Biological control of torch cactus in South Africa: finding a suitable agent for a non-native weed with an unknown indigenous distribution
- Authors: Griffith, Tamzin Camilla
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Trichocereus spachianus , Invasive plants Biological control , Dactylopius , Hypogeococcus , Host specificity
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466781 , vital:76778 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/466781
- Description: Trichocereus spachianus is an invasive cactus species in South Africa and poses challenges as a target for biological control due to confusion around its taxonomy and origin. Adapted to arid environments, this cactus is of particular concern in dry savannah and Karoo biomes, where its invasion of rangelands reduces grazing capacity for both indigenous wildlife and livestock. While previous records indicate that T. spachianus is indigenous to Argentina, recent field surveys have failed to verify its presence. Determining the origin of the target weed was important in developing a biological control programme since it enables the collection of potential agents directly from native populations of the target plant. Successful biological control programmes against cactus species in South Africa have often involved utilising both new associations and oligophagous insects, made possible because of the lack of indigenous and valued cacti in the region. Lack of T. spachianus locations in the native distribution, meant direct collection of insects from the target weed was not possible. Efforts to find biological control agents were focused on new associations between closely related cacti and their oligophagous herbivores. Suitability of multiple Hypogeococcus (mealybug) entities and a cochineal species, Dactylopius confertus, were investigated for their efficacy on various South African weedy cactus species, including T. spachianus. Findings revealed that none of the Hypogeococcus entities (species or lineages) were effective biological control agents, but D. confertus demonstrated potential as a biological control agent with a relatively high fecundity and survival rate on T. spachianus. Efficacy trials indicated that D. confertus could reach population densities sufficient to cause mortality of T. spachianus plants. Limited host specificity trials revealed that D. confertus was suitably host specific for release in South Africa, provided host specificity testing was conducted on additional plants. Approval and release of D. confertus has the potential to reduce the invasiveness of this damaging cactus in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Zoology and Entomology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
- Authors: Griffith, Tamzin Camilla
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Trichocereus spachianus , Invasive plants Biological control , Dactylopius , Hypogeococcus , Host specificity
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466781 , vital:76778 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/466781
- Description: Trichocereus spachianus is an invasive cactus species in South Africa and poses challenges as a target for biological control due to confusion around its taxonomy and origin. Adapted to arid environments, this cactus is of particular concern in dry savannah and Karoo biomes, where its invasion of rangelands reduces grazing capacity for both indigenous wildlife and livestock. While previous records indicate that T. spachianus is indigenous to Argentina, recent field surveys have failed to verify its presence. Determining the origin of the target weed was important in developing a biological control programme since it enables the collection of potential agents directly from native populations of the target plant. Successful biological control programmes against cactus species in South Africa have often involved utilising both new associations and oligophagous insects, made possible because of the lack of indigenous and valued cacti in the region. Lack of T. spachianus locations in the native distribution, meant direct collection of insects from the target weed was not possible. Efforts to find biological control agents were focused on new associations between closely related cacti and their oligophagous herbivores. Suitability of multiple Hypogeococcus (mealybug) entities and a cochineal species, Dactylopius confertus, were investigated for their efficacy on various South African weedy cactus species, including T. spachianus. Findings revealed that none of the Hypogeococcus entities (species or lineages) were effective biological control agents, but D. confertus demonstrated potential as a biological control agent with a relatively high fecundity and survival rate on T. spachianus. Efficacy trials indicated that D. confertus could reach population densities sufficient to cause mortality of T. spachianus plants. Limited host specificity trials revealed that D. confertus was suitably host specific for release in South Africa, provided host specificity testing was conducted on additional plants. Approval and release of D. confertus has the potential to reduce the invasiveness of this damaging cactus in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Zoology and Entomology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
A genetic analysis of the species and intraspecific lineages of Dactylopius Costa (Hemiptera: Dactylopiidae)
- Van Steenderen, Clarke Julian Mignon
- Authors: Van Steenderen, Clarke Julian Mignon
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Dactylopius
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/151491 , vital:39135
- Description: The Cactaceae family comprises 15 genera and nearly 2000 species. With one exception, these are all native to the Americas. Numerous cactaceous species are invasive in other parts of the world, resulting in considerable damage to ecosystem functioning and agricultural practices. The most successful biological control agents used to combat invasive Cactaceae belong to the Dactylopius genus (Hemiptera: Dactylopiidae), comprising eleven species. The Dactylopiidae are exclusively cactophagous and are usually host-specific. Some intraspecific lineages of dactylopiids, often referred to as `biotypes', also display host-specificity, and are used to control particular species of invasive Cactaceae. To date, two lineages within Dactylopius opuntiae (`ficus' and `stricta'), and two within D. tomentosus (`cholla' and `imbricata') have been released in South Africa to control Opuntia ficus-indica and O. stricta, and Cylindropuntia fulgida and C. imbricata, respectively. The `californica var. parkeri' lineage is currently under consideration for release in South Africa for the control of C. pallida. Australia has already released these five lineages, and approved the release of an additional three in 2017; namely D. tomentosus `bigelovii', `cylindropuntia sp.', and `acanthocarpa x echinocarpa'. Many of the Dactylopius species are so morphologically similar, and in the case of lineages, identical, that numerous misidentifications have been made in the past. These errors have had serious implications, such as failed attempts at the biological control of cactus weeds. This thesis aimed to generate a multi-locus genetic database to enable the identification of the species and lineages in the Dactylopiidae family, and to test its accuracy. Seven species were included in the analysis, including two lineages within D. opuntiae and six within D. tomentosus. Genetic characterisation was achieved through the DNA sequencing of three gene regions; namely mitochondrial 12S rRNA and cytochrome c oxidase I (COI), nuclear 18S rRNA, and fragment analysis using two inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSRs). Nucleotide sequences were very effective for species-level identification, where the 12S, 18S, and COI regions showed 100%, 94.59%, and 100% identification accuracy rates, respectively. Additionally, the 12S and COI markers distinguished between half of the D. tomentosus lineages (`californica', `cholla', and `imbricata'), with identification accuracies of 100%. The `echinocarpa x acanthocarpa', `bigelovii', and `cylindropuntia sp.' lineages formed one clade. None of the DNA genetic markers showed a separation between the `ficus' and `stricta' lineages within D. opuntiae. Fragment analysis through the use of ISSRs provided higher-resolution results, and addressed this gap by showing a well-supported separation between the two lineages, and between wild populations collected in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. The identification accuracy of the `ficus' and `stricta' lineages was 81.82%. This is the first time that a method has been developed that can distinguish between these lineages. An additional component of this thesis was the creation of three user-friendly R-based programs to assist with: 1. ISSR data processing. 2. The identification of query Dactylopius nucleotide sequences relative to the gene databases created here. 3. A graphical user interface (GUI) version of the R package `SPIDER', which is useful for the assessment of the accuracy of genetic barcode data. A successful biological control programme relies on the correct identification of the agent in question, and so it is imperative that cactus biological control practitioners are able to distinguish between Dactylopius species and lineages in order to release the most effective ones onto target Cactaceae. The laboratory protocols reported, and data processing tools created here, have largely addressed this need and offer valuable practical applications. These include: 1. The flagging of potential new species, cryptic species, and lineages of dactylopiid species released as new biocontrol agents. 2. Validating the identifications made by taxonomists based on morphology. 3. Confirming to which species, and, where applicable, to which lineage, a field-collected sample belongs. 4. Identifying hybrids resulting from lineage crosses. Ensuring that the correct Dactylopius species are utilised for biological control will improve the control of invasive Cactaceae and protect biodiversity and agricultural productivity.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Van Steenderen, Clarke Julian Mignon
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Dactylopius
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/151491 , vital:39135
- Description: The Cactaceae family comprises 15 genera and nearly 2000 species. With one exception, these are all native to the Americas. Numerous cactaceous species are invasive in other parts of the world, resulting in considerable damage to ecosystem functioning and agricultural practices. The most successful biological control agents used to combat invasive Cactaceae belong to the Dactylopius genus (Hemiptera: Dactylopiidae), comprising eleven species. The Dactylopiidae are exclusively cactophagous and are usually host-specific. Some intraspecific lineages of dactylopiids, often referred to as `biotypes', also display host-specificity, and are used to control particular species of invasive Cactaceae. To date, two lineages within Dactylopius opuntiae (`ficus' and `stricta'), and two within D. tomentosus (`cholla' and `imbricata') have been released in South Africa to control Opuntia ficus-indica and O. stricta, and Cylindropuntia fulgida and C. imbricata, respectively. The `californica var. parkeri' lineage is currently under consideration for release in South Africa for the control of C. pallida. Australia has already released these five lineages, and approved the release of an additional three in 2017; namely D. tomentosus `bigelovii', `cylindropuntia sp.', and `acanthocarpa x echinocarpa'. Many of the Dactylopius species are so morphologically similar, and in the case of lineages, identical, that numerous misidentifications have been made in the past. These errors have had serious implications, such as failed attempts at the biological control of cactus weeds. This thesis aimed to generate a multi-locus genetic database to enable the identification of the species and lineages in the Dactylopiidae family, and to test its accuracy. Seven species were included in the analysis, including two lineages within D. opuntiae and six within D. tomentosus. Genetic characterisation was achieved through the DNA sequencing of three gene regions; namely mitochondrial 12S rRNA and cytochrome c oxidase I (COI), nuclear 18S rRNA, and fragment analysis using two inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSRs). Nucleotide sequences were very effective for species-level identification, where the 12S, 18S, and COI regions showed 100%, 94.59%, and 100% identification accuracy rates, respectively. Additionally, the 12S and COI markers distinguished between half of the D. tomentosus lineages (`californica', `cholla', and `imbricata'), with identification accuracies of 100%. The `echinocarpa x acanthocarpa', `bigelovii', and `cylindropuntia sp.' lineages formed one clade. None of the DNA genetic markers showed a separation between the `ficus' and `stricta' lineages within D. opuntiae. Fragment analysis through the use of ISSRs provided higher-resolution results, and addressed this gap by showing a well-supported separation between the two lineages, and between wild populations collected in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. The identification accuracy of the `ficus' and `stricta' lineages was 81.82%. This is the first time that a method has been developed that can distinguish between these lineages. An additional component of this thesis was the creation of three user-friendly R-based programs to assist with: 1. ISSR data processing. 2. The identification of query Dactylopius nucleotide sequences relative to the gene databases created here. 3. A graphical user interface (GUI) version of the R package `SPIDER', which is useful for the assessment of the accuracy of genetic barcode data. A successful biological control programme relies on the correct identification of the agent in question, and so it is imperative that cactus biological control practitioners are able to distinguish between Dactylopius species and lineages in order to release the most effective ones onto target Cactaceae. The laboratory protocols reported, and data processing tools created here, have largely addressed this need and offer valuable practical applications. These include: 1. The flagging of potential new species, cryptic species, and lineages of dactylopiid species released as new biocontrol agents. 2. Validating the identifications made by taxonomists based on morphology. 3. Confirming to which species, and, where applicable, to which lineage, a field-collected sample belongs. 4. Identifying hybrids resulting from lineage crosses. Ensuring that the correct Dactylopius species are utilised for biological control will improve the control of invasive Cactaceae and protect biodiversity and agricultural productivity.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
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