Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand abstracts

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Arthropods and molluscs associated with poroporo (Solanum aviculare and S. laciniatum): an annotated species list

N. A. Martin*

*New Zealand Institute for Crop & Food Research Ltd, Mount Albert Research Centre, Private Bag 92169, Auckland, New Zealand

Between 1976 and 1983 poroporo (Solanum aviculare and S. laciniatum) was grown as a crop for the extraction of solasodine. Slugs and arthropods associated with poroporo were studied while developing practical pest control with minimum use of pesticides. Harmful and beneficial organisms found on poroporo are listed with notes on their biology and annual cycles. Prior to 1976, six species were reported to be associated with poroporo while more than 47, including previously undescribed species, were known by 1983. Seven species caused sufficient damage to commercial crops for control measures to be required. These included indigenous species, Sceliodes cordalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and Tetra martinii (Acari: Eriophyidae). The other species were Symmetrischema tangolias (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) and Asynonychus cervinus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) from South America and the cosmopolitan arthropods Agrotis ipsilon (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Hercinothrips bicinctus (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae). The company growing and processing the crop ceased operations for economic reasons and before integrated pest management could be tested.

Keywords: Insects; mites; slugs; plant damage; host association

(c) Journal of The Royal Society of New Zealand,

Volume 29, Number 1, March 1999, pp 65-76

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (756K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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