Larinus planus
Larinus planus is a weevil, an insect of the Curculionidae family.[1][2] It is native to Europe, and is also common in North America. Both the larvae and adults feed on flower buds, mostly of thistles. They are oval shaped, dark brown or black, and about 5-10 millimeters long.[3]
| Larinus planus | |
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| Species: | L. planus
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| Larinus planus (Fabricius, 1792)
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The larvae stage does the most damage to the flower bud. In North America it has been used as a biocontrol agent.[4]
Larinus planus has been used in North America to control the creeping thistle, a weed from Europe. It has spread to other plants. In 2000, it was found eating Cirsium undulatum.[5] This is a thistle native to western Colorado and eastern Utah. Later research found that it had reduced the amount of seeds produced by the native thistle. It has also been found to have a bad effect on Cirsium pitcheri.[6]
It is normal for introduced species to spread rapidly because they are free of the parasites and predators of their native land.
References
- ↑ It is also known as Larinus carlinae. Larinus planus (Fabricius, 1792). Natural History MuseumThe Trustees of The Natural History Museum, London. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
- ↑ Larinus planus. Plant Parasites of EuropeW.N. Ellis, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
- ↑ Larinus planus (in en). Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations (17 May 2007)Province of British Columbia, Ministry of Forests. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
- ↑ Operational Field Guide to the Propagation and Establishment of the Bioagent Larinus Planus (May 2001)Province of British Columbia, Ministry of Forests. Retrieved 2019-01-30.
- ↑ Louda, Svaa M.. Unexpected Ecological Effects of Distributing the Exotic Weevil, Larinus planus (F.), for the Biological Control of Canada Thistle. Conservation Biology 16 (3) (June 2002). p. 717–727. doi:10.1046/j.1523-1739.2002.00541.x.[dead link]
- ↑ Havens, Kayri. Effects of a non-native biocontrol weevil, Larinus planus, and other emerging threats on populations of the federally threatened Pitcher's thistle, Cirsium pitcheri. Biological Conservation 155 (October 2012). p. 202–211. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2012.06.010.