The release of Zygogramma bicolorata in Ethiopia to fight Parthenium hysterophorus
Parthenium hysterophorus (Asteraceae, EPPO Alert list) poses a serious threat to farming in Ethiopia. The biological control agent Zygogramma bicolorata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) which has already been successfully released to control P. hysterophorus in Australia, India, South Africa and Tanzania has recently been released in Ethiopia. The project has been coordinated by the Office of International Research and Education at Virginia Tech, with the help of CABI.
Sources
Adkins SW ; Shabbir A (2014) Biology, ecology and management of the invasive parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L.). Pest Management Science 70, 1023-1029.
Izlar K (2014) Speckled beetle key to saving crops in Ethiopia. Virginia tech News. http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2014/08/082214-outreach-oiredspeckledbeetle.html