BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL CONTROL AGENCY
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL CONTROL AGENCY
2007
Field trip in Iran (September13-22, 2007)
by M. Cristofaro
Objective of this first trip in Iran was to set up new contacts with scientists of the Iranian University and to carry out explorations searching for new potential biocontrol agents. Several plants of Salsola sp. infested by stem boring larvae were found in many sites visited. Collected plant specimens for herbarium and samples to dissect in laboratory. Collected several living adults of Lixus sp. to be tested in laboratory
Field trip in Bulgaria (August 26-29, 2007)
by M. Guedj and F. Lecce
This brief field survey was targeted again to the collection of the noctuids Schinia cognata and Simyra nervosa in different localities. Visited also the field garden experimentnwith the mite Aceria solstitialis performed by bulgarian scientists at Plovdiv Agricultural University.
Field trip in Tunisia (July 18-23, 2007)
by F. Di Cristina and F. Lecce
Carried out exploration of old and new sites of Russian thistle in order to record the presence of potential biocontrol agents. Found few larvae of the weevil Anthypurinus biimpressus in the locality of Aouinet, north of Gabes. Larvae were placed on artificial diet but didn’t reach the adult stage. Found again few specimens of Elasmobaris sp. near Gabes and of Broconius biscrensis in the site of Degache.
Field trip in Greece (July 18-21, 2007)
by A. Paolini and L. Smith
The main purpose of this trip was the collection of plants of Salsola tragus infested by the mite Aceria salsolae to be used in the field garden experiment in BBCA facilities in Rome. The collection was carried out in the locality of Kozani. Found also a broad nose cleonine weevil (Conorynchus sp.) on S. tragus.
Field trip in Tunisia (July 18-23, 2007)
by F. Di Cristina and F. Lecce
Carried out exploration of old and new sites of Russian thistle in order to record the presence of potential biocontrol agents. Found few larvae of the weevil Anthypurinus biimpressus in the locality of Aouinet, north of Gabes. Larvae were placed on artificial diet but didn’t reach the adult stage. Found again few specimens of Elasmobaris sp. near Gabes and of Broconius biscrensis in the site of Degache.
Field trip in Greece (July 18-21, 2007)
by A. Paolini and L. Smith
The main purpose of this trip was the collection of plants of Salsola tragus infested by the mite Aceria salsolae to be used in the field garden experiment in BBCA facilities in Rome. The collection was carried out in the locality of Kozani. Found also a broad nose cleonine weevil (Conorynchus sp.) on S. tragus
Field trip in Turkey (July 7-13, 2007)
by E. Colonnelli
The trip was focused on the exploration of West and Central Anatolia to check out the presence of our target weeds. Found large populations of Salsola sp. Collected adults and pupae of Lixus sp. and recorded the presence of Piesma sp., Conorynchus nigrivictis (cleonine weevil) and Cosmobaris scolopacea as mature larvae in root and soil and as adult near the crown.
Field trip in Bulgaria (July 6-13, 2007)
by A. Paolini, F. Di Cristina and A. Anastasio
Target of this field trip was the collection of larvae of Schinia cognata and Simyra nervosa on the weed Chondrilla juncea, in cooperation with scientists of Plovdiv Agricultural University. Visited several localities with Centaurea solstitialis and recorded the presence of the mite Aceria solstitialis.
Field trip in Tunisia (May 25-31, 2007)
by F. Di Cristina and M. Barlattani
The second survey of the year in the locations where Anthypurinus biimpressus was previously collected didn’t give any result: no specimens of the insect were recorded on Salsola sp. plants. The weevil Broconius biscrensis was collected in the locality of Degache, near Tozeur, on a Chenopodiaceae species. Found few specimens of Elasmobaris sp. , about 10 km south of Gabes on Russian thistle.
Field trip in China (May 21-June 2, 2007)
by M. Cristofaro and H. L. Hintz
This trip was conducted with the collaboration of scientists of CAAS (Chinese Academy of Sciences). China was selected as a destination for the collection of Lepidium latifolium and Salsola tragus instead of Kazakhstan. Found a good population of two species of genera Salsola (different from S. kali or S. tragus) attacked by two weevils, collected to carry out host range experiments in laboratory. Collected plant samples for herbarium. Found also three flea beetle species on L. latifolium.
Field trip in Bulgaria (May 9-11, 2007)
by M. Guedj and F. Di Cristina
The aim of this first trip in Bulgaria was the organization of the work on Chondrilla juncea for the next season with the Bulgarian cooperators of Plovdiv Agricultural University. Visited several location with the presence of Schinia cognata and Simyra nervosa and collected some larvae.
Field trip in Tunisia (May 2-8, 2007)
by F. Lecce
Main goal of 2007 explorations in Tunisia was the collection of the weevil Anthypurinus biimpressus on Salsola sp. The insect was not found in spite of the good conditions of the Russian thistle population. Carried out further exploration in the area looking for new location with the presence of our target weed. The trip was conducted in co-operation with J. Kashefi (EBCL, Thessaloniki, Greece).
Field trip in Turkey (March 6-13, 2007)
by F. Di Cristina
Aim of the trip was the collection of live specimens of the lace bug Tingis grisea on yellow starthistle (YST) in the vicinity of Horasan, East Turkey. Unfortunately, temperature was very cold and YST population was at a nearly rosette stage so no insects were found. Stem boring larvae, perhaps Mordellidae, were collected on old YST stem. In the region of Kapadokya (Central Anatolia), found several specimens of Psylliodesnsp. on Onopordum sp.