Chromolaena odorata (L.) King and Robinson (chromolaena, triffid weed) (Asteraceae: Eupatorieae) is one of the most problematic weeds in the subtropical northeastern parts of South Africa. Calycomyza eupatorivora Spencer (Diptera: Agromyzidae) was introduced as a biological control agent for the control of this weed. No study has yet been done to quantify field populations of C. eupatorivora since its establishment in 2003. The aim of this study was therefore to measure aspects of the field population and laboratory behaviour of C. eupatorivora on C. odorata. The first objective was to determine the percentage leaf area mined by larvae of C. eupatorivora on C. odorata plants exposed to three densities of mated flies, and also to determine the number of mines produced by these different densities, and their distribution on the plant. It also attempts to determine the relationship between chromolaena leaf quality and usage by C. eupatorivora. The maximum percentage of leaf area damaged was 37.5% for one of the trials involving five pairs of flies. Mean percentage leaf area damaged was slightly higher with five (28.5%) than ten pairs (22.0%) of adults and was lowest with one pair (6.5%), but these differences were not significant. In relation to the mean number of mines per plant, five and ten pairs of flies caused slightly more mines than one pair. The other significantly different parameter was number of leaves mined per plant, which was higher for five pairs. Within a plant, C. eupatorivora probably selects a subset of leaves with certain chemical and physical characteristics for oviposition since certain leaves were left unmined while others received multiple eggs. Percentage water content did not differ between mined and unmined leaves, but clear patterns were shown by acid detergent lignin which was higher in unmined leaves and nonstructural carbohydrates which were much higher in mined leaves. It is likely that leaf age plays a role in its suitability. The second objective was to quantify C. eupatorivora infestation levels, by counting and examining larval leaf mines, on C. odorata in the field at four times ('seasons' - September, December, March and July) over a 12-month period, and at three study sites that each included two habitats, viz. open and shady. At each of these six sampling sites, line transects were laid out and plants/branches sampled along them. Both plant/branch height and the number of leaves increased between September and March, and plants in the open habitats were taller and had more leaves than those in the shaded habitats. At the third site, the shady habitat supported taller plants with more leaves compared to the same habitat at the other sites. There was a steep increase in the number of C. eupatorivora mines from December to March. The mean number of mines, both total and in relation to leaves available, was highest in March, and was higher in the shaded habitats compared to the open habitats. The mean number of mines per damaged leaf was slightly higher in December compared to the other seasons, and was also higher in the open than the shaded habitats. Mean larval mortality was high (70%) in September but decreased to 32% in December, and increased again in late summer. The overall levels of mining by C. eupatorivora were low, with less than 5% of leaves sampled having mines. Taken together, the laboratory and field trials suggest that C. eupatorivora is restricted to a subset of the leaves of C. odorata for its development; that the field population is unable to make full use of the resource of young, palatable leaves that develop in early- to mid-summer because it only becomes large in late summer; and that the high mortality rate of young larvae negatively affects both the population of the fly and the level of damage to the plant. Given that these results were obtained in an area where the population of C. eupatorivora is relatively high, it is unlikely that the fly is having anything more than a negligible effect on C. odorata in South Africa at present. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.

La soca EPS125 ha mostrat ser un efectiu agent de control biològic de diferents patògens fúngics de postcollita en diferents fruits. Degut a la seva elevada eficàcia, es va plantejar desenvolupar aquesta soca comercialment i per aquest motiu en el present treball es plantejà complementar la informació necessària pel seu registre. D'acord amb els resultats obtinguts mitjançant proves fenotípiques i genotípiques, la soca EPS125 queda inclosa dins l'espècie Pantoea agglomerans (Enterobacter agglomerans-Erwinia herbicola). En relació a la utilització de fonts de carboni, en el perfil i contingut d'àcids grassos cel·lulars i en el polimorfisme en la longitud dels fragments de macrorestricció genòmica (MRFLP), la soca EPS125 mostrà trets característics que la diferencien d'altres soques. Els dos marcadors moleculars (125.2 i 125.3) específics per la soca EPS125 dissenyats en el present treball mostraren ser semiespecífics per la seva detecció mitjançant la tècnica PCR i Real Time PCR. Quedant pendent l'anàlisi d'especificitat de l'ús combinat dels dos marcadors moleculars en una reacció PCR multiplex. P. agglomerans EPS125 ha mostrat ser molt efectiva en el control de Penicillium expansum en poma amb una dosi efectiva mitjana de 2.7x105 a 7x105 ufc/ml, i una ratio de 25-101 cèl·lules de la soca EPS125 per inactivar una espora del patogen segons el model de saturació hiperbòlica. Segons les aproximacions fenotípiques i estudis genotípics realitzats, sembla que els mecanismes de biocontrol utilitzats per la soca EPS125 contra P. expansum en poma estan directament relacionats amb la capacitat de formació de biofilm per aquesta soca. / Strain EPS125 has shown effectiveness against a wide range of fungal pathogens in a large variety of fruit. However, to develop this strain as commercial biopesticide an extensive characterization is essential. For this reason, the objective of this PhD thesis was to complete the necessary information for its future registration.According to morphological and biochemical tests, strain EPS125 pertain to Pantoea agglomerans (Enterobacter agglomerans-Erwinia herbicola) species. This strain showed typical traits different from other bacteria in relation to the ability to use several carbon sources, the fatty acid profiles and the macrorestriction fragment length polymorphism (MRFLP) pattern. The two DNA molecular markers of P. agglomerans EPS125 (125.2 and 125.3) obtained in the present work were semispecific in the detection of strain EPS125 by means of PCR and Real Time PCR. However, the combined use of the two primer sets in a multiplex PCR reaction would be specific. P. agglomerans EPS125 was highly effective against P. expansum in apple fruit having a median effective dose from 2.7x105 to 7x105 cfu/ml and a ratio of 101 and 25 EPS125 cells to inactivate one pathogen spore according to the hyperbolic saturation model. Biocontrol mechanisms used by P. agglomerans EPS125 against P. expansum in apple fruit may be related with the ability of biofilm formation by this strain as show phenotypic approaches and genotypic studies.

Thesis (doctoral)--Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 2002. / Thesis documentation sheet inserted. Appendix reprints five published papers and manuscripts, three co-authored with others. Includes bibliographical references. Also available electronically via World Wide Web in PDF format; online version lacks appendix.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-26T13:30:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 texto completo.pdf: 406033 bytes, checksum: e60f5f4a8043be1ed0638012130590c6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-02-22 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / The tomato fruit borer Neoleucinodes elegantalis (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is considered a key pest in tomato crops in Brazil. However, there is not a sampling plan for this insect to compose decision-making systems of IPM programs. Thus, the objective of this work was to determine the Conventional sampling plan for N. elegalis. This work was carried out in twenty commercial tomato crops from march to april 2005 in Coimbra, MG state. The crops were divided in two phenological stages: plants with up to three tomato clusters and plants with more than three tomato clusters. The studied variables were eggs/fruit, egg mass/fruit, fruits with eggs (%), eggs/fruit with diameter [< or =] 4,0 cm, egg mass/fruit with diameter [< or =] 4,0 cm, percentage of fruits with eggs with diameter [< or =] 4,0 cm and clusters with eggs (%). It was studied the frequency distribution of the data for each variable. The choice of the variable to be used in the sampling plan was based on the cost and time required by the sampling plan. Once, the best variable was chosen, the numbers of samples to compose the sampling plan was determined. The data of the variable eggs/fruit adjusted to the negative binomial distribution and egg mass/fruit adjusted to the Poisson distribution in plants with up to three clusters. The data of the variable eggs/fruit in plants with more than three clusters adjusted to the Poisson distribution. The others data did not adjusted to any of the tested frequency distributions. The more adequate variable for the egg sampling of N. elegantalis was the percentage of clusters with eggs since it enables sampling plans of lesser cost and requires less sampling time. The sampling of N. elegantalis in plants with up to three clusters must be carried through evaluating the percentage of clusters with eggs in the basal cluster of 42 plants. This sampling plan requires a time of 0,15 hours and cost of R$ 1,83/sampling. Nevertheless, in crops where the plants possess more than three clusters, the sampling of this pest must be carried through evaluating the percentage of clusters with eggs in the 2º and 3º apicals clusters of 36 plants. This sampling plan requires a time of 0,24 hours and cost of R$2,03/sampling. / A broca pequena do tomateiro Neoleucinodes elegantalis (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) é considerada uma praga-chave desta cultura. Entretanto, não existe até o momento, plano de amostragem para este inseto a compor sistemas de tomada de decisão de programas de manejo integrado de pragas. Assim, o objetivo desta pesquisa foi determinar o plano de amostragem convencional para N. elegalis. Este trabalho foi realizado em vinte lavouras comerciais de tomate de março a abril de 2005 em Coimbra, MG. As lavouras foram divididas em dois estádios fenólogicos: plantas com até três cachos e com mais de três cachos. As variáveis estudadas foram ovos/fruto, massa de ovos/fruto, frutos com ovos (%), ovos/fruto com diâmetro [< ou = ]4,0 cm, massa de ovos/fruto com diâmetro [< ou =] 4,0 cm, percentagem de frutos com diâmetro [< ou =] 4,0 cm com ovos e cachos com ovos (%). Estudou-se a distribuição de freqüência dos dados de cada variável. A seleção da variável a ser usada no plano de amostragem foi baseada no custo e tempo requeridos pelo plano de amostragem. De posse da melhor variável, determinou-se os números de amostras a compor os planos de amostragem. Os dados da variável ovos/fruto ajustaram-se à distribuição binomial negativa e massa de ovos/fruto, à distribuição de Poisson em plantas com até três cachos. Os dados da variável número de ovos/fruto em plantas com mais de três cachos ajustaram-se a distribuição de Poisson. Os dados das demais variáveis não se ajustaram a nenhuma das distribuições de freqüência testadas. A variável mais adequada para a amostragem de ovos N. elegantalis foi a percentagem de cachos com ovos, por gerar planos de amostragem de menor custo e que requerem menor tempo de amostragem. A amostragem de N. elegantalis em plantas com até três cachos deve ser realizada avaliando-se a percentagem de cachos com ovos no cacho mais baixeiro de 42 plantas. Este plano de amostragem requer um tempo de 0,15 h e custo de R$ 1,83/amostragem. Já em lavouras em que as plantas possuam mais de três cachos a amostragem deste inseto-praga deve ser realizada avaliando-se a percentagem de cachos com ovos no 2º e 3º cachos mais apicais de 36 plantas. Este plano de amostragem requer um tempo de 0,24 h e custo de R$ 2,03/amostragem.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:40:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T13:57:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 04015.pdf: 1118706 bytes, checksum: cfb96bf2d7bcbe122082fa953b52e435 (MD5) / Tese (Doutoramento) / IPEN/T / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN/CNEN-SP

South Africa is the world's second largest exporter of fresh citrus and is ranked 14th in citrus production. Fungal pathogens such as Phytophthora and Pythium cause economic losses as a result of root rot and brown rot. Mycorrhizal fungi are specialized members of the fungal community forming a mutualistic relationship with plant roots. Mycorrhizal fungal structures are known to associate with other soil microorganisms and these may contribute to improved plant growth. A diverse group of bacteria that interact with the mycorrhizal fungi are known as Mycorrhizal Helper Bacteria (MHB). The aim of this study was to investigate the role of arbuscular mycorrhiza and associated bacteria isolated from spores and determine whether they had any plant growth promoting potential. A total of 19 bacteria were isolated from arbuscular mycorrhizal spores and were molecularly identified as belonging to several Bacillus, Micrococcus, Onchrobactrum and Staphylococcus sp. All bacterial isolates were tested for plant growth promotion abilities. One Bacillus isolate was able to solubilise phosphate. Four isolates Micrococcus sp, Micrococcus leteus, Ochrobacterum sp and Ochrobacterum antropi were able to produce Indole Acetic Acid and three isolates showed potential to reduce growth of Phytophthora nicotianae, P. citrocola and P. citrophthora in in vitro plate cultures. Further tests using culture supernatants of the Bacillus sp, Micrococcus sp and Bacillus cereus confirmed their ability to inhibit or reduce growth of the three Phytophthora species in a 96 well bioassay. Bacillus sp and Bacillus cereus were able to inhibit Phytophthora spp by 95 to 100 % and Micrococcus spp was able to decrease pathogen growth by 60 to 94 %. These bacterial isolates were further evaluated for plant growth promoting abilities on citrus rough lemon seedlings alone or in combination with arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculum. Bacterial and mycorrhizal inoculants influence the increase in shoot and root biomass. Bacillus cereus in combination with mycorrhizal inoculum significantly increased seedling shoot to root ratio while root biomass was significantly increased with mycorrhizal inoculation. Due to the short duration of the trial mycorrhizal colonisation could not be assessed. It is evident that selected combinations of bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi could promote citrus seedling growth and potentially improve seedling health. Further studies under nursery conditions are recommended.

Submitted by Johnny Rodrigues (johnnyrodrigues@ufcg.edu.br) on 2018-07-04T14:09:16Z No. of bitstreams: 1 NILENE RODRIGUES DOS SANTOS - DISSERTAÇÃO PPGEA 2003..PDF: 9864701 bytes, checksum: d75a590a50b67444833851b131a9e950 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-07-04T14:09:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 NILENE RODRIGUES DOS SANTOS - DISSERTAÇÃO PPGEA 2003..PDF: 9864701 bytes, checksum: d75a590a50b67444833851b131a9e950 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2003-06-18 / CNPq / A presença de praga em milho armazenado é um dos fatores limitantes a manutenção da viabilidade dessas sementes, sendo uma das principais responsáveis na queda da produção, devido ao grande número de perdas e danos nas sementes armazenadas. Com base nessas considerações, este trabalho busca alternativas no controle do Sitophilus zeamais, na fase adulta e de ovo mediante o emprego de seis espécies vegetais por conter em sua composição substâncias com propriedades inseticidas e por os extratos dessas plantas poder configurar-se numa alternativa aos produtos químicos comerciais com vantagens ecológicas bastante interessantes, devido à baixa agressividade ao ambiente e ao homem. O trabalho foi conduzido no período de agosto/2001 a maio/2003, no LAPPA da UFCG. Os extratos foram obtidos pelo método de extração a frio por percolação. O delineamento experimental utilizado nos bioensaios foi o inteiramente casualizado com os tratamentos distribuídos em esquema fatorial, exceto na terceira etapa onde não se empregou a distribuição fatorial, sendo utilizado na primeira etapa, regressão na análise de variância para os fatores estudados de acordo com o número que se apresentavam em cada ensaio (extratos, doses, forma de aplicação e período de armazenamento) e as variáveis de respostas (mortalidade de adultos, estágio de ovo, sementes infestadas, perda do peso, viabilidade de sementes e teor de umidade). Com base nos resultados de cada bioensaio, tem-se que a aplicação dos extratos diretamente sobre as sementes foi o método que melhor controlou os Sitophilus zeamais presente na massa de sementes, sendo os extratos de Calopogonium caeruleum e Ruta graveolens os mais eficientes em seu controle, tanto na fase adulta como de ovo e a melhor dose foi a de 12 ml. A qualidade fisiológica da semente de milho não foi afetada pela aplicação dos extratos, sendo estes considerados eficazes na manutenção da qualidade fisiológica das sementes durante os 90 dias de armazenamento e os extratos de Calopogonium caeruleum e Ruta graveolens que atuaram com maior eficiência em matar os insetos, possuem grupos químicos: alcalóides, flavonóides e taninos, com propriedadesinseticidas que justificam essa ação. / The plague presence in stored corn is one of the factors limits the maintenance of the viability of those seeds, being responsible one of the main ones in the fali of the producrion, due to the great number of losses and damages in the stored seeds. With base in those considerations, this work search alternatives in the control of the Sitophilus zeamais, in the adult phase and of egg by means of the employment of six vegetable species for containing in its composition substances with insecticide properties and for the extracts of those plants to configure in an alternative to tiie commercial chemical products with quite interesting ecological advantages, due to the low aggressiveness to the atmosphere and the man. The work was driven in the period august/2001 to may/2003, in the Department of Agricultural Engineering of UFCG. The extracts were obtained by the extraction method to cold for percolação. The experimental lineation used in the biopractices was it entirely casualty with the treatments distributed in outline factorial, except in the third stage where the distribution factorial was not used, being used being used in the first stage, regression in the variance analysis for the factors studied in agreement with the number that you/they carne each rehearsal (extracts, doses, application form and storage period) and the variables of answers (adults' mortality, egg apprenticeship, infested seeds, loss of the weight, viability of seeds and humidity text). With base in the results of biopractices each, it is had that the application of the extracts directly on the seeds the method that best controlled Sitophilus zeamais present in the mass of seeds was, being the extracts of Calopogonium caeruleum and Ruta graveolens the most efficient in the control of the S. zeamais, so much in the adult phase as of egg and the best dose was the one of 12 ml. The physiologic quality of the corn seed was not affected by the application of the extracts, being these considered effective in the maintenance of the physiologic quality of the seeds during the 90 days of storage and the extracts of Calopogonium caeruleum and Ruta graveolens that acted with larger efficiency in killing the insects, they possess chemical groups: alkaloids, flavonóides and tannins, with insecticide properties tiiat justify that action.

Lantana camara (lantana), a thicket-forming shrub, a number of different varieties of which were introduced into South Africa as ornamental plants but which has become a serious invasive weed. Conventional control measures for lantana are expensive and ineffective and it has therefore been targeted for biological control since 1961. To date, eleven biological control agent species have become established on lantana in South Africa. However, most agents persist at low densities and only occasionally impact plant populations. Three species regularly cause significant damage, but only reach sufficiently high numbers by midsummer after populations crash during the winter. Overall, the impact of the biological control programme on the weed is negligible and this has been ascribed to the poor selection of agents for release, the accumulation of native parasitoids, differences in insect preference for different varieties of the weed and variable climatic conditions over the weed’s range. This study suggests that the importance of varietal preferences has been over-estimated. A predictive bioclimatic modelling technique showed that most of the agents established in South Africa have a wide climatic tolerance and that the redistribution and importation of new climatypes of these agents will not improve the level of control. Additional agents are required to improve the biocontrol in the temperate conditions, and also to increase damage in the sub-tropical areas where most of the agents are established and where the weed retains its leaves year round. New candidate agents that possess biological attributes that favour a high intrinsic rate of increase, a high impact per individual and that improve the synchrony between the weed and the agent in climatic conditions that promote the seasonal leaflessness of plants should receive prior consideration. A survey in Jamaica indicated that additional biological control agents are available in the region of origin but that care should be taken to prioritise the most effective agents. The various selection systems currently available in weed biocontrol produce contradictory results in the priority assigned to candidate agents and a new selection system is proposed. The biology and host range of two new candidate natural enemies, the leaf-galling weevil, Coelocephalapion camarae and the leaf-sucking mirid, Falconia intermedia were investigated for the biocontrol of lantana. The studies indicated that these have considerable biocontrol potential, in that the weevil has a wide climatic tolerance and has the potential to survive the host leaflessness typical of temperate conditions, while the mirid has a high intrinsic rate of increase, and the potential for several generations a year. Both agents caused a high level of damage to the leaves, with the weevil galling the vascular tissue in the leaf-petiole and the mirid causing chlorotic speckling of the leaves. During laboratory trials both agents accepted indigenous species in the genus Lippia. However, under multiple choice conditions these agents showed a significant and strong oviposition preference for lantana. A risk assessment and post release field trials indicated that F. intermedia is likely to attack some Lippia species in the presence of lantana, but the levels of damage are predicted to be relatively low. A possible low incidence of damage to indigenous species was considered a justifiable ‘trade-off’ for the potentially marked impact on L. camara. Preference and performance studies on the two candidate agents suggested that most of the South African lantana varieties are suitable host plants. The mirid preferred certain varieties in multiple choice experiments, but this is unlikely to affect its impact under field conditions. Permission for release was accordingly sought for both species. Finally, the challenges facing the biological control programme and the potential for improving the control of L. camara in South Africa are considered.

Water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes Mart. Solms-Laubach (Pontederiaceae), a freefloating aquatic macrophyte of Neotropical origin, was introduced into South Africa as an ornamental aquarium plant in the early 1900’s. By the 1970’s it had reached pest proportions in dams and rivers around the country. Due to the sustainability, cost efficiency and low environmental risk associated with biological control, this has been a widely used method in an attempt to reduce infestations to below the threshold where they cause economic and ecological damage. To date, five arthropod and one pathogen biocontrol agents have been introduced for the control of water hyacinth but their impact has been variable. It is believed that their efficacy is hampered by the presence of highly eutrophic systems in South Africa in which plant growth is prolific and the negative effects of herbivory are therefore mitigated. It is for these reasons that new, potentially more damaging biocontrol agents are being considered for release. The water hyacinth grasshopper, Cornops aquaticum Brüner (Orthoptera: Acrididae), which is native to South America and Mexico, was brought into quarantine in Pretoria, South Africa in 1995. Although the grasshopper was identified as one of the most damaging insects associated with water hyacinth in its native range, it has not been considered as a biocontrol agent for water hyacinth anywhere else in the world. After extensive host-range testing which revealed it to be safe for release, a release permit for this candidate agent was issued in 2007. However, host specificity testing is no longer considered to be the only important component of pre-release screening of candidate biocontrol agents. Investigating biological and ecological aspects of the plant-herbivore system that will assist in determination of potential establishment, efficacy and the ability to build up good populations in the recipient environment are some of the important factors. This thesis is a pre-release evaluation of C. aquaticum to determine whether it is sufficiently damaging to water hyacinth to warrant its release. It investigated interactions between the grasshopper and water hyacinth under a range of nutrient conditions found in South African water bodies as well as the impact of the grasshopper on the competitive performance of water hyacinth. Both plant growth rates and the response of water hyacinth to herbivory by the grasshopper were influenced by nutrient availability to the plants. The ability of water hyacinth to compensate for loss of tissue through herbivory was greater under eutrophic nutrient conditions. However, a negative linear relationship was found between grasshopper biomass and water hyacinth performance parameters such as biomass accumulation and leaf production, even under eutrophic conditions. Water hyacinth’s compensatory ability in terms of its potential to mitigate to detrimental effects of insect feeding was dependent on the amount of damage caused by herbivory by the grasshopper. Plant biomass and the competitive ability of water hyacinth in relation to another freefloating aquatic weed species were reduced by C. aquaticum under eutrophic nutrient conditions, in a short space of time. It was also found that grasshopper feeding and characteristics related to their population dynamics such as fecundity and survival were significantly influenced by water nutrient availability and that environmental nutrient availability will influence the control potential of this species should it be released in South Africa. Cornops aquaticum shows promise as a biocontrol agent for water hyacinth but additional factors that were not investigated in this study such as compatibility with the South African climate and the current water hyacinth biocontrol agents need to be combined with these data to make a decision on its release. Possible management options for this species if it is to be introduced into South Africa are discussed.

The biological control of the weedy complex Lantana camara (L.) (Verbenaceae) has been ongoing in South Africa for over 40 years. Despite this, the weed is still not under sufficient control and continues to invade new territories in the country. The biological control programme needs to be bolstered with releases of new and potentially damaging biological control agents. A promising biological control agent endemic to Central America, Falconia intermedia (Distant) (Hemiptera: Miridae), was imported into quarantine from Jamaica in 1994. This agent was released on sites in KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo provinces of South Africa in 1999. Even though it initially established and damaged L. camara, populations died out at most of the release sites. As varietal difference and adverse climate have been cited as the reason for non-establishment and ineffective control in L. camara biocontrol programmes worldwide, this study attempts to investigate the role that these two factors play in this weed herbivore relationship. Laboratory no-choice trials were conducted to determine the varietal performance of F intermedia, among five Eastern Cape varieties of the weed from East London, Whitney Farm, Heather Glen Farm, Port Alfred and Lyndhurst Farm, and a variety from the Plant Protection Research Institute (PPRI), Pretoria. However, there were differences in performance as the adult mirids performed better on white-pink varieties from Whitney Farm and Heather Glen Farm. To test varietal preference in field conditions, field releases of F intermedia were also made at East London, Whitney Farm, Heather Glen Farm, Port Alfred and Lyndhurst Farm. Post release evaluations were conducted monthly for two years (2002 and 2003). The insect established at East London and Whitney Farm, both of which have white-pink varieties. Insect populations quickly died out at the Lyndhurst Farm and Port Alfred sites, which have dark pink varieties. It is suggested that field conditions may have resulted in poor plant quality and led indirectly to varietal preference, and to non-establishment at these two sites. With the onset of cooler weather, populations disappeared at Heather Glen Farm. This suggested that F. intermedia was suitable for release in more subtropical areas within South Africa where climatic conditions would be suitable throughout the year. The mirid performed well at Whitney Farm, resulting in significant reduction in plant growth parameters such as height and percentage cover, and increasing the cover of other flora growing beneath L. camara plants. Finally, ways to improve the efficacy of this agent are considered in an effort towards better control of L. camara in South Africa.