main office and research facilities
via Angelo Signorelli 105
00123 Roma
registered office
via Germanico 107
00192 Roma
weeds@bbcaonlus.org
Ecocompatible strategies to control weeds and insect pests
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL CONTROL AGENCY
BBCA
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL CONTROL AGENCY
2011
Field trip in Bulgaria (December 5-8, 2011)
by F. Lecce and F. Di Cristina
During this brief trip we visited again the field plot for the experiment with Lixus cardui of the next spring at the Plovdiv University facilities. Visited also many locations looking for Gymnancyla sp. under senescent Salsola tragusplant with no success.
Field trip in Bulgaria (October 15-17, 2011)
by F. Di Cristina
Aim of this trip was to visit the plant nursery for the experiment with Lixus cardui of the next spring at the Plovdiv University facilities and to prepare the plants already in the field plot to face the winter. Moved the most delicate species inside under fluorescent lamps. Protected with transparent plastic sheets some plants that were too big to be put inside.
Field trip in Turkey (August 21-26, 2011)
by F. Di Cristina and E. Gerber
This trip was mainly carried out in the area of Cappadocia, Central Turkey, together with Esther Gerber (CABI Europe, Delemont, Switzerland). Collected many yellow starthistle flowerheads for seed-feeder insects sampling and seeds for next year experiments. Visited perennial pepperweed site near Aksalur where we found a large infestation of the eriophyoid mite Metaculus lepidifolii. Collected mite galls, plant specimens to be transferred in the field plot, seeds for future experiments and weevil larvae in the crown. Found other populations of the same weed. Recorded stem boring insect damage and collected weevil larvae and few adults of Melanobaris sp. near semistriata in the roots. Visited the perennial pepperweed experiment plot where we harvested all the test plants still alive (most of them died for lack of water) to be dissected at CABI facilities. Visited the Russian olive sampling sites and collected mite infested stems for U. Schaffner (CABI Europe, Delemont, Switzerland). Found also Salsola tragus and collected stems infested with Gymnancyla sp. and one root boring weevil.
Field trip in Bulgaria (July 24-27, 2011)
by M. Guedj and F. Di Cristina
The first part of this trip was focused on the explorations for the search of potential biocontrol candidates for our main target weeds. Visited the medusahead site and found nearby a large Onopordum sp. population where we recorded Apion sp. and fly larvae in the stems. Collected seeds and plant samples for genetic analysis. Found other populations of this weed and collected many weevil larvae and parasitoid pupae. Dissected several Onopordumand Arctium stems where we recorded larvae, pupae and adults of Lixus sp. Visited the Lepidium latifolium site and collected few Lixus myagri. Recorded also some small black fleabeetles. Found Salsola tragus with Gymnancyla-like damage and collected larvae of a stem boring weevil and plant samples for DNA analysis. The last day of the trip we worked on the open field test for the evaluation of the host range of Lixus cardui set during spring by our Bulgarian cooperators at the Plovdiv University facilities. Dissected the test plants and collected larvae and adults of the weevil from the stems.
Field trip in Sicily, South Italy (July 18- 21, 2011)
by F. Di Cristina and F. Lecce
Main target of this trip was the weevil Lixus rosenschoeldi on Salsola kali. Carried out explorations in many beaches of the north-western part of Sicily and collected 20 specimens of the weevil in the locality of Lascari (Pa) in order to carry out host range experiment in laboratory conditions.
Field trip in Turkey (July 07-16, 2011)
by F. Di Cristina and L. Smith
The first step of this field survey was the dissection of some of the test plant of the open field experiment with Larinus filiformis, in order to evaluate the infestation rate by this weevil and other seed feeder insects. Moved to Cappadocia, Central Turkey, and infested again Lepidium latifolium plants with eriophyoid mites in the open field test started in May. In the vicinity of Kayseri found a large population of Onopordum sp. heavily attacked by the weevil Larinus latus. Collected also Lixus cardui, many Psylliodes sp., two species of tephritid fly, Eublemma sp. and Apion sp. Collected also several flowerbuds and flowerheads for dissection and plant samples for DNA analysis. Found near Uchisar a large infestation of yellow starthistle where we recorded some specimens of Larinus curtus and L. filiformis. Collected samples of flowerheads for dissection. Recorded a huge population of perennial pepperwed attacked by the eriophyoid mite Metaculus lepidifolii and recorded the data of the field impact test with the Russian olive mite Aceria angustifoliae on Russian olive trees in the area of Goreme.
Field trip in Sardinia (June 23-July 04, 2011)
by R. Buonopera
This field trip was focused on the collection of potential candidate agents on Scotch thistle and Russian thistle. Found different weevil species (Larinus latus, Larinus sp. and Cleonis sardoa) on the first weed and collected Salsola samples for genetic analysys.
Field trip in Sicily, South Italy (June 03-08, 2011)
by F. Di Cristina
Aim of this trip was the setting of an open field test for the evaluation of the host range of the weevil Lixus rosenschoeldi in the area of Castelbuono (PA). Collected about 50 adults of the weevil in the site near Eraclea Minoa (AG) and released them in the field plot.
Field trip in Kazakhstan (May 19 - 27, 2011)
by R. Sforza and M. Volkovitsh
Found large populations of Salsola sp. and collected many weevil species. Also recorded Russian olive trees heavily infested by a flea beetle and collected several buprestids on Chondrilla sp. Found Onopordum sp. in many locations and collected different species of weevils, one tephritid fly and plant samples for genetic analysis. Recorded also a large population of Lepidium latifolium and collected one Ceuthorhincus sp. and some leaves attacked by a rust.
Field trip in Turkey (May 15-25, 2011)
by F. Di Cristina and F. Lecce
The main goal of this trip was the setting of an open field test in Cappadocia for the evaluation of the host range of two potential candidate agents of perennial pepperweed: the root-boring weevil Melanobaris sp. near semistriata and the leaf-galling eriophyoid mite Metaculus lepidifolii. Carried out the transplant of young plantlets in the field plot and infested them with mites and insects. Collected plants of Lepidium draba with mite galls (sent to J. Littlefield, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA) and set up an open field impact test with the Russian olive mite Aceria angustifoliae in Cappadocia. Collected also Russian olive stems infested by eriophyoid mites for U. Schaffner (CABI Europe, Delemont, Switzerland).
Field trip in Bulgaria (April 27-30, 2011)
by A. Paolini, F. Lecce and A. Anastasio
This field survey was focused on the visit to the plant nursery for the open field experiment with the weevil Lixus cardui and on the search and collection of potential candidate agents on Onopordum acanthium and Centaurea solstitialis. Found two large populations of O. acanthium heavily infested by Lixus cardui and Psylliodes chalcomera. Collected some specimens of both species for genetic analysis. Recorded also dipteran and lepidopteran stem-boring larvae. Collected plant samples for identification. In the same sites found also C. solstitialis at rosette and bolting stages. Dissected some plant crowns and roots and found weevil larvae (probably Ceratapion basicorne). Made the same sampling in other localities and found many other weevil larvae. Visited the site of perennial pepperweed and found adults Lixus sp. in senescent stems. Collected plant samples for genetic analysis and some plant specimens to be dissected in laboratory.
Field trip in Turkey (April 13-20, 2011)
by F. Di Cristina
The main target of this trip was the collection of the weevil Ceratapion basicorne on Centaurea solstitialis in Cappadocia. Found also Psylliodes chalcomera and two species of weevils on the same weed. Discussed about future field garden experiments with a local cooperator and bought plants of Russian olive to be tested in field impact trials.
Field trip in Sardinia, Central Italy (April 07-09, 2011)
by A. Paolini and F. Di Cristina
This field survey was focused on the search and collection of potential candidate agents on French broom. Recorded one site with a large population of the plant and collected some psyllids and the seed weevil Lepidapion argentatum.
Field trip in Turkey (March 03-11, 2011)
by M. Guedj and F. Di Cristina
Aim of this field survey was the organization in the area of Trabzon, Northern Turkey, of the field experiment for the evaluation of the host range of Larinus filiformis, potential biocontrol agent of Centaurea solstitialis. Visited the test plot and the plant nursery and sown seeds of some test plant species. Monitored sites in Central and Eastern Turkey in order to collect the weevil Ceratapion basicorne on C. solstitialis but no weevils found.