluviatilis", M.
nervosa (Lindl.) Cheel, and M. cajuputi Powell. M. "fluviatilis" has not yet
been formally described but is already in use in the literature (Barlow 1988).
We referred to M. "fluviatilis" as M. n. sp. A in our earlier papers (Balciunas
et al. 1993a, 1993b).
Our collecting was concentrated in two coastal areas: from the Daintree
River, north of Cairns, to Townsville; and from Coolum in southeastern
Queensland to Grafton in northern New South Wales. The locations of most
of the sites in this paper have been listed in the previous two publications in
this series. Sites listed for the first time are: Angus Smith Drive (19*19.4'S
146'42.3'E), Townsville; Bohle River (19°17.5'S 146°42.6'E), 12 kms WSW
of Townsville; Crossroads Swamp (16°16.8'S 145°22.7'E), 7 kms ESE of
138 Australian Entomologist 21 (4) November 1994
Daintree village; Double Barrel Creek (18°07.8'S 145°54.9'E), 22 kms S of
Tully; Good Shepherd Hospice* (19*18.8'S 146°45.9'E), Townsville;
Palmetum Ponds* (19°18.8'S 146'45.9'E) Townsville; Ross River*
(19°18.5'S 146°45.6'E), Townsville; Rowes Bay Lions Park* (19*14.7'S.
146°47.6'E), Townsville; Sunnybank (27°34.5'S 153°04.1'E), Brisbane and
Woodburn (29°13.2'S 153°15.4'E), 62 kms NE of Grafton. Sites marked
with an asterix (*) are either ornamental plantings, or forests remnants in
urban areas. Specimens were reared on the tree species from which they were
collected. One of the authors (E.D. Edwards) identified the adults. As the
taxonomy of the Gelechioidea is currently being revised, identifications
presented in this paper may be subject to change. Staff of the USDA
Australian Biological Control Laboratory (ABCL) associated larvae with
identified adults. Voucher specimens will be deposited at the Australian
National Insect Collection in Canberra, while the remainder will be held at
the ABCL.
Results
Collection and rearing records for all Gelechioidea species in this paper are
presented in Table 1.
Discussion
This paper presents our records for the 31 Gelechioidea species reared from
larvae or pupae on M. quinquenervia or its close allies. The only
Gelechioidea listed by McFarland (1979) as feeding on Melaleuca, is
Myrascia megalocentra (Meyrick), which he recorded as feeding upon M.
uncinata R. Br., M. radula Lindl., M. megacephala F. Muell. and M. scabra
R. Br. No additional records for Gelechioidea upon Melaleuca are presented
by Common (1990), and the host records presented in this paper are
apparently all new.
Of 83 Lepidoptera species listed by Julien (1992) as being used for biological
control of weeds, eight were Gelechioidea. Five of these biocontrol agents
belonged to the family Gelechiidae, while two belonged to the family
Coleophoridae. The remaining species was an Oecophoridae. We have not
collected any Coleophoridae, but one of the three Gelechiidae species that we
have reared, Gelechiidae sp. A, may be further investigated to assess its
biocontrol potential. Although no cosmopterigids have been used as
biocontrol agents, Cosmopterigidae sp. A and B are both being considered for
further research into their biocontrol potential. However, our efforts to study
these species are hampered by the taxonomic difficulties associated with this
family.
Our Xyloryctinae specimens, like most members of this sub-family, are
wood-boring leaf-feeders. The larvae bore short tunnels into the branches
and trunks of trees, often at, or near, branch forks. The larvae leave their
tunnels, probably at night, to collect leaves which are brought back to the
tunnel entrance. The larvae then feed on the leaves from within the retreat.
The tunnel entrance is often covered with silk, detritus, and spherical faecel
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142 Australian Entomologist 21 (4) November 1994
pellets. Pupation may occur within the retreat or the larvae may leave the
retreat to pupate in the soil. Although not voracious leaf-feeders, the wood-
boring activities of these larvae may cause significant damage to M.
quinquenervia. Xyloryctinae larvae are common on the Melaleuca trees
outside of our shadehouse, but those that we have collected appear to have
long life-cycles and have proved very difficult to rear. We plan to
opportunistically study some of these Xyloryctinae in the future.
Acknowledgements
We wish to thank Dr. B. Barlow for identification of Melaleuca species.
Thanks to GJ. Bowman, L.M. Brown, P.K. Jones, J.R. Makinson, C.R.
Maycock, S.J. Miller and M.F. Purcell for help in collecting and rearing
insects. This study is funded by 9 U.S.A. Federal and State of Florida
Agencies: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service; U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers (Jacksonville District); National Park Service;
Florida Dept. Natural Resources; Florida Dept. Environ. Regulation (Ft.
Myers and West Palm Beach Offices); South Florida Water Management
District; Lee and Dade Counties, Florida.
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