Applying Satellite-based Habitat Models to Inform Riparian Habitat Restoration and Management Actions for Two Listed Riparian Species, the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher and the Yellow-billed Cuckoo
James Hatten1, Jennifer Holmes2, and Matthew Johnson3*
Using Tamarisk Beetle Pheromone Lures to Reduce Re-growth of Tamarisk Following Tree Cutting Cynthia Brown1*, Hannah Ertl2, Dan Bean3, Zeynep Ozsoy4, Farley Ketchum Sr.5, and Emily Swartz6
Each year, with the help of numerous partners across thirteen states and Mexico, RiversEdge West produces an annual distribution map that notes the presence and absence of Diorhabda spp. from sampling sites across the west. The links below contain all archived tamarisk beetle maps spanning over a decade.
Development of a novel repellant compound for the potential management of the northern tamarisk beetle (Diorhabda carinulata). Repellant has been shown to be effective on reproductive adults and alter the behaviors of 1st and 2nd instar larvae. Continued development and field deployment of this repellent compound may provide a new tool for the management of D. carinulata.
Stahlke et al. developed a reference genome for tamarisk beetles (Diorhabda spp.) and reference panel of all four introduced parental species to monitor range expansion and hybridization across North America. They found a substantial genetic bottleneck among D. carinulata in N. America, although populations continue to establish and spread, possibly due to aggregation behavior. Among hybrids, they found that D. carinata, D. elongata, and D.
Clark et al. evaluated theoretical predictions for evolution of reproductive life-history and dispersal traits in the range expansion of the tamarisk biological control agent, Diorhabda carinulata, or northern tamarisk beetle. With experiments run on field-collected populations, they found that females at the expansion front had increased fecundity and body mass, and reduced age at first reproduction; and that dispersal increased at the expansion front in males, especially when unmated and reared at low density.
Does hybridization among tamarisk beetles change the risk of non-target attack in the field? Clark et al. study the consequences of hybridization in tamarisk beetles (Diorhabda). They paired laboratory phenotyping with genomics to assess changes in risk of non-target attack and body size and fecundity. Body size and early fecundity were similar in pure and hybrid females, indicating that hybridization is not detrimental to insect fitness or the biocontrol program and may provide variation that allows populations to become locally adapted.
The leaf beetle Diorhabda elongata Brullé subspecies deserticola Chen, collected in northwestern China, has been released in the western United States to control tamarisk (Tamarix spp.). While beetle establishment and saltcedar defoliation have been noted at northern study sites, this species has not established at latitudes south of the 38th parallel.
The northern tamarisk beetle Diorhabda carinulata (Desbrochers) was approved for release in the United States for classical biological control of a complex of invasive saltcedar species and their hybrids (Tamarix spp.). An aggregation pheromone used by D. carinulata to locate conspecifics is fundamental to colonization and reproductive success.
A presentation by Dan Bean at the 2020 RiversEdge West Conference about new knowledge on aggregation phermones, phenology, and genomics.