| Solanum mauritianum Scopoli (bugweed), native to southern Brazil, is a major weed in South Africa where it has been targeted for biological control. In 1998, a cooperative project involving Brazilian and South African scientists was initiated to develop cooperative biological control studies involving native Brazilian plants that are invasive in South Africa. Surveys for natural enemies were carried out in the First Plateau of Paraná, where the plant is particularly abundant and where the climatic conditions are similar to high altitude areas in South Africa that are invaded by S. mauritianum. Populations of S. mauritianum supported a diverse herbivore fauna, which included at least 34 insect species and one mite species. Five species with high biological... |
