Phytophagous Arthropod Fauna of Crownvetch in Pennsylvania

Abstract

Can. Ent. 106: 897-908 (1974) A survey of the phytophagous arthropod fauna of the introduced legume crownvetch, Coronilla varia L., was conducted in Pennsylvania during 1971-73. Samples were taken from large forage fields, highway plantings used for erosion control, and greenhouses. Emphasis was placed on determining what known pests of other forage legumes are associated with crownvetch and on clarifying the relationship of the species to the host plant. Species were categorized as primary, secondary, and incidental according to their intimacy with the host. Biological notes, known host plant range, and association with other legumes are presented for 19 of the 33 primary species. The grasshoppers Melanoplus differentialis (Thomas) and M. femurrubrum (DeGeer) and the gelechiid moth Stomopteryx palpilineella Chambers caused defoliation in several highway plantings. Other abundant species were the alfalfa plant bug, Adelphocoris lineolatus (Goeze); potato leafhopper, Empoasca fabae (Harris); clover stem borer, Languria mozardi (Latreille); and nitidulid beetle Meligethes nigrescens Stephens. The similarity of the phytophagous fauna of crownvetch to that of alfalfa is discussed. Alfalfa pests found not to breed on crownvetch were the meadow spittlebug, pea aphid, alfalfa weevil, clover leaf weevil, clover root curculio, and alfalfa seed chalcid. As yet pest problems on crownvetch are few when compared with those of alfalfa and other forage legumes.

PREDICTING HOST RANGE EVOLUTION: COLONIZATION OFCORONILLA VARIABYCOLIAS PHILODICE(LEPIDOPTERA: PIERIDAE)

“…Due to its attractiveness as groundcover and forage (Reynolds et at, 1969;Bums et at, 1969Bums et at, , 1972, and its ability to escape cultivation, e. varia is becoming increasingly abundant throughout much ofthe eastern and midwestern United States. By 1974, nearly 30,000 acres of'C varia had been planted along highway slopes in Pennsylvania alone (Wheeler, 1974). Moreover, with continued naturalization, sympatry between e. varia and e. philodice is likely to increase since the typical habitats of e. varia, M. sativa, T. pratense, and M. alba (roadsides, waste places, and other disturbed areas) are very similar (Fernald, 1950).…”

“…Second, colonization of C. varia appears to be particularly facile for species, such as C. philodice, that presently feed on M. sativa. Nearly 50% of herbivorous insect species that have colonized C. varia in Pennsylvania are primary herbivores of alfalfa (Pimentel and Wheeler, 1973;Wheeler, 1974). Third, C. eurytheme, which has a host plant range nearly identical to that ofC.…”

“…Third, C. eurytheme, which has a host plant range nearly identical to that ofC. philodice (Klots, 1951;Scott, 1986) and which was long considered to be the same species (Hovanitz, 1949), has recently colonized C. varia (Wheeler, 1974). Fourth, when given a choice between M. sativa, C. varia, and M. alba in small laboratory cages (which essentially allowed expression only of postalighting discrimination), C. philodice females lay approximate 10% oftheir eggs on C. varia (Karowe, 1988); this suggests that the absence of C. philodice from C. varia is due primarily to prealighting discrimination by ovipositing females.…”

An Invasive Plant Species Decreases Native Plant Reproductive Success

“…In addition to its aggressive vegetative growth, crown vetch plants produce copious amounts of pinkish-white to deep pink flowers in long-stalked clusters. Though crown vetch has been recognized as a management problem for habitats such as prairies and savannas (Solecki 1997), limited research has been published on its impacts at the species, community, and ecosystem levels (e.g., Wheeler 1974;Walck et al 1999;Symstad 2004).…”

Improving yield and water use efficiency of apple trees through intercrop-mulch of crown vetch (Coronilla varia L.) combined with different fertilizer treatments in the Loess Plateau

“…However, plastic film does not increase the abundance of soil nutrients and has negative environmental impacts, and both plastic film and straw mulch impose transportation expenses and other costs each year. As a perennial legume, crown vetch can live for several years if well managed and sprout in late March each year after being sown in the first year, and it can form root nodules, control weeds, prevent soil erosion, and improve soil fertility (Wheeler, 1974;Symstad, 2004). As a legume, crown vetch can mitigate nitrogen competition due to its ability to fix atmospheric N 2 via root nodules, compared to other nonlegume species, and other similar studies found that nitrogen competition was mitigated by legume grass cover systems (King & Berry, 2005;Messiga et al, 2015).…”