They found that the planthopper is highly host-specific and does not pose a threat to native or economically important species. Lauderdale where extensive host-range studies were conducted. scutellaris from Argentina in April 2006 and brought them to the quarantine facility in Ft. scutellaris may integrate better with existing herbicide programs because of its mobility, which should improve its survival in such highly managed systems. Herbicides are the primary method for reducing waterhyacinth, but their use directly interferes with the biocontrol agents currently deployed against this weed. The insect's population increases rapidly, which will enable it to quickly impact the waterhyacinth population. Nymphs are active and readily hop, even off the surface of the water. scutellaris is a small planthopper native to South America whose nymphs and adults feed on the sap of waterhyacinth. Lauderdale, Fla., worked closely with scientists at the ARS South American Biological Control Laboratory (SABCL) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to find and test Megamelus scutellaris, a new biocontrol for waterhyacinth. Other problems include fish kills due to low oxygen levels and increases in populations of vectors of human and animal diseases.ĪRS entomologists Philip Tipping and Ted Center, both with the agency's Invasive Plant Research Laboratory (IPRL) in Ft. The plant is a real menace, affecting water traffic, water quality, infrastructure for pumping and hydroelectric operations, water use and biodiversity.
Waterhyacinth ( Eichhornia crassipes) is a free-floating aquatic plant native to South America that has infested freshwater ecosystems from North Carolina to California but is especially problematic in the southeastern United States.