Prospects for the biological control of Jatropha gossypiifolia: Stomphastis sp. as a potential agent from South America

Abstract

Jatropha gossypiifolia L., commonly known as bellyache bush, is a serious weed of rangelands and riparian zones of northern Australia and has been identified as a Weed of National Significance. Bellyache bush has been a target of biological control in Australia since 1997, with one agent released to date. A renewed biological control effort, involving exploration in South America identified a number of potential biological control agents, the most promising of which, a small leaf-mining moth Stomphastis sp. (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), was imported from Peru into quarantine for further research in 2014. Newly emerged larvae mine directly into a leaf and remain there until pupation. Preliminary results suggest that Stomphastis sp. can complete development on bellyache bush and congener J. curcas L. (also a target for biological control) only. The leaf-miner has a short generation time and high fecundity, which bodes well for its future as a biological control agentfor its future as a biological control agent