Tuesday, June 24, 2003

Mmmmmmmmm, Starthistle

From the Agricultural Research Service comes this report about a potential new biological control for yellow starthistle(Centaurea solstitialis), a spiny weed that has taken over parts of the western U.S. Scientists in Europe have found that the flea beetle Psylliodes chalcomerus will eat starthistle vegetation, an exciting development, since all currently known biocontrols eat only the flower heads. Further investigation is necessary to determine why only a specific population of the beetle has a hankering for this invasive plant.

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