Biological Control of Mile-a-Minute Weed

Graduate Research Assistant: Ellen Lake (PhD, Entomology & Wildlife Ecology)Undergraduate Senior Thesis students: Kelsey Paras, Shane LaCoss

Collaborators: Richard Reardon, Vince D’Amico

Mile-a-minute weed (Persicaria perfoliata (L.) H. Gross, formerly Polygonum perfoliatum L.) is an annual Asian vine that invades a variety of habitats in the northeastern U.S., including forested floodplains, streamside herbaceous wetlands, and upland forests. A biological control program targeting mile-a-minute weed was initiated by the Forest Service in 1996, with field surveys and laboratory host specificity tests conducted in China and subsequent testing continuing under quarantine conditions in Delaware. We determined that a stem-boring weevil, Rhinoncomimus latipes Korotyaev, is host-specific to mile-a-minute weed, and obtained a permit for field release in July 2004. The weevil has now been released in five states, and is being mass-reared at the Phillip Alampi Beneficial Insects Laboratory, Trenton, N.J. Since 2005, we have been monitoring weevil dispersal, population growth, and impact on mile-a-minute in three replicated release sites. Additional projects include a study of the impact of shade on weevil populations; factors that may contribute to the development of field “nurseries” for the weevil; what triggers dispersal in this species; and how the insect finds its host plant. Finally, we are attempting to determine the best way to use biological control as part of an integrated weed management program, including restoration planting.