Impact of the Arundo scale Rhizaspidiotus donacis (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) on the weight of Arundo donax (Poaceae: Arundinoideae) rhizomes in Languedoc southern France and Mediterranean Spain

Abstract

Arundo donax L. (Poaceae) is native to Mediterranean Europe and invasive in the Rio Grande Basin of North America. Rhizomes from nine sites in France and Spain infested with a candidate control agent, the armoured scale Rhizaspidiotus donacis (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) weighed 50% less than those from nine sites without scale.

Keywords:

• native range
• impact studies
• pre-release efficacy
• biological control of weeds
• giant reed

Acknowledgements

Thanks are due to Dr. Walker Jones, former Director, USDA-ARS-EBCL in Montpellier, France, and Dr. Gerard Delvare, CIRAD, Campus International de Baillarguet- Montpellier, France, for identification of Rhizaspidiotus parasites, and to Dr. Jean-Francois Germain, Laboratoire National de la Protection des Vegetaux, Unité d'Entomologie, UFR D'Ecologie animale et de Zoologie agricole, Montpellier for identification of Rhizaspidiotus donacis. Thanks to David Spencer, USDA-ARS, Davis, CA for helpful comments on the manuscript. Rafael Cortés is specially thanked for invaluable help with fieldwork in Spain.