Beetles washed away?
0 views
Skip to first unread message
Frederick W. Schueler
Jul 7, 2024, 7:17:36 PMJul 7
to Eastern Ontario Natural History listserve
Everyone,
Back in the 1980s & 1990s Purple Loosestrife was the poster child of
invasive alien campaigning, and lots of fields and wetlands were purple
with its blooms. I've written the history of its biocontrol by
Galerucella Beetles at - https://ngtimes.ca/tempered-purple/ - including
an account of how, in 2017 "when, after a dry spring when the beetles
had been abundant, a rainy summer seemed to wash the larvae off the
plants, unleashing them to grow tall and bloom, leading many people to
remark on the invasiveness of the species" (as if the biocontrol hadn't
occurred).
This spring got off to a sudden early start, of course, and our
first-seen blooming Loosestrife, in Cornwall, and along the drive home
from there on 24 June was just about our earliest date for the species.
I've just been out to our ponds & ditches, and there are wide areas of
blooming metre-tall Loosestrife, with the leaves untouched by any Beetle
activity. Earlier this year there was a moderate amount of leaf
perforation & browning, so I suppose that, as in 2017, some of our heavy
rainstorms have washed the Beetles & larvae off the plants, and the
plants have gotten away.
I wonder what others have observed or concluded?
fred.
------------------------------------------------------------
---------Frederick W. Schueler & Aleta Karstad ------------ Fragile
Inheritance Natural History - https://fragileinheritance.ca/ FI
Newsletter -
https://clt1233162.benchmarkurl.com/c/v?e=15E5037&c=12D10A&t=0&l=53EF5F06
2022 annual letter: https://clt1233162.bmeurl.co/EFE49F7 6 St-Lawrence
Street Bishops Mills, RR#2 Oxford Station, Ontario K0G 1T0 on the Smiths
Falls Limestone Plain 44.87156° N 75.70095° W
------------------------------------------------------------
Back in the 1980s & 1990s Purple Loosestrife was the poster child of
invasive alien campaigning, and lots of fields and wetlands were purple
with its blooms. I've written the history of its biocontrol by
Galerucella Beetles at - https://ngtimes.ca/tempered-purple/ - including
an account of how, in 2017 "when, after a dry spring when the beetles
had been abundant, a rainy summer seemed to wash the larvae off the
plants, unleashing them to grow tall and bloom, leading many people to
remark on the invasiveness of the species" (as if the biocontrol hadn't
occurred).
This spring got off to a sudden early start, of course, and our
first-seen blooming Loosestrife, in Cornwall, and along the drive home
from there on 24 June was just about our earliest date for the species.
I've just been out to our ponds & ditches, and there are wide areas of
blooming metre-tall Loosestrife, with the leaves untouched by any Beetle
activity. Earlier this year there was a moderate amount of leaf
perforation & browning, so I suppose that, as in 2017, some of our heavy
rainstorms have washed the Beetles & larvae off the plants, and the
plants have gotten away.
I wonder what others have observed or concluded?
fred.
------------------------------------------------------------
---------Frederick W. Schueler & Aleta Karstad ------------ Fragile
Inheritance Natural History - https://fragileinheritance.ca/ FI
Newsletter -
https://clt1233162.benchmarkurl.com/c/v?e=15E5037&c=12D10A&t=0&l=53EF5F06
2022 annual letter: https://clt1233162.bmeurl.co/EFE49F7 6 St-Lawrence
Street Bishops Mills, RR#2 Oxford Station, Ontario K0G 1T0 on the Smiths
Falls Limestone Plain 44.87156° N 75.70095° W
------------------------------------------------------------
rmb...@istar.ca
Jul 8, 2024, 4:35:27 PMJul 8
to natur...@googlegroups.com
Come to think of it...I hardly see any purprle loosestrife in our
area, or maybe haven't noticed it yet if it's just coming in to bloom?
Rose-Marie
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "NatureList" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it,
> send an email to naturelist+...@googlegroups.com.
> To view this discussion on the web visit
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/naturelist/69f1456b-c783-4ca5-af1f-9cfa07438d96%40istar.ca.
>
V. Kirkwood
Jul 12, 2024, 10:04:45 AM (13 days ago) Jul 12
to natur...@googlegroups.com
I checked out the Purple Loosestrife in my horse pasture this morning. It is doing very well this year, and I saw only one perforated leaf.
Valerie Kirkwood
Acton's Corners.
---
Visit my fine art photography page at http://valerie-kirkwood.fineartamerica.com/
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages