Refining the process of selecting specialist herbivores that are used as biological control agents to maximise effects on the targets can diminish the risk to non-target species. While biotic factors (e.g. plant demography and agent-host interactions) have been explored for clues to improve the way we make agent selection decisions, recent ecological research indicates that abiotic factors related to the habitat (e.g. plant and soil nutrient composition, and soil characteristics) are important predictors of insect herbivore community composition. In this paper we explore the relevance of plant nutrient composition to aid in selecting agents for the invasive Eurasian perennial Euphorbia esula (leafy spurge) in Illinois, USA. We propose that an approach that compares such abiotic factors across the native and invaded ranges of plants in conjunction with the community composition of specialist herbivores in the native range may yield valuable clues in selecting agents that are most likely to establish and regulate populations of the target weed.

An immunoassay using monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) that are specific for different vertebrate taxa (from class to species) has been developed that simplifies and facilitates analysis of vertebrate blood meals from arthropod vectors. The MAbs have been prepared against the single protein albumin, the most abundant protein in vertebrate sera. A panel of these antibodies has been generated against albumins from 33 species of vertebrates, representing four classes, 15 orders, and 25 families. Immunoreactivity of albumin in mosquito blood meals can be detected as late as 48 h after feeding. Immunoassays with MAbs can be carried out in the field as well as the laboratory. Used in conjunction with nucleic acid assays or used alone with an appropriate assortment of antibodies, the assay is simple, sensitive, and unambiguous. Journal of Vector Ecology 36 (1): 86-93. 2011.