Using stem boring moths Archanara neurica (Hübner) and Lenisa geminipuncta (Haworth) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) for biological control of introduced Phragmites australis australis

Introduced Phragmites (Phragmites australis australis) is one of the most invasive plants in North America. Classical biological control (i.e., introducing natural enemies from the target weed’s native range) is promising as an effective, affordable, and host-specific option to supplement existing management approaches. A petition to release two European stem boring moths, Archanara neurica (Hübner) and Lenisa geminipuncta (Haworth) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) as biocontrol agents for introduced Phragmites was approved in Canada in 2019. The first pilot biocontrol program using A. neurica and L. geminipuncta began in southern Ontario in summer 2019. The objectives of this pilot program are to develop and test core methods to rear, release, and monitor the biocontrol agents, and to establish nurse sites of both species in Ontario to support subsequent redistribution of the insects at a larger scale. Since 2019, over 17,000 insects have been released at twelve sites across southern Ontario using a variety of release timings and insect life stages (e.g., eggs, larvae, pupae, moths). Monitoring has continued at all release sites to assess insect feeding damage, dispersal, and impacts on the target weed. This presentation will provide an overview of and update on the introduced Phragmites biocontrol program including results from lab rearing, comparisons of insect release methods, and preliminary field monitoring.