New Zealand Journal of Botany abstracts
Using parasite databases to identify potential nontarget hosts of biological control organisms
John M. McPartland
Judith Nicholson
Faculty of Health & Environmental Sciences
UNITEC
Private Bag 92025
Auckland, New Zealand
Email: jmcpartland@unitec.ac.nz
Abstract Biological control organisms undergo host range studies to identify potential nontarget hosts. The selection criterion for host range studies is primarily based on the target host’s taxonomy. Thus, inaccuracies in host taxonomy may compromise the validity of host range studies. We propose that biocontrol researchers use internet-available databases to identify potential nontarget organisms that share parasites (biotrophic pathogens and pests) with target hosts, and add these organisms to host range tests. Marijuana (Cannabis sativa) has been targeted for biocontrol, and host range studies have focused upon the Moraceae. A list of Cannabis parasites was compared with database lists of pests and pathogens for hosts in the order Urticales. The databases revealed seven Cannabis biotrophic parasites that were shared by hosts in the family Urticaceae, one biotroph shared by a host in the Celtidaceae, and no biotrophs shared by hosts in the Moraceae, Cercropiaceae, or Ulmaceae. These results suggest that biocontrol host range studies of Cannabis parasites should focus on the Urticaceae and Celtidaceae as well as the Moraceae. These results also suggest that taxonomic relationships within the Uricales be reassessed.
Keywords biological control; weeds; Cannabis sativa; Urticaceae; Celtidaceae; Moraceae; Fahrenholtz’s Rule; coevolution
B03002; Received 17 January 2003; accepted 11 June 2003; online publication date 26 November 2003
New Zealand Journal of Botany, 2003, Vol. 41: 699-706
0028-825X/03/4104-0699 $7.00 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2003
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