Biological control of Acacia cyclops in South Africa : the role of an introduced seed-feeding weevil, Melanterius servulus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), together with indigenous seed-sucking bugs and birds

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dc.contributor.advisorHoffmann, Johnen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorMoran, Cliffen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorImpson, F A Cen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2014-08-13T14:21:02Z
dc.date.available2014-08-13T14:21:02Z
dc.date.issued2005en_ZA
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references (leaves 78-94).en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAcacia cyclops A. Cunn ex G. Don, or rooikrans (Fabaceae), of Australian origin, is an invasive environmental weed in South Africa where it threatens the unique vegetation of the Cape Floral Kingdom. The invasiveness of the plant in South Africa is, in part, due to its high annual seed-yields, together with the suitable climatic and edaphic factors found here. This study investigated the role of a seed-feeding weevil, Melanterius servulus, which was first introduced into South Africa during 1991, as a biological control agent of A. cyclops seeds, together with the combined effects of indigenous seed-sucking bugs and birds. The weevils utilise filled green pods of A. cyclops for adult feeding, oviposition and larval development and completely destroy seeds during these activities. Examination of the reproductive phenology of A. cyclops showed that seeds are produced annually, during summer and that the presence of filled green pods on the plants coincides with the period of reproductive activity of the weevils. Melanterius servulus populations have established readily at all the original release sites, and within four years of release, damage levels to seeds commonly reached 90%. The weevils have dispersed at an average rate of approximately 2 km per year. Since becoming established in South Africa. the seeds of A. cyclops have been utilised by a variety of generalist vertebrate and invertebrate organisms. Indigenous polyphagous alydid bugs feed on the mature seeds, rendering a portion of the crop inviable when damage levels are high (more than five feeding-punctures per seed). Several bird species are attracted to and feed on the fleshy aril that surrounds theseeds of A. cyclops. Passage of the seeds through the gut of birds enhances germination rates. There is a synergetic relationship between alydids and birds because seeds with low levels of alydid feeding (one to four punctures per seed) germinated more readily after passage through birds than seeds that were not eaten by birds.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationImpson, F. A. C. (2005). <i>Biological control of Acacia cyclops in South Africa : the role of an introduced seed-feeding weevil, Melanterius servulus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), together with indigenous seed-sucking bugs and birds</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6272en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationImpson, F A C. <i>"Biological control of Acacia cyclops in South Africa : the role of an introduced seed-feeding weevil, Melanterius servulus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), together with indigenous seed-sucking bugs and birds."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6272en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationImpson, F. 2005. Biological control of Acacia cyclops in South Africa : the role of an introduced seed-feeding weevil, Melanterius servulus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), together with indigenous seed-sucking bugs and birds. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Impson, F A C AB - Acacia cyclops A. Cunn ex G. Don, or rooikrans (Fabaceae), of Australian origin, is an invasive environmental weed in South Africa where it threatens the unique vegetation of the Cape Floral Kingdom. The invasiveness of the plant in South Africa is, in part, due to its high annual seed-yields, together with the suitable climatic and edaphic factors found here. This study investigated the role of a seed-feeding weevil, Melanterius servulus, which was first introduced into South Africa during 1991, as a biological control agent of A. cyclops seeds, together with the combined effects of indigenous seed-sucking bugs and birds. The weevils utilise filled green pods of A. cyclops for adult feeding, oviposition and larval development and completely destroy seeds during these activities. Examination of the reproductive phenology of A. cyclops showed that seeds are produced annually, during summer and that the presence of filled green pods on the plants coincides with the period of reproductive activity of the weevils. Melanterius servulus populations have established readily at all the original release sites, and within four years of release, damage levels to seeds commonly reached 90%. The weevils have dispersed at an average rate of approximately 2 km per year. Since becoming established in South Africa. the seeds of A. cyclops have been utilised by a variety of generalist vertebrate and invertebrate organisms. Indigenous polyphagous alydid bugs feed on the mature seeds, rendering a portion of the crop inviable when damage levels are high (more than five feeding-punctures per seed). Several bird species are attracted to and feed on the fleshy aril that surrounds theseeds of A. cyclops. Passage of the seeds through the gut of birds enhances germination rates. There is a synergetic relationship between alydids and birds because seeds with low levels of alydid feeding (one to four punctures per seed) germinated more readily after passage through birds than seeds that were not eaten by birds. DA - 2005 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2005 T1 - Biological control of Acacia cyclops in South Africa : the role of an introduced seed-feeding weevil, Melanterius servulus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), together with indigenous seed-sucking bugs and birds TI - Biological control of Acacia cyclops in South Africa : the role of an introduced seed-feeding weevil, Melanterius servulus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), together with indigenous seed-sucking bugs and birds UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6272 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/6272
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationImpson FAC. Biological control of Acacia cyclops in South Africa : the role of an introduced seed-feeding weevil, Melanterius servulus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), together with indigenous seed-sucking bugs and birds. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences, 2005 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6272en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Biological Sciencesen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Scienceen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherZoologyen_ZA
dc.titleBiological control of Acacia cyclops in South Africa : the role of an introduced seed-feeding weevil, Melanterius servulus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), together with indigenous seed-sucking bugs and birdsen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMScen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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