Abstract
Ambrosia artemisiifolia is a well-known invasive species in Europe, causing health issues with its extremely allergenic pollen and yield loss through competition in agriculture. One potential biological control agent is Ophraella communa, accidentally introduced in Europe in 2013. This species was discovered in France in 2023, but before planning further mass releases for biological control, it is necessary to assess its safety for agricultural crops and local plant biodiversity. Prior to its first detection in France, we conducted a host-range study of the beetle in a confined laboratory with no-choice and choice tests for 16 plant species, selected based on the centrifugal phylogenetic method. Results showed a restricted host range to the Heliantheae tribe and minimal risk to indigenous European plant species, with no larval survival and barely any eggs laid on these plants. Choice tests also showed a strong preference of O. communa for A. artemisiifolia. Our results combined with previous studies and observations in the field in other countries suggest a low risk to sunflower, Helianthus annuus, which is an important crop in France. This confirms that O. communa could be a low-risk biological control agent that can be used in classical biological control programs against A. artemisiifolia in France.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Ophraella communa host range was restricted to Heliantheae.
- Taxon
- Ambrosia artemisiifolia
Ambrosia artemisiifoliat0 - Interactor
- Ophraella communa
Ophraella communat0herbivore - Outcome
- restricted host range to the Heliantheae tribee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Results showed a restricted host range to the Heliantheae tribe”
t0“Assessing the Host Range of Ophraella communa for the Biological Control of Ambrosia artemisiifolia in France”
Claim · model-written summary
No larvae survived on indigenous European plant species.
- Taxon
- indigenous European plant speciese0
- Interactor
- Ophraella communaOphraella communat0herbivore
- Outcome
- no larval survivale0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“minimal risk to indigenous European plant species, with no larval survival and barely any eggs laid on these plants.”
t0“Assessing the Host Range of Ophraella communa for the Biological Control of Ambrosia artemisiifolia in France”
Claim · model-written summary
Barely any beetle eggs were laid on indigenous European plant species.
- Taxon
- indigenous European plant speciese0
- Interactor
- Ophraella communaOphraella communat0herbivore
- Outcome
- barely any eggs laide0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“minimal risk to indigenous European plant species, with no larval survival and barely any eggs laid on these plants.”
t0“Assessing the Host Range of Ophraella communa for the Biological Control of Ambrosia artemisiifolia in France”
Claim · model-written summary
Choice tests showed beetle preference for A. artemisiifolia.
- Taxon
- A. artemisiifoliaAmbrosia artemisiifoliae0
- Interactor
- O. communaOphraella communae0herbivore
- Outcome
- strong preferencee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Choice tests also showed a strong preference of O. communa for A. artemisiifolia.”
t0“Assessing the Host Range of Ophraella communa for the Biological Control of Ambrosia artemisiifolia in France”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors inferred low beetle risk to sunflower.
- Taxon
- sunflower
Helianthus annuuse0 - Interactor
- Ophraella communaOphraella communat0herbivore
- Outcome
- low risk to sunflowere0
- Setting
- Francee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Our results combined with previous studies and observations in the field in other countries suggest a low risk to sunflower, Helianthus annuus, which is an important crop in France.”
t0“Assessing the Host Range of Ophraella communa for the Biological Control of Ambrosia artemisiifolia in France”
Claim · model-written summary
The beetle could be used to control A. artemisiifolia in France.
- Taxon
- A. artemisiifoliaAmbrosia artemisiifoliae0
- Interactor
- O. communaOphraella communae0herbivore
- Outcome
- used in classical biological control programse0
- Setting
- Francee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This confirms that O. communa could be a low-risk biological control agent that can be used in classical biological control programs against A. artemisiifolia in France.”
t0“Assessing the Host Range of Ophraella communa for the Biological Control of Ambrosia artemisiifolia in France”