RATopic1_95 - Geosystems Research Institute - Mississippi State ...

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Task 3.2 Distribution of Opuntia in the Region PI: Victor Maddox Co-PI: John Madsen, Richard Brown Collaborators: Randy Westbrooks, USGS NWRC; Joel Floyd, USDA APHIS PPQ; John C. Stewart, USDA APHIS PPQ Much of the host mapping activity in 2009 was focused along the Gulf Coast due to the discovery of cactus moth in southern Louisiana (Figure 1), although host mapping did occur elsewhere. Host data from 18 states was collected in 2009, including four new states, bringing the total number of states with host data in the CMDMN database to 36 (as of 14 Dec 2009). In 2009, 1399 host data reports were collected and entered into the Cactus Moth Detection and Monitoring Network (CMDMN) database. The largest number of reports entered in 2009 were negative host reports at 1292 compared to 107 positive host reports for the same period as of 14 December 2009. On 14 December 2009, there were 10,030 reports in the CMDMN database with 2,678 positive host reports and 7,352 negative reports. Distribution of Pricklypear Cactus Victor Maddox There is still a need for additional host mapping along the Gulf Coast which, in addition to visual cactus moth surveys in known infested areas and volunteer sentinel site activity, will be the focus of near-future project activities as funding permits in 2010. The entry of numerous negative reports from the northwestern United States continues and is expected to be completed in early 2010, adding data from new areas like the Great Basin Desert and Fish Lake National Forest (Figure 2). Figure 1. Cactus moth was discovered in the southern Louisiana bayous in Mid-2009. The blue dots on the CMDMN database map south of New Orleans indicate the location of the infestation. Red dots indicate locations with cactus but without the moth. This discovery has prompted increase activity in southern Louisiana. Figure 2. The entry of numerous negative reports from the northwestern United States is expected to be completed in early 2010 and will eventually add data from new areas like the Great Basin Desert in Nevada (left) and Fish Lake National Forest (right) in Utah. 2009 USGS Annual Report 22 Mississippi State University’s Geosystems Research Institute
Task 3.3. Opuntia and Cactoblastis Habitat Models and Population Genetics PI: Gary N. Ervin Co-PI: John Madsen, Richard Brown Collaborators: Chris Brooks, Lisa Wallace, and Mark Welch; MSU Biological Sciences Modeling of Pricklypear Cactus and Cactus Moth Habitat Gary N. Ervin Our proposed work for 2009-2010 encompasses three major areas of research – experimental studies of growth performance of C. cactorum and native US cactus moths on native southeastern US Opuntia species, genetic studies of Opuntia and cactophagous moths, and C. cactorum habitat modeling efforts. Experimental studies Growth chamber experiments continue, as of December 2009, with both C. cactorum and Melitara prodenialis nearing the ends of their life cycles (Figure 1). Preliminary analyses suggest differential performance of these moths on the native Florida cacti (O. humifusa and O. stricta), and those data are being used as the basis for an NSF grant proposal to be submitting in January 2010. That proposal aims to fund molecular genetic work to identify mechanisms of interaction between moths and host plants. The proposal submission will involve collaborative work with Dr. Travis Marsico of Arkansas State University; Marsico was a post-doc sponsored on this research. We began quarterly field observations in January 2009 to complement the growth chamber studies. The objectives were to determine patterns and outcomes of M. prodenialis and C. cactorum feeding on O. humifusa and O. stricta. Of the ninety-three O. humifusa plants observed, only one was fed upon by C. cactorum alone, one was fed upon by both C. cactorum and M. prodenialis, but M. prodenialis fed upon eighteen plants by itself. Of forty-nine O. stricta plants observed, C. cactorum fed upon twenty. On average, Opuntia plants without moth herbivory or with herbivory from the native M. prodenialis grew during the study (Figure 2). In contrast, plants with C. cactorum herbivory decreased in size because plant growth did not compensate for losses due to moth herbivory. Figure 2. Changes in Opuntia host plant size from field-monitored individuals in Florida, between January and October 2009. Growth measured as number of cladodes per plant for plants with no feeding from moths (left), feeding by C. cactorum (center), or feeding by M. prodenialis (right). Different letters above bars indicate significant difference, based on one-way ANOVA and a Tamhane post-hoc test to determine significant differences at p
Page 1 and 2: GRI Publication #5039 2009 USGS Ann
Page 3 and 4: Preface The research and outreach p
Page 5 and 6: Introduction Invasive species are a
Page 7 and 8: 2009 USGS Annual Report 7 Mississip
Page 9 and 10: Task 1.1. Growth of Common Salvinia
Page 11 and 12: Effects of Hydrologic Variations on
Page 13 and 14: Hydrilla and Giant Salvinia Status
Page 15 and 16: Task 2.1. National Early Detection
Page 17 and 18: Herbicide Efficacy and Monitoring:
Page 19 and 20: Task 3.1. Early Detection and Repor
Page 21: Sensory Structures on the Antennae
Page 25 and 26: Task 3.4. Webpage: Cactus Moth Dete
Page 27 and 28: Task 4. Web-based Database of Invas
Page 29 and 30: Table 1. Species selected for exten
Page 31 and 32: Task 5. Regional Coordination Figur
Page 33 and 34: issues regarding the recent discove
Page 35 and 36: Madsen, J. D., & Wersal, R. M. 2009
Page 37 and 38: Maddox, V. L., Westbrooks, R., Byrd
Page 39 and 40: Maddox, V. L. 2009. Host distributi
Page 41: Collaborating Partners 2009 USGS An

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