Insects That Attack Mesquite ('Prosopis' spp.) in Argentina and Paraguay. Their Possible Use for Biological Control in the United States

摘要

Honey mesquite, Porsopis glandulosa Torrey, and velvet mesquite, P. velutina Wooton, are weedy, leguminous shrubs or small trees that cause great damage to the livestock industry in rangelands of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico. Researchers traveled in Argentina, Paraquay, and Brazil over a 6-year period searching for natural enemies that could be used in the biological control of Prosopis and other weeds. Altogether, 77 species appear to be potentially useful for biological control, and 38 species are especially promising, meriting further study for introduction. Of these 38 species, 13 attacked seed, 2 attacked buds, 12 fed on foliage, and 11 attacked limbs or trunks.